I am not one for New Year’s resolutions – an exercise in futility if there ever was one – but I do allow myself a few wishful desires every January. At least, the fact that it’s not a “resolution” – and often not up to me - removes that inevitable feeling of disappointment that ultimately kicks optimism to the curb.
Hence, I feel adequately protected in my wish that the Super Eagles trump all comers and claim another Nations Cup title in February. Don’t laugh. The good thing about wishful desires is that they need not be grounded in any kind of logic whatsoever, and – who knows? – they just might come true. Certainly, where football is concerned, anything is possible.
You disagree? Well, I’ve been around long enough to remember Denmark – against all the odds - winning the European Championships in 1992. No one could even have wished for that in January of that year, giving that the Danes did not qualify for the finals. Only after Yugoslavia was barred from the finals – in May – did the Danes scramble together the squad that went on to triumph in Sweden, beating Holland and Germany along the way.
More recently, only the die-hard, ultra-patriotic – or heavily inebriated - Greek fan could have predicted that Greece would come out on top at Euro 2004.
Now don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that Nigeria can’t win it all in Ghana next month – there goes my optimistic side again – but I must say that Berti Vogts’ Nations Cup pre-squad hasn’t exactly spurred me to order up the celebratory booze. You know what I’m saying? When Westerhoff’s team won in 1994, there was that sense that we had a squad strong and balanced enough to take on the best on the continent. Even when we fell short at home in 2000, our squad, even on paper, looked - and proved - a capable one.
I just don’t get that same sense of optimism when I look at Vogts’ list.
Let’s start with the goalkeepers, and this is one of the positions I have no problems with. In Vincent Enyeama, Dele Aiyenugba and Austin Ejide, the Eagles surely have enough cover in goal. The key decision though, will be who gets to start. Vogts seems to prefer Ejide or Aiyenugba, while I would pick Enyeama in a heartbeat. He looks the more comfortable on crosses, always keeps his back four on their toes and has more experience at this level.
The defence isn’t bad either, especially with the central backs. Joseph Yobo, Rabiu Afolabi, Danny Shittu, Obinna Nwaneri, and Efe Ambrose give Vogts no shortage of options in that area but he needs to work out what partnership works best for his tactics. I would definitely start with Yobo, and pair him with either Shittu or Afolabi.
The full backs are another matter, simply because we have little or no options to pick from. Ifeanyi Emeghara will likely start on the right – or Nice defender Onyekachi Apam – with Taiye Taiwo a definite starter on the left. Neither right back options have looked particularly comfortable in that role, but in the absence of the long injured Chidi Odiah, Vogts has to make do. Taiwo is adequate enough, and also provides a goal-scoring threat with that booming left foot of his, but if he picks up an injury or gets suspended, Vogts will have another dilemma on his hands. I hear Ambrose can cover, but that would be another stop gap measure, and I’d be surprised if Vogts picks him anyway.
The one area that really keeps me up at night though is the midfield. Vogts’ list includes eight midfield players (don’t even mention those U-17 boys – they aren’t going): John Mikel, Yusuf Ayila, Seyi Olofinjana, Dickson Etuhu, Onyekachi Okonkwo, Richard Eromoigbe, Sani Kaita and Oladapo Olufemi. Of these, Olufemi – called up from the U-20 squad – is, sadly, unlikely to make the trip, even though I would definitely pick him ahead of Kaita and Eromoigbe.
Of the others, only Mikel looks capable of opening up defences and creating chances for the forwards - if he remembers how to play outside his defensive “Chelsea position” in front of the back-four (not likely) - and only Okonkwo looks capable of playing out on the flanks.
Ayila, at his best, is an excellent midfield anchor – as he proved in Egypt two years ago – but he’s been plagued by injury over the past year or so and we can only hope he has returned to form.
Olofinjana is not Mr. Creative either, although he might bring a bit more in the attacking end, giving that he plays farther forward – and gets a few goals too - for Wolves in the Championship.
Etuhu’s all-action physical style would serve the team well in the hurly burly of African soccer – he reminds of the late great Marc Vivien Foe, but without the passing skills. He’ll get away with some of his robust tackling and his “water-carrying” could yet prove an asset, but he’s not going to create much.
Okonkwo may add a bit more craft, but I must confess that the little I have seen of this guy hasn’t exactly convinced me. My sources tell me he was the brains behind Enyimba’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs so maybe there’s more to “Tico” than I have seen. I sure hope so. The Eagles can use any kind of help in midfield right now.
As for Eromoigbe and Kaita, the former as shown potential in his few appearances and his versatility would be useful as a squad player, but don’t even get me started on the latter. Vogts shoud just do us a favour and leave him at home.
It’s most likely that Vogts will play a three-man midfield but I am unconvinced he has enough depth in this squad to make it work. That formation calls for box-to-box midfielders who can keep the ball, pass accurately and dictate the pace of the game, just as Essien and Lampard do for Chelsea, Iniesta and Xavi for Barcelona or Zokora and Yaya Toure for Ivory Coast. Mikel, on account of his touch and excellent passing, fits the bill – if we can get him further upfield – as does Olufemi, whose all-round skills were a wonder to behold at the World Youth Championships. But I would only play one of Ayila, Olofinjana or Etuhu in the anchor role. For me, any two of these together in a 4-3-3 model would be ultra-defensive and take away from the team’s attacking capabilities.
Again there’s the question of depth. What happens if someone – say Mikel - gets injured or picks up a suspension? Certainly, this should be a key question when selecting a squad for a competition like the Nations Cup, but that doesn’t seem to have been a major concern for Vogts. Maybe he just couldn’t find players with the required qualities. Or maybe he just wasn’t looking.
Of course, one might look to our surplus of forwards as a viable pool for midfield substitutes. The likes of John Utaka, Osaze Odemwingie and Victor Obinna have certainly played in midfield in the past, albeit out on the flanks in a 4-4-2 formation. I prefer to think of these guys as forwards though, but I guess if push comes to shove they can suffice, especially if the German coach is flexible enough to switch tactics.
And that brings us to the forwards, without question the Eagles’ strongest asset. I think Vogts will have problems of a different sort here: who to drop and who to start. Utaka and Obinna should keep their places, if only for their utility value in midfield, but that still leaves captain Nwankwo Kanu, top scorer Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Ayo Makinwa, Manaseh Ishiaku, Ikechukwu Uche, and Odemwingie, vying for 5 spots. It’s a nice problem to have and I know who I would drop. I think the new boys – Ishiaku and Uche – would be the first to go, although I would send Makinwa home too. I can’t for the love of God understand how the Lazio striker gets picked ahead of Everton’s Victor Anichebe. Seniority counts, I guess, as does having friends in high places. Enough said. Frankly, Makinwa has never convinced at international level and I don’t think he’ll do anything different in Ghana. He may be good enough for low level Serie A clubs like Atalanta and Palermo, but he is yet to justify his place in a Eagles’ squad bursting at the seams with strikers.
The true contenders to start would be Kanu, Yakubu, Martins, Utaka, Obinna and Odemwingie. If Vogts sticks to 4-3-3 then he’ll be looking for a slightly deep lying “distributor” in the middle, someone who can hold the ball and wait for support, and some pace on the flanks. On paper, that points to Kanu or Yakubu in the middle, Utaka or Odemwingie on the right and Martins or Obinna on the left. Well, that’s how I would play it anyway.
Having said all that, there is one major concern with our strike force: only one of these guys – Yakubu - seems to be in any kind of scoring form right now. Odemwingie has been a disappointment since moving to Russia; Martins is suffering from “Newcastle malaise” – an acute lack of confidence; and Utaka and Kanu are hardly banging them in at Portsmouth. One can only hope the Nations Cup inspires some kind of renaissance. Maybe Kanu can finally get that long-elusive Nations Cup goal, but I would certainly start the in-form Yakubu ahead of him. Yak may lack Kanu’s silky skills, but he is more likely to get on the end of chances in the box.
I think Vogts final squad should read as follows:
G - Ejide, Enyeama, Aiyenugba
D - Emeghara, Apam, Nwaneri, Yobo, Shittu, Afolabi, Taiwo
M - Okonkwo, Mikel, Ayila, Etuhu, Olofinjana, Eromoigbe, Olufemi,
F - Odemwingie, Utaka, Yakubu, Kanu, Martins, Obinna
It’s not going to happen though: Vogts will probably stick to the status quo and take Kaita instead of Olufemi, and Makinwa instead of Eromoigbe. I wish he would prove me wrong, just as I wish the Eagles would stuff this rather (slightly) pessimistic piece in my face and actually win the cup.
But what do I know? I’m just an armchair coach with a wish list.
