![]() Joe Aribo may be a beneficiary of such tweak, especially as it presents a rare opportunity to play in his best position in a midfield three, abandoning the continued call to utilise the Rangers man in tandem with another in a pivot.Ī more defensive inclination would benefit Onyeka, whose versatility means he can deputise in several roles in the middle of the park and still thrive. Maybe the 68-year-old will alter his approach and play a midfield three again, similar to June’s friendly with Cameroon where Ndidi appeared to be flanked by Iwobi and, interestingly, Iheanacho. Maybe, Rohr will opt for his usual 4-2-3-1 formation which morphs into a 4-4-2 when Kelechi Iheanacho links up with Victor Osimhen in attack. The trio’s return and a closer inspection of Rohr’s squad show the German tactician can opt for several variations of a back three and back four. Wilfred Ndidi, Alex Iwobi and Samuel Chukwueze are back after missing varying amounts of games of late and all three are near certain to start against the Lone Stars in Tangier. The 32-year-old’s recall after a two-year gap has understandably dominated the build-up to Saturday’s encounter with Liberia and next week’s potential decider with Cape Verde, diverting attention from what matters-the tactical potential of the 24-man squad. Indeed, it often feels like subtle tweaks from the under-fire boss play second fiddle to more noteworthy narratives, a trend that has continued with Odion Ighalo’s return for November’s internationals. Naturally, the general frustration meant disillusioned supporters were not particularly placated by the 2-0 win against the same opponents in Douala a few days later.Īlso ignored was the formation change to a back three, a rarity for the rigid Rohr. Unsurprisingly, the continued rotations on both flanks after half-time was rendered inconsequential immediately after Karl Namnganda netted in second-half stoppage time. Many supporters ignored the aforementioned in part down to Nigeria managing only one shot at goal before half-time and the fact ball progression from deep - despite Onyeka’s movement and Aina’s rotations with Moses - remained ineffectual. Ola Aina took up interesting positions - at times coming narrow and on other occasions hugging the touchline - and his rotations with Moses Simon down that side was noteworthy in an otherwise forgettable 45 minutes. What happened further forward, probably interests tactical buffs more than it would the average fan. ![]() With William Troost-Ekong and Leon Balogun either side of the Brentford midfielder, Nigeria morphed into a back three in that phase. While the post-mortem following the 1-0 defeat in Lagos was mostly negative, the annoyance and disappointment ignored how Frank Onyeka dropped deep at times, particularly in the opening 35 minutes, to help with the team’s build-up play. The double-header against the Central African Republic showed another side to the typically inflexible German boss. Backpagepixīe that as it may, maybe the German is on to something…or are we getting ahead of ourselves? Owing to the level of talent at his disposal, the mish-mash showings from one international window to the next that has become the norm is near infuriating and any sort of interest or excitement seems fabricated.
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