Rock of Offence

Hullo everyone…
As always, a huge pop to everyone who’s been looking up the blog. Hope I’ve made it worth your while, as you’ve certainly made it worth mine. It’s always a pleasure to write knowing that there are people out there who share common passions, as is clear from some of the comments.
Now to the elephant in the room: the FIFA World Cup Draw. It would be remiss of me not to touch on that subject before moving on to the real focus of this post. This is just my overall impression of the Draw; a later post will address it in detail.
I think this is the best possible draw the Super Eagles could have gotten. Beforehand I had said that I did not want an “easy” draw (I’m looking at you, Group H), I wanted a competitive one. Well, wish granted. Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Bosnia-Herzegovina is very doable, and it is also vital for me that we play the top seed last of all. I envisage that final group game will be for supremacy in the group, that would take the pressure off and we could give it all we’ve got.
All right then. In my previous post, the focus was on the Super Eagles midfield and what system would bring the best out of it. If you didn’t get a chance to read it, a quick glance to get up to speed would not be a bad idea. Now we discuss the attacking trio.
Since the Afcon, Coach Stephen Keshi has favored a split front three for the most part. Victor Moses starts on the left but really is at liberty to move around and drift into midfield whenever required to create overloads; Emmanuel Emenike is the burly battering ram through the middle; while Brown Ideye has been favored high on the right, playing more like a wide forward and (at least in theory) making diagonal runs behind the opposition defence.
The knock-on effect of this is that Elderson Echiejile has a greater attacking responsibility to provide width on the left side of the attack. In the eventuality that the opposition right-winger is derelict defensively, Echiejile will invariably find himself in promising positions. A perfect example is the Afcon semi-final win against Mali, where Echiejile ghosted in at the far post to head in a cross from Victor Moses who had drifted all the way across to the opposite flank.
That game against Mali was also an important signpost: it is the only time Brown Ideye has scored playing in this system. His goal, which went in off a Malian defender, is the perfect example of what he is supposed to do in this split 4–3–3 system: make aggressive runs in behind the opposing defenders. It is basically Keshi’s way of playing two strikers without being undermanned in midfield like in a straight 4–4–2.
The trouble with playing a wide forward like this is that if he isn’t scoring, then the team is essentially carrying a passenger along. The problem is two-fold. First of all, Ideye simply doesn’t make the sort of run he made in that Mali game often enough, and he is not an overly skilled dribbler either, so he offers little as an attacking outlet. Secondly, his first touch is simply appalling for a striker; he invariably fails to react quickly enough with the ball at his feet in the penalty area and his finishing is truly dreadful.
It is clear then that it is his position on the right side of the attack that must be called into question. Who can fill this role satisfactorily?

There are a few candidates, but for the purposes of fairness let us give the right of first refusal to the player who has most often played this role recently: Ahmed Musa.

This man divides opinion like almost no one else in the Super Eagles. His assets are really the most obvious ones: raw pace and athleticism. He seems a victim of his own unpredictability at times, sadly; tripping over his own feet, running the ball out of play after attempting one too many take-ons, choosing the wrong option when faced with too many. I feel that his speed is a useful enough weapon to have, but he would be best utilized as a sub to torment tiring defenders.
Love him or hate him, his pace will be needed at the World Cup, where summer temperatures will cause teams to tire late on in games. Start Musa and with his all action, pacy style, he might spontaneously combust.

“Flame on!”

Next up for consideration is another who has become quite a mainstay in the Super Eagles of late. Nnamdi Oduamadi has gone from zero to hero in such a short time, the highlight being a hattrick against the hapless Tahitians at the Confederations Cup. His movement is impressive and his finishing passable (Tahiti is not exactly a credible sample), but he offers little else to the team. Below par work rate, and next to nothing in terms of on-the-ball ability. He’s basically Nigeria’s Pedro Rodriguez, minus passing and dribbling ability.
It is tempting to go with playing an actual forward there, albeit one with decent dribbling ability allied with good movement. This is a mix that is not easy to achieve, especially in our current Super Eagles vintage, but I’d wager the closest we’ll come is Ikechukwu Uche or Obinna Nsofor. The Villareal man is enjoying a stellar season so far in La Liga playing upfront, but it is very unlikely he will get the nod upfront ahead of Emmanuel Emenike, so playing him on the wing would be a great way of adding a credible goal threat. Nsofor is another who is not a bad shout at all. Matter of fact, he would be my pick if he could get match fitness and form, seeing as he has been out with injuries lately. He is quick, a fine dribbler and a forceful finisher. Ticks all the boxes, and unlike Uche, he’s eminently comfortable on the wing.
The final shout goes out to a left-field choice: Hull’s Omatsone Aluko.

Is it a bird? Is it a plane? All that’s missing is a cape, really.

What’s not to like? Aluko has great technique, and is an excellent dribbler. He chips in with his fair share of goals, witness that he has managed 9 in 31 appearances, albeit not playing as an out-and-out striker. He would also offer the ability to switch flanks with the marauding Moses, as he is left-footed. The big issue with Aluko is that playing him there necessitates a change in the team dynamic, as he is not the most direct of players. Also he is currently sidelined with a recurrent injury to his Achilles tendon, and is expected to be out till February. Enough time to play himself into form in the final two months of the campaign? That remains to be seen. I would take him on the plane to Brazil, though.
So, all considered, my eleven comes out looking like this

So, have your say by leaving a comment. Who would make your Super Eagles eleven, and why? Get involved and let’s talk.
That’s all for now. The next post will focus exclusively on the World Cup Draw and how I think it can be negotiated. Thanks a bunch for reading all the way.
Up the Super Eagles!