WHAT GUARDIOLA HAS TO DO BEFORE JANUARY 31ST

Guardiola needs to take some very important steps to turn City’s season around. It has been very, very tough for his men in the past weeks, and heaping more pressure on them will not ease their burden. In the light of this, I have pointed out a few important things that can be done to arrest the situation and return confidence to the team.

SIGNINGS

This may sound crazy, but if I were Pep, I would go to Hull to sign Curtis Davies and hijack the Payet deal. Davies has been around for like 10 years, and has wealth of experience. He sure knows how to be a good defender in the EPL and that is just what Guardiola needs right now; he needs to stop conceding goals! I believe City can do with Davies while they wait until the summer to make long-term signings. Payet needs no introduction. He will fit well into City’s team and link up with DeBruyne productively. With Payet and DeBruyne, Aguero and Iheanacho can get all the supplies they need.

LINE UP

Pep should pair Otamendi and Davies, then play Stones from right-back. I strongly believe Stones will be more comfortable in this position and will give City much more than Sagna or Zabaleta can offer. The team can also use his pace to a good advantage, thereby making him a good attacking outlet, which will help their style of building from behind.

DeBruyne can be deployed into a more central position and allowed to play more direct. The fluidity of Payet and DeBruyne will allow them swap positions with ease, thereby giving their opponents so much to worry about. This combination will give Manchester City the cutting edge that has been lacking.

With Clichy and Stones running the wings, Silva/Sterling; DeBruyne and Payet will allow City take the game to their opponents and freely find spaces between opposing midfield and defence.

STYLE

Pep needs to allow his players some freedom to alter their style of play if the game gets too difficult for them. I saw too many misplaced passes during the game at Everton, and this was due to the fact that the players were forcefully trying to pass the ball in a particular fashion.

I love and respect Guardiola and I hope he can return his team to winning ways within the shortest possible time.

HOW I THINK MAN UTD SHOULD LINE UP

So I’ve been gone for a while. Been up to a lot of things: Got my English FA Level 1 coaching certification and got married!!!

I have been wondering what happened to a great tactician like Mourinho and why it looks like he has lost his magic touch. What I have come to terms with is the fact that Mourinho had already set a standard we keep expecting him to at least live up to. He is human and sometime in your career it looks like everything is falling apart. What is important right now is that he needs to set this United team on fire and to do that, he should alter his tactics and get all his players believe in what he is trying to do.

United have lined up in many different fashions and with different selections as they try to find that spark. After giving deep thoughts to the quality of players, their abilities and how they can combine together, I have come up with what I think will be a great line-up for Mourinho’s team.

Below image shows the formation and players to fit in. It is a 4-4-2 diamond formation:

With the quality in the team, I expect United to play more direct and force their opponents into smaller spaces during games. They’ve got a good blend of players with physical abilities, great technique, pace and awareness. Looking at the quality in the squad, one expects United to dominate games, create spaces to play in and get a lot of balls forward to their strikers who have the ability to threaten defences with e combination of skill, pace, aerial ability and power.

The central defenders will hold their own and keep it tidy, with one of them occasionally stepping forward when the team is in possession and attacking. The full backs are charged with the responsibility of running the wings and providing the team with width. Going forward, the full backs can play in the midfielders who act as pivots to get the ball to either of the striker who drops to the side. The full backs and midfielders on each side compliment each other; Pogba and Shaw, Herrera and Valencia. Carrick comfortably shields the back four, so he needs no introduction. He knows his job and does it very, very well.

Mata’s creativity will help the attack form different shapes and allow them play in the midfielders from time to time. Mata will get good passes to space and can rely on Rashford’s pace to make good the forward passes. Ibra and Rashford will turn out to be a good partnership and allow United alternate forward passes- to feet and to space. They can also send in aerial balls, relying on Ibra to receive and play in Rashford, Mata, Herrera and even the full backs, depending on the shape of the team when attacking.

This formation will allow freedom for the players and reduce reliance on a few players to make things happen for the team. The team will have balance and a blend of all needed qualities to get fantastic results. 

CHOOSING A COACH FOR THE EAGLES

Despite all efforts to get the best coach for the Super Eagles, we always arrive at the same point where we are right now. When we consider local coaches, we keep recycling the existing names. Attempts at employing foreign coaches leaves us with mostly uninterested Europeans who take our monies and are on holidays almost all year round. The NFF needs to appreciate the importance of a robust football development plan and the need to appoint a coach whose philosophy will fall in line with the plan.

We do not have key players in top clubs in Europe, it is almost impossible for clubs in the local league to conquer the continent,  we play against other African countries and cannot even show co-ordination on the field of play. These are some of the points that show how low Nigerian football has fallen.

The NFF needs to constitute a working technical committee, one that will design a long-term football development plan for Nigeria. The committee should comprise a few ex-professional footballers, few local coaches in the likes of Amodu; Keshi; Siasia; Ikhana, seasoned football analysts and the coaching team of the super eagles. This committee will develop a football philosophy for the country, one that will guide national teams at all levels. The philosophy will also be adopted by football academies and clubs in the local league. This plan will consider regular trainings and refresher courses for coaches of clubs, academies and national teams in the country.

The foreign coach to be hired should not be seen as coach of the super eagles. Instead, he should be seen as one saddled with the responsibility of developing Nigerian football. This way, the coach will need to work with coaches of the U-17, 20 and 23 teams, not forgetting the female teams. In addition, he will work with coaches in the local league and academies. We will need his input and technical support for teams who make it to continental tournaments/competitions.

Guus Hiddink will leave Chelsea FC at the end of the season, I hope the NFF can approach him and get him to take up the job available in Nigeria- Preferably as NIGERIA’S COACH and not SUPER EAGLES COACH.  

CHELSEA SHOULD PLAY 4-4-2

It's been a bad start to the season for Chelsea, to say the least.

Just before they get on the pitch this weekend, I would like to discuss why and how I think Chelsea should play 4-4-2.

With the inability of Fabregas to replicate his brillant performances of last season, coupled with the overall poor performance of the team, there is a need to change tactics. Costa is always isolated whenever he gets supplies upfront. This leaves him with a number of opposition defenders who crowd him and win balls easily, or cause him to commit fouls and get increasingly frustrated. The team allows opposition enough space to run at them and find attacking passes, thereby leaving the likes of Matic and the defenders exposed. Matic has had to commit more fouls this season than he did after the same number of matches last season. 4-4-2 will limit how opposing teams find spaces and place passes, mostly in midfield. It will also allow Hazard enough freedom, and provide cover for Ivanovic if well arranged.

The ideal 4-4-2 line up for Chelsea is: Begovic; Ivanovic, Zouma, Cahill, Azpilicueta; Ramires, Matic, Fabregas, Hazard; Pedro, Costa.
I have prepared this line-up based on Jose's preferred players right now.

How will the 4-4-2 work?
Pedro is quick on the ball and a goalscorer too. He will take the pressure off Costa. He can receive balls to foot, run at the defenders, score goals and provide assists for Costa or any other forward running player. He can also provide some width and cover midfielders and full backs when Chelsea are not in possession. 

The presence of Ramires on the right side will provide enough cover for Ivanovic. He will also allow Fabregas run free, thereby allowing Chelsea enjoy a direct playing style. The formation will allow Hazard swap roles with Pedro, and find options to pass the ball whenever he takes on players.

4-4-2 will ensure that Matic sits just in front of the defenders to provide enough cover and not leave them unduely exposed. With enough attacking options, Matic will not be saddled with the responsibility of providing the cutting-edge or scoring goals, as has been the case so far this season.

I believe this formation will help Chelsea return to winning ways, allow Jose rearrange the tactics of the team and help him restore a winning mentality.

Your comments mean a lot to me.

Twitter- @coachsanmi

NIGERIAN FOOTBALL: WHICH WAY TO GO

CURRENT SITUATION
A lot has happened between when Keshi won the Nations Cup last year, and today- We have praised him, cursed him and watched him with doubt. None of these changes the fact that Keshi delivered to us what many foreign coaches couldn't over the years.

This piece isn't particularly about Keshi, but I will mention a few things about his position and performance.

I am a football follower who believes good football is a combination of many elements-discipline, team work, tactical as well as technical abilities. To assemble a great team, a coach needs to have a blend of these elements, and more. The poor outing of our super eagles in recent games has re-awakened the call for a foreign coach from some Nigerians who believe that our local coaches are not good enough to handle the national team and deliver at the highest level. We can't blame such people for not believing in indigenous coaches. We also cannot label them as being 'slaves' or 'westernized'. The truth of the matter is that our coaches have not shown enough to enable us believe in them. On the other hand, we still cannot blame the people who believe that indigenous coaches understand our players and football better, and are in the best position to build a strong team. It has always appeared as though the foreign coaches just come to rip us off.

I won't bother addressing the issue of corruption in Nigerian football as it isn't my focus. I would rather discuss strategic points which may help take our football to the next level.

I agree Keshi is a coach that instills discipline in his team, and can appear very firm and in control. He also gives opportunity to young, as well as home-based players. These are very important elements of a good coach. I must say however, that I do not agree with his tactical approach to games. I watch the eagles most times and cannot even understand the formation. They carry on with their games as though there was never a game plan. Poor passing, positioning and movement. The South Africans and Congolese recently exposed our lack of tactical soundness. A decent team should have good co-ordination:

• How to attack opponents- The number of players involved in basic attacks, the movement of each attacking player, attacking style, amongst others;
• Breaking opponents' attacks- The first marker of the ball when possession is lost, the position and movement of each player relative to that of his team mate(s) e.t.c;
• Ball play- Passing style, position swapping, creativity .e.t.c;
•  Defending- Depth, marking pattern (Zonal/man), function/role of each defender .e.t.c

 

It is surprising the way you see our players all over the place, mostly when we lose possession.
Personally, I do not think it is about having a foreign or indigenous coach. I feel we need to address every aspect of football development in Nigeria.

In the Part 2 of this article, I will highlight the aspects that require attention and strategic actions.

HOW THE BRAZILIANS HAVE FARED UNDER MOURINHO

If you are a disciple of Mourinho, please do not read this!

 As the 2013/14 season draws to a close, I have decided to review how well the Brazilians- Willian, Luiz, Oscar and Ramires, have fared under Jose.

 I will start by saying I do not think Mourinho is a very good attacking coach. Shoot me!

 Willian: Strong and Skillful. I must confess he has not impressed me this term, one bit. Isn't it strange that an attacker who is supposed to score goals and assist has neglected his primary duties? Willian plays more like a defensive midfielder, running around marking for the ball. In addition, it has always been a one-way-traffic whenever he attacks. All he tries to do is push the ball to the left side of his marker and run. What is expected of Willian is creativity and precision. Remember, the fact that he is seen all around the field does not guarantee he is doing the right thing.

Willian is a strong player with some good skills. I think Chelsea deserve much more from the Brazilian.

Luiz: Settled in immediately he joined the club. This mas has been a shadow of himself almost all through the season. Then we ask what has happened to out very own David Luiz? Last summer, there were rumours of Mourinho offering either Luiz or Mata plus cash for Rooney. The portugese played down these speculations and it was only a matter of time before we began to realize they weren't mere speculations. It's obvious Jose doesn't want his defenders to be as adventurous as Luiz. He wasn't Jose's choice early in the season. This was worsened by his injury and he had to force his way back into the team. This man is losing confidence and whenever you see him on the field of play, you just know that he is clearly playing to instructions. He doesn't move around freely and never in control of his own area.

Luiz is a useful asset as he can be deployed in defensive and midfield roles. I also want to see him improve his football, something he has not really done since he joined chelsea.

 Oscar: Oscar the golden boy. Whatever happened to the treasure of last season. Has he not gotten used to playing without Mata? Is he now scared of running the midfield and wrecking havoc on opposition? I leave these questions for my readers to answer. When I first watched Oscar, I just knew he is a potential world best. Incisive moves, great runs and thunderous strikes. The young man has great work rate, good attacking moves and you can always depending on him to break opposition attacks and limit spaces available to opponents. Jose is trying to make Oscar into his own kind of No. 10 but it isn't working. He wants Oscar to hold on to the ball and dribble. Those aren't his best qualities. He isn't a wonderful dribbler neither is he a great passer of the ball. His strength lies in his work rate, sharp moves and killer strikes. Oscar likes to keep the ball moving and not holding on to it. I'm deeply concerned about the young man's career because a rising star must improve by every passing season.

These days I watch him and feel like his game is being complicated. Many times he isn't sure where he should be or what he should be doing. Oscar has years ahead of him. I hope himself and his team would help him make the best of these years.

 Ramires: Have you stopped for a second to think about what has gone wrong with this man? He used to be chelsea's inspiration for attacks. He picks the balls, runs into opponents and open spaces for the attackers. He even scores in many occasions. All he does now is commit unnecessary fouls and consistently enter the referee's book.

Mourinho doesn't allow him the freedom to run freely. He stations Ramires as the man to clear opponents and the ball. What we have seen of Ramires over the past seasons is that chelsea do not have to stay back and mark opponents. Instead this man runs at his opponents and puts pressure on them. He created countless goals doing this. With Matic as a holding midfielder, I see no reason why Ramires cannot venture forward. In these instances, the likes of Oscar can cover for him if need be.

 I hope that Jose opens his eyes to understand the qualities of these guys and put them to best use. 

For the records, I am a chelsea fan. 

Do not forget to leave your comments, they mean so much to me.

 Follow me on twitter: @coachsanmi

WHAT HAPPENED TO 4-4-2?!

Agreed that football is evolving and new tactics are developed everyday, I still don't think we should throw some traditional tactics away. Years ago,4-4-2 used to be the winning formation. Now coaches aren't even interested in adapting player's abilities to that formation. Let's briefly look at the 4-4-2 formation, the challenges coaches have using it and how beneficial it can be to a football team. Basically, the challenge with using the 4-4-2 formation these days is finding the right players to play in respective positions. The world lacks natural wingers. Also, coaches find it really difficult to adopt a tactical play of two men spear-heading attack: The difficulty is mostly in positional play and movement. 4-4-2 allows the team plenty of strength going forward and defending. When attacking, both wingers and at least a central midfielder can join the two strikers, bringing the number of attacking players to five. These wingers can also drop to defend when the opposition is in possession of the ball. Marking starts from the opponent's box when using 4-4-2 because both strikers can close down on the opposing defenders, thereby limiting their passing options. This puts pressure on them and forces them to release the ball quickly. It should be noted that the less pressure on opposing defenders, the more confidence the opposing team builds- the defenders can gently pass the ball around all the way to the centre line and beyond. When the opposition team is in possession of the ball and attacking up the field, at least a striker remains in the opposition half. The presence of this striker alerts at least 2 opposition players. They are discouraged from leaving the striker alone as he is a potential counter-attack threat. This consciousness of the defenders in turn reduces the number of opposition players attacking. In the 4-4-2 formation, the wingers can support with marking in the midfield or assisting the full backs, depending on the attacking style of the opposing team. Now let us look at how the 4-4-2 formation is also a strong attacking option: When in possession of the ball, the wingers can pull wide, giving width to the team and making deadly attacking runs with or without the ball. This movement allows the full backs to move all the way to the centre line and beyond. Full backs with attacking prowess can play the wingers into central attacking positions with their pace and direction of their movement. The strongest attacking advantage of this formation is that the 2 strikers can making dashing runs in opposite directions, thereby causing a lot of problems for defenders of the opposing team. With these movements, one of the central midfielders is allowed space to run at his opponents through the centre if his team is attacking from the wings. This centralised positioning of the midfielder is vital as he will be the first man to break opposition attacks in the case of a counter-attack. It is equally important that at least one of the strikers has fantastic aerial ability as a lot of crosses/aerial passes will be expected of the wingers. Having said all these, I must admit it is really difficult breaking down these tactics without diagrams and practical illustrations. I see Pellegrini attempt the 4-4-2 with Manchester City but I believe he does not get it right when he features Nasri and Silva as the wingers. Navas/Milner should be fielded on at least one flank to allow for width in the team. To play a 4-4-2 formation, the team needs at least a natural winger and 2 central midfielders with good work-rate. A lot of teams in Europe can boast of central midfielders who will fit well into this formation (Toure and Fernandinho as an example) My ideal 4-4-2 formation: Goalkeeper: Petr Cech Defenders: Zabaleta, Chiellini, Thiago Silva, Alaba Midfielders: Navas, Toure, Paulinho, Ronaldo Strikers: Rooney,Lewandowski Challenge my selection! let's have your selection as comments after this piece You can follow me on twitter: @coachsanmi Email: olaniyan.olusanmi@acesports.com.ng

THE 4-2-3-1 FORMATION

Been away for long and now I'm back. By popular demand, I want to examine the 4-2-3-1 formation. The formation lines up 4 defenders,2 central midfielders,3 attacking midfielders and a striker. The interesting thing about this formation is that it allows almost every player the opportunity to score goals. There is flexibility from midfield to attack. The peculiarity of this formation is fluidity. I won't bore you with the many stories of how everyone should line-up, instead I will highlight the dynamics of the formation. Concentration is in the midfield. The central midfielders: A team can line-up one defensive and one central midfielder or 2 central midfielders with at least one being very mobile. I believe playing a defensive midfielder and another mobile central midfielder allows the team explore all areas in midfield. This is because the anchor man shields the defense while the mobile man runs around the midfield in a circular direction as he defends and attacks when necessary. Playing 2 central midfielders isn't bad though but the danger in it is that we might have a rigid midfield; this does not allow for fluidity. The anchor man plays the traditional holding role while the mobile man picks balls from defenders and the anchor man to drive the team while bearing in mind the fact that he must run after the opposing players when they are in possession of the ball. The mobile man can be anywhere on the field at any time as he is expected to always be where the action is. He is also to cover for any over-lapping defender. This position requires a player with strength,pace,endurance and quickness. A good eye for goal is an added advantage. Essentially, the central midfielders do all the dirty jobs The attacking midfielders: They determine the pace of the game. The number of goals the team scores and the quality of play is largely determined by these men. Traditionally,we should have 2 wing forwards and a central attacking midfielder. These days, coaches get to play central players in wide roles and get good results. The beauty of this area on the field is in the swapping of roles and positions by these 3 players. This makes it very important for players in these positions to possess good ball passing skills,pace,quickness and tactical soundness. Many coaches have played left-footed players from the right flank and it pays off. The players can easily cut-in and run at goal. One must not ignore the fact that the wide players must drop to give support to the full-backs and the central player should drop to deep midfield roles so as to create space,if need be. In some cases,the central player plays as a second striker as he is required to play behind the striker. The striker: It is becoming increasingly boring for front men to remain in the box waiting for balls to reach them. Most strikers drop into midfield roles to help the team bring the ball into their opponents 18-yard box. A shortcoming of this approach is possible crowding of the midfield and absence of a goal scorer when the ball gets into the box. Strikers who have excelled in this position are those who easily swap positions with the wing forwards; this allows for co-ordination and team play when a team is attacking. Whichever way the striker chooses to play, he needs quick movement and anticipation. Follow me on twitter: @coachsanmi email: olaniyan.olusanmi@acesports.com.ng

HOW IT HAPPENED AT BERNABEU (MADRID 1-1 MAN UTD)

So I managed to clean out my desk and leave the office early enough for the game. Its been a while and I must apologize for the long absence. I'm back! Since the draws were made in December,we all knew this would be the star game of UCL's round of 16. Madrid playing at home first. Madrid (4-2-3-1): Lopez,Arbeloa,Ramos,Varane,Alonso,Khedira,Ronaldo,Ozil,Di Maria and Benzema Man U (4-2-4) DeGea,Rafael,Evans,Ferdinand,Evra,Carrick,Jones,Kagawa,Welbeck,Rooney and Van Persie Madrid started the game pressing high up the field and taking charge around vital areas. This allowed them the opportunity to force DeGea into early saves. What Madrid did well during the half was pass the ball around quickly with swift player movement. This caused united a lot of troubles early in the game. Nevertheless, United threw some good balls forward trying to find Kagawa who spent a better part of the 1st half watching Madrid's defense line. He tried hard to beat the offside trap and succeeded on 2 occasions. Madrid kept attacking until Welbeck put United in front with a good header from a Wayne Rooney corner kick. Welbeck got the better of Ramos who in my opinion, thought Lopez was going for the ball. As crowded as United's midfield looked, Madrid easily found space and the forward players got into spaces between United's midfield and defense. Ozil who started from the left had drifted to the right at this time, swapping positions with Di Maria. The Argentine got into a good position on the left side and delivered one of the many good aerial passes we saw from Madrid tonight. Ronaldo rose to get the header into the net in a manner similar to that with which he scored against chelsea in the 2008 finals. He got the better of Evra. In the first half, Madrid started most of their attacks from the right side around the centre of the park,exchanging passes and paces diagonally towards the left flank. Ronaldo and Khedira were the link men. We saw what I like to call, aerial passes rather than crosses considering the way the balls are measured and delivered. For long periods in the half,Rooney was anonymous. Van Persie initiated most of United's attack as Evra,Kagawa and Welbeck helped force Madrid's midfield and backline into some runnings and defending. Degea was the star of the half as he made some crucial saves. Benzema was poor and heavy. It was Jones who was called upon to mark heavily in the second half and he did not disappoint. Di Maria kept creating spaces between United's midfield and backline. He got into good positions but was unlucky not to have scored. His replacement by Modric came as a surprise to me because he was by far the best Madrid player on the field. Khedira and Alonso were centrally positioned to keep united out. Earlier in the second half, United's attacking players were forced into deep roles to close-up the spaces in midfield and this even got better with the introduction of Giggs. Higuain's introduction re-affirmed the fact that Benzema had a poor outing as he had an immediate impact, moving across the defense with good pace and anticipation. United's defending everywhere on the field was excellent in the latter stages of the game. Madrid also did very well defending and winning balls. United were close to getting a second goal but Van Persie was unlucky as he was denied by the cross bar and then the goalkeeper. United return to England with an excellent result and we hope to see an even more exciting game in the second leg Conclusion: For most part of the game,Madrid lacked a direct player. This was clearly revealed when Modric came on to help his team penetrate through the centre. United did a good job by scoring an away goal and leaving Bernabeu with a draw. They kept their cool and worked hard. DeGea-Man of the match. Great saves, good composure and showed good reflexes Jones-Did a great job of watching over Ronaldo Kagawa-His job was clear but lacked the ability to execute Evra-Very solid and resourceful all through the game Ronaldo-Good goal and great movement but would have done better if he had a more direct player starting beside him;Kaka or Modric Di Maria-The most impactful Madrid player tonight Khedira-Once again showed his abilities as a box-to-box midfielder Ozil-He is the player expected to have the 'Iniesta' touch for Madrid but he does not play that role well enough. Man of the match-David DeGea Battle of the night-Jones vs Ronaldo Subs Madrid: 59' Higuain on for Benzema 74' Modric on for Di Maria 81' Pepe on for Alonso Man U: 63' Giggs on for Kagawa 72' Valencia on for Welbeck 83' Anderson on for Rooney Goals Madrid: 29' Ronaldo Man U: 20' Welbeck Feel free to leave comments and ask questions. You can also follow me on twitter @coachsanmi

ALTERING FORMATIONS DURING A MATCH (Changing from 4-4-2 to 4-3-3)

Sometimes, games do not go the way we expect and as a coach one has to make modifications to the team's tactics. It may be difficult for coaches to do this because they perceive it as delicate. One cannot blame coaches who find it difficult to alter tactics on the field because some players find it difficult to tactical changes in the game. However, these changes must sometimes be made to save the team from losing or put them in a better position to take control of the game.
A coach might decide to alter his formation if the opposing team are exploiting his team's formation or if he has seen a loop hole in his opponent's team which he wants his team to capitalise on.
In this piece, I choose to discuss changing from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3 formation during games. The most common forms of 4-4-2 involves playing 2 central midfielders;a left midfielder;a right midfielder or playing 1 defensive midfielder;1 central midfielder;1 attacking midfielder and a winger. Either ways, there are 2 strikers.
A coach might decide to change a 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 formation during the game to allow for a different,more direct approach. Though the 4-3-3 uses a point man, it affords the team two wing forwards who are also attackers.
In changing from a 4-4-2 to a 4-3-3,the faster of the 2 wingers pushes to make a third attacker or the only winger becomes the third attacker depending on the initial style of play. A striker pulls to balance one side as a wing forward leaving the striker with higher ball-retention ability as the point man. The 3 midfielders then balance the areas in the middle of the park and allow space for the full-backs to run the flanks as they cover for them. The attacking midfielder will have to assume a more advanced role so as to support the centre forward and push attacks. The central midfielder moves to receive ball and drive his team forward and should supply penetrating passes as well as diagonal passes to give width to his team and pull the full-backs forward.
When the players have balanced into the 4-3-3 style,they can easily move balls quicker and exchange roles in the midfield and sometimes in attack. It is also important that the wing forwards drop metres behind to help their team defend when they are under-pressure.
This change in formation can help a team co-ordinate and mark better in the midfield during matches. It can also reduce the rate at which a team loses the ball.
Although it might take some time for the players to get into the new formation and may be disastrous to the team, the coach sometimes has to take a decision that can save his team.

Feel free to ask questions and drop comments:
Facebook: Olaniyan Olusanmi
Follow on twitter:@coachsanmi
Email:lil_lusan@yahoo.com
Phone no:+2347030711869

MY THOUGHTS ABOUT APPOINTMENT OF COACHES FOR SUPER EAGLES

 Nigerian football has been struggling for very many years and we seem to have lost it all at the national team level right now. With the failure of the Super Eagles to qualify fr next year's nations cup, it has dawned on all that the national team has to be restructured.
Clemens Westerhof was in-charge for about 5 years and did greatly as a coach.Westerhof is credited with turning Nigeria into a perennial powerhouse in African football and showing that they, and other African nations, can compete on the world stage. He is responsible for what could be described as a "golden" period in Nigerian football. Players such as Jay-Jay Okocha, Sunday Oliseh, Nwankwo Kanu, Rashidi Yekini, Daniel Amokachi and others, who all went on to successful careers with various high-profile European clubs, entered the world spotlight while playing under Westerhof. He structured and harmonized the 4-4-2 formation in Nigeria and most Nigerian players over te years, grew with this football orientation. The formation always had 4 defenders,, 4 midfielders and 2 strikers. Of the 4 midfielders,we have RMF,LMF,AM and DM.We were comfortable with this formation and had players who fitted into these positions appropriately. However,evolution in football has changed a lot of things.
Young players now have opportunity to watch different playing patterns on TV and are having a different orientation twards the game. The talents coming out of the country now do not fit into these positions occupied by the Okochas and Kanus. Instead,they flow with the modern football culture.Just like Westerhof had a master plan and harmonized the 4-4-2 formation to be our traditional formation,we need a new master plan to achieve long-term targets for football in Nigeria.
Overtime, we have made different appointments,none of which we were satisfied with.The last best man we had was Bonfrere Jo. We need a technical team be put in place.This team should comprise football experts who will have a task of designing a new football tradition for Nigeria and recommend a coach or coaches who should be appointed to build a formidable Super Eagles team, fit to compete with any team in the world.
Truth be told, our local coaches are not well-groomed for such a task and they cannot boast enough experience required to build such a team.I strongly suggest they be kept in the background and understudy the foreign expert in-charge while they also contribute to the technical inputs of the foreign coach.They should also act as advisors.Only minimal bias and maximun credibility should be considered in the appointment of a coach for the Super Eagles. The bul of our players are slow and today's football requires a lot of pace.
We have a choice to make,its either we map out a strategy for the long-term or we just patch up coaches for the short-term.Also,we need a coach who has a will to develop the game in Nigeria.
Above all,we need the football administrative body to be sanitized and best brains with good plans and focus be brought in.

THE BIG GAME AT OLD TRAFFORD (MAN U vs. CHELSEA

*Make a correct prediciton of the Man U- Chelsea game and get N500 recharge card of any network..Only the first correct prediction wins the prize.*

I hope my readers permit my inconsistency in publishing posts. Its been many busy weeks for me,training takes most of my time and I still have to do individual player development daily. The transfer window has opened and shut and all players who moved are either gradually settling into their new clubs or have settled in quickly.

The season is quite early but a few surprises have been recorded.There is no point mentioning them now because they are no longer fresh in our memories. We have seen some interesting away victories this season.

It's the big showdown today and United will be locking horns with a team they defeated four times last season,Chelsea.

United have flagged off their campaign on a high,enjoying wide goal margin victories.Chelsea on the other hand have had a decent start,gradually gathering momentum and adapting to a fluent and attacking style of play under AVB. It's a big day for the young manager stepping out against the most experienced coach in English football. Chelsea have been trying to play more vertically this season and United have maintained their pacy wing plays with consistent connections by the all-efficient Wayne Rooney.

Chelsea will have to close the spaces if they want to get a point or points away from Old Trafford this afternoon because the hosts are fond of running into spaces. It will remain a 4-4-2 for United and most likely a 4-3-3 for Chelsea. Hernandez netted 3 times against Chelsea last season and the blues will have to stop that quick young man who is very comfortable in front of goal. The eyes of Chelsea's players have to be multiplied because players like Rooney,Nani and Young have to be equally monitored.

Ramires,if picked to start, will be available to cause problems for United with his forward runs and box-to-box ability. It is expected that Chelsea will look to calm things down in the middle and force United to struggle through to get balls to their flambouyant wingers.

It promises to be a very lively game where a lot of technicalities will be displayed by players and coaches of both teams.Sir Alex Ferguson is an icon and AVB is a tinkerman.


My prediction: Man U 2-2 Chelsea

Drop your predictions now,closes at the start of the game. Drop your predictions as comments on the page in this format;

NAME:
email address/phone number:
SCORES:

MAN U 3-2 MAN CITY

All across the world,football lovers sat on Sunday afternoon to watch the champions of last season who double as city rivals go head-to-head in the game that ushers in the new season. Man U showed superiority by coming from two goals down to win the game by 3 goals to 2.Nani was the man of the afternoon as he crowned a great display with a brace.

United started on bright note,running through City's midfield with every ball they got forward.Ashley Young drove United forward from the first minute,giving City players a run for their monies.On exactly 23', Nani and Welbeck ran through the right side and exchanged passes in an entertaining fashion but the Portugese could not finish the last pass. The continuous United threats forced City to initiate attacks and their first real chance came on 28'with Silva picking Milner,but the former Villa man could not finish either.It was obvious City were struggling through the game as they had picked up 3 bookings by the half-hour mark. Nani had an attempt from a freekick as United continued to look for a goal. City responded in a timely manner as Lescott made the best of Silva's freekick by heading home past Degea. As if this was not enough,the United defence again opened up space for Dzeko to shoot from outside the area and caught the United keeper responding late for City's second just before half time.

As expected,Sir Ferguson made tactical changes to the side at half time and United again resumed the second half very strong.This time,their efforts provided them a goal on 52' as Smalling tapped into the net an Ashley Young freekick.Nani proved his brilliance at 58' as he scored a nice goal well assisted by the Cleverley.Just before the final whistle went off came Kompany's saddest moment as a spirited Nani fought for the ball and ran past him to score United's winner.

OBSERVATIONS
If you ask me,I will say Sir Alex got it all right in the game while a lot is to be said about Mancini.Sir Alex was a genius for taking off Ferdinand and Vidic and bringing in Evans and Jones who played central defence without being wary of City striker's threats. Also, Cleverley's introduction was key to United's victory as he opened the midfield and created space for the wingers to play in and afforded Anderson room to play an anchor man role in the midfield.Mancini's first sub should have been Balotelli off for Adam Johnson because he needed width in the game and had to pull one of Nani or Ashley back to support in defence thereby reducing United's attacking threat.Also,Milner was the best performing midfielder for City and I wonder why he was taken off.There is no point highlighting Kompany's mistake.In a nutshell,what I saw on Sunday was unlike City's midfield.Maybe the players are tired from pre-season games as was Kompany's excuse or maybe Mancini is not just getting it right. I believe the non-stop signing of players is making the current squad at City unsettled.

We wish United,City and out other beloved teams in the premier league all the best this season as we eagerly awaiting the opening games this weekend.

The curtain raiser:Man U vs. Man City

Once again,the two bitter rivals in Manchester will lock horns.The rivalry has grown stronger in recent times as City have been spending big.The latest addition to their squad being Sergio Aguero who was signed for £35 million from Atletico Madrid.Manchester United have also been busy in the transfer market strengthening their squad with not less than 3 players so far.United defeated City in the league last season while City got one over their rivals in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.                                                              
Possible line-ups for tomorrow's game;
Man U:De Gea,Rafael,Vidic,Ferdinand,Rafael,Nani,Giggs,Anderson,Young,Rooney,Owen.
Man City:Hart,Richards,Kompany,Lescott,Clichy,De Jong,Yaya Toure,Barry,Silva,Balotelli,Dzeko.

It will be the first real test for United's keeper,De Gea who is stepping into the big shoes of Van Der Saar.
I see Man U sticking to their traditional 4-4-2 with Young and Nani swapping positions on the left and right during the game.The most notable modification of United's formation is how deep Rooney drops to the midfield to pick the balls and drive his team forward.Also,I expect to see Nani and Young make forward runs through City's defense and create space for the central midfielders to run through,create goal chances and score goals.
If Clichy starts for city,I expect to see Barry play in front of him on the left side with DeJong and Toure stabilizing the central midfield for City.silva should play the link role between midfield and attack.we hope to see city play a less-conservative game.We hope Mancini's men play a more attacking game this season.
Man U will look to attack through the wings while city will depend on number advantage to attack through the middle.Whoever emerges victorious tomorrow will start the season on a high.
We wish both champions all the best as they go head-to-head tomorrow.

football today

I have been off for a while and I am sure you all missed me.I apologise for my long absence.I picked up a role as assistant cach with ACE FOOTBALL ACADEMY.Now I am back and sincerely a lot has changed since I left.Right now,its all transfer news in the air.I have been thinking about the 4-2-31 formation and came up with a lot of things about this amazing formation.Look out for more on the formation tomorrow.I have to go now.See you tomorrow.

PAUL SCHOLES HANGS BOOT

I salute one of the greatest ever midfielder to grace the beautiful game of football. '18' Scholes as I like to call him, is a legend that left a mark at United and in football history as a whole. The midfielder spent the whole of his career at Manchester United.Born in 16 November 1974 at Hope Hospital in Salford, Greater Manchester, to parents Stewart and Marina Scholes, the veteran midfielder played cricket and football while in school.He first trained with Man U at age 14 after being scouted in school. He scored 3 goals in his first 2 games for Manchester United and went on to score 7 goals in the 1994/95 season. He made 675 appearances for united and scored 150 goals in all.He also made 66 appearances for the English national team and scored 14 goals in all. Despite the persuasion and calls over the last few years, Scholes declined to play for the national team again. He last played for England in 2004.He cannot be listed amongst the disciplined players in football as he received 90 yellow and 4 red cards in the Premier League, making him the third most booked player in Premier League history.He also been booked 32 times in the Champions League, more than any other player in the competition.

Scholes sits comfortably at the centre of a 4-4-2 formation playing a pivot role for the team.He will be remembered for his brilliant display of short and long passes and smooth ball distribution.He cordinated the midfield and controlled the game play for United even until the end of his career.Although he did not enjoy all the playing time lately,he always had a great impact whenever he was introduced. Scholes who started as a forward was deployed to the '10' role by Ferguson where he formed great partnership with Roy Keane. The most recent of his goals which remains fresh in my memory was the strike against Barcelona in 2008 at the tenth minute.The strike seperated both teams and took united into the finals where they
defeated Chelsea in Moscow.

Scholes had a great number of strikes from outside the box though this reduced towards the end of his career. Carrick paired Scholes in the midfield when he arrived United and at this time, Scholes did a of work in the team playing both as a 10 and a 4 as the duo exchanged roles regularly. His brilliant performances contributed to United's league success that season.

Honours


Carling Cup : 2006, 2009, 2010

Champions League : 1999, 2008

Community Shield : 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2010

FA Cup : 1994, 1996, 1999, 2004

FIFA Club World Cup : 2000, 2009

Premier League : 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2008, 2009 (Manchester United)

Paul Scholes will take on a coaching role with United from the start of next season.He is one of the best midfielders ever in football history.

All hail PAUL '18' SCHOLES!!!

A NIGHT AT WEMBLEY

I sit here remembering every moment of last night's game. It was an action-packed match that I  would always want to watch again and again. The line-ups for both teams were the anticipated ones.
Man U-Van Der Saar,Fabio,Ferdinand,Vidic,Evra,Valencia,Park,Carrick,Giggs,
Rooney and Chicharito


Barcelona-Valdes,Alves,Mascherano,Pique,Abidal,Xavi,Busquets,Iniesta,Pedro,Villa and Messi.

United started the game on the high as is their usual practice. A few decent attacks before they handed the game over to Barcelona. Park, Vidic and Ferdinand were up for the game and intercepting passes and breaking Barcelona attacks. At about 23', United started attacking again. They got carried away attacking and Barcelona got a good attack on with three men ahead of Xavi when he advanced with the ball for the opening goal. This number threw united defenders into confusion and lost knowledge of who each should mark. A true pass to Pedro resulted in a goal with a good touch from the striker. United again attacked and just 7 minutes after, scored the equaliser through Wayne Rooney even though Giggs appeared to be in an offside position when he picked the initial pass from Rooney. Nonetheless, the striker finished the ball well.

*Both sides were level at half time*

The second half was when Barca did justice to the game. They started out attacking and overwhelmed Man U. It was good enough that Man U did not run after Barca but waited to close them down. But the question remains: 'How long can you hold Barca?' Iniesta took a lot of time before passing the ball to Messi. Lionel picked the ball and was quick to push forward before taking the final strike for the second goal. To me, it was a combination of the 'bush baby'(Iniesta) and the 'evil spirit'(Messi).

David Villa found it difficult to get behind United's defenders so instead he stood in front of them and made shot attempts for every ball he got. These attempts paid off when he sent home the third goal that put both hands on the trophy for Barca. Van Der Saar made a number of good saves but was not enough to keep the catalunyans from carrying the day.

OBSERVATIONS
**Chicharito had no real impact in the game and that leaves me wondering why Sir Alex started him.From my point of view,I expected Nani,Fletcher,Oshea or Scholes would have started.

**Evra was always tending towards the centre to assist in breaking the dangerous attacks of Barcelona and in the process, freed his man.

**Unexpectedly,Villa started from the right side and Pedro from the left. The first goal came when the two players swapped position.

**The three goals for Barcelona was shared among the strikers which was a clear indication that the midfielders did a wonderful job last night.

**I expected Giggs to play in front of Carrick and Park while Rooney drifted to the left flank thereby providing width and drive to the United side.

**Finally, was I the only one who saw Fergie's hands shaking?...lol

The question remains, WHO WILL STOP BARCELONA?!!!

THE 4-3-3 FORMATION contd.

MIDFIELD(PART 1)

Three midfielders are used. There are 3 options for how the midfield stands;

*1 defensive midfielder, 1 central midfielder and 1 attacking midfielder.

*2 defensive midfielders and 1 attacking midfielder.

*1 defensive midfielder and 2 attacking midfielders.

1 defensive midfielder, 1 central midfielder and 1 attacking midfielder: One of the midfielders is allotted a free role. This option works best if the team has one midfielder who is a box-to-box player. The defensive midfielder maintains a centralized position and acts mainly as a ball winner and a distributor, if possible. Technically, the team playing this formation is expected to dominate play. This option allows for the team to pick and spray passes all around the pitch. This is because the presence of 3 players at the middle, each with a defined role helps produce dominance and control of the game. It is only in rare cases using this option that the defensive midfielder is allowed to push forward. This is because even if one of the defenders join the attack, the defensive midfielder is to cover for him. Only a good ball winner with brilliant tackles is played in this position. The central midfielder is required to have a high work rate and strength thereby fitting into a free role. He runs through the midfield, defense as well as attack. He picks the ball from the full backs and defensive midfielder and dictates the pace of the team. If a skimmer is played in this position, it is an added advantage. In play, the central midfielder is required to play every position on the field.

THE 4-3-3 FORMATION

The formation fields 4 defenders, 3 midfielders and 3 attackers. It became the most common formation in recent years following the advanced technicalities introduced in the game.

DEFENDERS

Two central defenders and two full backs, one on either flank. Usually, one of the central defenders stands as the sweeper and the other as the last man. Special attention is given to the full-backs. The full-backs are given an additional task of initiating attacks. They roam forward and are required to perform their defensive roles as well.

Full Backs: The left and right full backs provide width and attacking options for the team. Players with a high work-rate, speed and good delivery are used in these positions. These qualities they have to combine with their sound defensive abilities. The rate at which a player can overlap and return to perform his primary duty of defending is of great importance. In most teams using this formation, it has been discovered that one of the full-backs is always more attacking than the other. Sometimes, one wonders if this is only natural or a game plan. When a team is attacking in most cases, the full backs run the flank through to the opponent’s goal line. Tactically, the full-backs are to play as the wingers as the wing forwards either play into the mid-field or the attack. The prevalence of this formation in modern day football has almost made it compulsory for full-backs to play long into the attack, regardless of the formation being used. It has also been observed over time that the full-backs initiate most of the attacks. The mid-fielders pick the balls from the defenders, spray to the full-backs who play back to the mid-fielders and run forward for a return pass.

The ability to alternate speed and break runs are additional qualities a full-back should possess.

Only players with good technique, speed, good ball delivery and work rate can successfully play these positions. Most football lovers hold the view that the idea of full-backs pushing into attack started with Cafu and Roberto Carlos in the 2002 FIFA Mundial.

to be continued

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EL-CLASSICO(NOW THAT THE MIGHTY HAS FALLEN)

As the players filed out with high expectations, viewers across the globe were in high spirit and a lot of excitement surrounded the much talked about tie.

Some said it was a war of C. Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi, others said Guardiola vs Mourinho. Whatever anyone said,it was going to be a thrilling encounter.

LINE-UP
Barcelona lined up a 4-3-3 formation with Valdes in goal: Alves,Pique,Puyol,Abidal,Xavi,Busquets,Iniesta,Pedro,Messi,Villa.
Madrid lined up a 4-5-1 formation with Casillas in goal: Ramos,Carvalho,Pepe,Marcelo,Alonso,Khedira,Ozil,Ronaldo,Di Maria,Benzema.

1ST HALF
In the early stages of the first half,barcelona were more tactical as they looked to pick the ball quickly in the mid-field and send it to the left flank. They did this with an aim of disorienting Madrid's 5-man midfield.They were quick with their passes and this did not give Madrid mid-fielders particular players to mark.Xavi was the commander of this game play and distributed passes as quickly as he ran forward to score the first goal. The quick play at the center of the park allowed Villa enough space and time to think anytime the ball was sprayed to him. Iniesta constantly joined Villa on the left flank to cause Ramos more troubles as Ronaldo drifted to the centre of the field,leaving Ramos with no support behind.Even now,I wonder why Alonso or Khedira was not present to support Ramos in marking these Spanish 'wizards'.But for two good runs,Messi did not do more than pass the ball excellently in the first half. The two goals scored by Xavi and Pedro in the half showed how quick Barca can attack and use the ball to the detriment of their opponents.After these two goals,Madrid struggled to find their feet but it almost appeared as a repay of the Germany-Spain world cup match. The individual abilites of the Barca players was on display as they kept possession wonderfully.

2ND HALF
The half-time substitution of Ozil for Diarra was an evidence of confusion in the Madrid bench.At half time,I expected the special one to bring on a more-attacking player for Khedira instead of Ozil. I was amazed at the simplest of tactics with which Guardiola defeated Mourinho as he switched his attack from the left to the right in the second half,thereby causing Marcelo a lot of problems. In this half,Messi and Pedro did the same job which Villa and Iniesta did in the first half.If you followed the game,you would notice Messi set Villa up for two goals in almost the same fashion that Iniesta set Xavi up for the first goal. If only Madrid had known that the second half would cause more problems for them than the first!Once again,Messi showed class as he dished through passes to Villa for two brilliant finishes by the man i like to call the 'number 1 goalscorer of today'.Villa makes goalscoring seem an easy task.After much pressure on Marcelo,Mourinho took him off for Arbeloa who did a better job defensively.Carvalho was lucky not to have been sent off when he used his hands to stop a goal-bound move by Pedro.Later in the game,it was Ramos who was going to get his matching orders. Bojan and Jeffren came on later in the game and the youngsters teamed up to register their presence on the pitch as the former swung in a great pass to the latter for a clinical finish.
In a nutshell, Barcelona made the match seem like a training session.

SUBSTITUTIONS
DIARRA --> OZIL(MADRID)
ARBELOA --> MARCELO(MADRID)

BOJAN --> VILLA
KEITA --> XAVI
JEFFREN --> PEDRO

Watch out for the next post on the 4-3-3 formation.

ARSENAL-TOTTENHAM(THE NORTH LONDON DERBY)

I've been away for a while but now back and better.Learnt so much in little time.
The game is:

Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur

Barclays Premier League, Emirates Stadium

Saturday, November 20, 2010, 12:45

Referee:‬ Phil Dowd

Arsenal news: Jack Wilshere passed a fitness test on Friday and will be named in the squad. Laurent Koscielny is back from suspension. Robin van Persie had 45 minutes more football with Holland this week but is highly unlikely to start.

Tottenham news: Striker Jermain Defoe, having recovered from ankle surgery, is back in training and is included in Harry Redknapp’s squad, and will likely be used as a substitute.Lennon could also play some part in this fixture.

The North London derby promises to be an entertaining one as both teams have always been known for their abilities to come all out and attack their opponents.Flashes of class and pace will be the highlight of the game but I see Arsenal carrying the day as they tend to be more technically disciplined. I expect the Arsenal midfield to put pressure on Spurs and make it very difficult for them to find their feet for most of the game.

On the other hand anyway,one cannot rule out the 'bullet' pace of Bale and the thunderous strikes from the left foot of Van der Vaart.Tottenham are a very strong side too and could go out to pick 1 or 3 points in this early kick off.

I however do not see this as a 'Modric vs Fabregas' game as players like Nasri and Bale have been in excellent form this season.I also believe that if both coaches place Walcott and Bale on the right and left flanks of their teams respectively,it is going to be much action on one side of the fray.Nevertheless, I do not see Walcott starting this game.

Whatever the results turn out to be,we are assured of a fun-filled,all-attacking afternoon.

I will be here after the game to highlight the technicalities and tactical activities of the match,rating and analyzing each player in the process.

While some say it is a battle between Fabregas and Modric, I see it as a battle between these men who are techincally sound and mentally alert;

CURTAIN RAISER

As we gear up for the start of a new season,England comes alive again today as the community shield is played. The champions are going head to head to kick-start a new season as players from both sides race against time to attain full fitness.

Chelsea's Carlo Ancelotti is sticking to the 4-3-3 formation he played against Hamburg on Wednesday night with Hilario in goal as the only change to the squad. Benayoun starts from the bench alongside Drogba and others as Essien is set for his first real test after a long spell on the sidelines.With Ashley Cole on the left, Malouda will be able to drift in most times as Anelka is played as the lone man upfront.

Hernandez should get the nod to start instead of Berbatov alongside Rooney if Sir Alex Ferguson sees it right to start the new boy.We are likely to see O'Shea at left-back due to the absence of Evra.Aside this,I believe Man U's team will remain unchanged from what they had last season.Alternatively,we could see a 4-3-3 formation for Man U too.

Immediately after the game,I will be here with detailed analysis of the match.

Always hit this blogspot to read up more about games played and technical inputs of the gaffers because we are ready for a challenging flight this season.


Chelsea (team): Hilario, Ivanovic, Terry, Ferreira, Cole, Essien, Lampard, Mikel, Kalou, Anelka, Malouda. Subs (from): Turnbull, Bruma, Zhirkov, Carvalho, Benayoun, Kakuta, Drogba, Sturridge

Man Utd (from): Van der Sar, Kuszczak, O'Shea, Neville, Evans, De Laet, Vidic, Smalling, Brown, Fletcher, Scholes, Gibson, Giggs, Park, Valencia, Nani, Cleverley, Rooney, Hernandez, Berbatov, Owen, Macheda.

1ST ROUND OF MATCHES ENTERS FINAL DAY

As the first round of matches of the FIFA WORLD CUP,SOUTH AFRICA 2010 enters the final day,I review the games so far and try to evaluate if the teams have played up to the anticipated levels.
SOUTH AFRICA 1-1 MEXICO
A typical first game of the competition. Mexico started well and pushed forward through Dos Santos and slowly the host nation got into the game and fought hard to earn a draw after a second half which went their way.Two players worth mentioning in that game are Dos Santos and Tshabalaba.
URUGUAY 0-0 FRANCE
One game France showed us they do not have much to offer in this WC.Uruguay's Forlan gave a solid performance but did not get all the needed support for Suarez,we must say we expected much more from the Ajax man.Evra did all in his capacity to drive his team forward on a day Arsenal's Diaby was present in the midfield but sadly with an almost absent Gourcuff except for those far wide shots.Maybe someone lied to him that the Jabulani would go right into the net when you shoot from any distance and angle even without precision.
KOREA REPUBLIC 2-0 GREECE
What J.S Park put up in this game is the kind of performance you expect from the big players in a team.He drove the team forward and two good goals assured them maximum points in a game where Greece struggled throughout to find their balance.
ARGENTINA 1-0 NIGERIA
This has grown into a rivalry since 2005 when these two teams mate at the Under-21 level in holland,but Argentina have remained at the advantaged end of the rivalry.Even in 2002 WC,Argentina only managed a 1-0 win against Nigeria and if you recall,Ike Shoronmu put up a goal keeping clinic that day.Lionel Messi was allowed his runs forward but denied registering himself on the score sheet by the magnificent form of Enyeama;great for indeed.While the Nigerian side kept their cool with only a few attacks in that game,Gabriel Heinze's goal seperated both sides.
ENGLAND 1-1 USA
Soccer fans all over the world stayed glued to their TV sets to see their favorite premiership stars bring glamour to the WC. But yet again,the English team did not play to their full potential and this made the tactically disciplined USA side pull a draw,no thanks to a Robert Green error.This was a game where the midfield battle was stiff and Glen Johnson the only full back allowed to stretch forward many times.England sincerely missed Barry and the surprise inclusion of Miner in the starting 11 did not help matters.
ALGERIA 0-1 SLOVENIA
An uneventful match which saw another goal keeping error enough to secure vital 3 points for Slovenia.Algeria had a good game with Ziani doing good work from central to mostly attacking midfield.


I will be back to discuss other matches at the end of today's games.

We expect so much from a team that I say will give a solid performance.Brazil had a good start yesterday,although most people expected more than that from them.Worthy of note was Maicon's super strike. And today,Spain enters into the world cup..Indeed,the world cup has begun.

THE ENGLAND-USA GAME

USA
The ever-technical Bradley did not fail in his plan to keep England away,but unlucky to record one of those crafted wins.The substitutions were important and this is why I place this man as one of the most brilliant coaches in the game right now.Most times,I think he has a weak bench and that is why he does not get his substitutes to win games for him,but at least,they keep the game in order.
Lining up a solid 4-4-2 against England,USA kept a good defensive wall and gave Dempsey and Donovan the task of handling the English midfield in an attempt to create some space in between the English midfield and defense.Also worth mentioning is the tenacious presence of Micheal Bradley,son of the coach.Also worth mentioning was the brilliant run and eventual strike of Altidore which was denied a goal by Green and the wood work.
ENGLAND
The 4-4-2 of England which to me presented a surprise introduction of Milner into starting from left lacked the cutting-edge to gain victory from the well battled game.And again the need for a Joe Cole or Walcott is called.Wait a minute,what was on Capello's mind when he chose the starting XI?
Lampard started deep until sometime in the second half when Gerrard let him loose and Carragher allowed Terry to tear the game forward.I could bet Milner would have done better if allowed to stay on with some instruction and I really wonder why it was not Joe Cole on for him.Even flying both wings did not provide any more width for Capello's side.The side played for total dominance but lacked the authority of one of the supposed strongest teams in the world.

NOTABLE POINTS FROM THE GAME
*Ashley Cole was kept at 'home',no thanks to Donovan who did a good job while Johnson worked the right side through giving England width.
*Gerrard took the game upon himself but with Lampard not doing much until late in the game,he only could do his best.
*Tim Howard had a decent game and what he had to do,he did with minimal fuss.And when called upon on high points,he was present.
*Onyewu did excellently and had the nerve to hold Rooney to the ground thereby giving the entire USA defense less work to do.
*Dempsey and Donovan did not fail to deliver and showed their presence has professionals with good experience.Such performance is expected of high profile players in their respective countries.
*Bocanegra and Gerrard put up captain performances tonight.
CRITICISMS
Wright-Phillips?Aaron Lennon?James Milner?
Findley made some good runs in the first half which I believe should have torn Altidore space enough to net one goal.
COMIC
Only God knows what curse is on English keepers.Green was some form of comic relief for the goal he conceded.

I leave you with this question:
Gerrard,Dempsey,Johnson,Onyewu..Who of these four (4) was the best player on the field for the USA-ENGLAND game?

THE 4-4-2 FORMATION(MODIFIED)

Just when we thought the left and right mid-fielders were going into extinction paving way for Left and Right wing forwards,our ever-intelligent football experts introduce a modified 4-4-2 formation.
DEFENSE(4)
As expected of football these days,the full backs are allowed to run the whole line through to the attack.If both full backs have attacking abilities,then the wing mid-fielder plays centrally. This gives the team a stronger midfield,thereby giving them an advantage of dominance of the game.
When either of the full backs pushes forward,there is always one mid-fielder to cover for him.
MIDFIELD(4)
In this formation,either a left or right wing mid-fielder is featured along with 1 attacking,1 central and 1 defensive mid-fielder.Most times,one of the mid-fielders tends to play on the other wing but only supporting the wing back on that flank.
The peculiarity of this formation is the fact that the attacking mid-fielder is granted freedom to join the strikers in attack while the winger plays centrally.Infact sometimes the winger adapts to a central role just like the case of JAMES MILNER of ASTON VILLA.
ATTACK(2)
Just like in the traditional 4-4-2,the 2 strikers can both play through the middle or from both sides of the field.When playing through the middle,the strikers rarely play side-by-side,instead they play 1 behind the other.
The sound technicality of modern footballers makes them modify the 4-4-2 formation to a 4-3-3 sometimes during the course of the game. This way,one of the strikers(mostly the one with more pace or foot work) drops to one wing,inviting the winged mid-fielder to join the attack on the other wing.This makes the other striker act like a lone striker and the attacking mid-fielder playing just behind him.

TEAMS WITH THIS FORMATION:
Chelsea(4-4-2):
Defenders: Ashley Cole,John Terry,Alex and Ivanovic.
Mid-fielders: Frank Lampard,John Obi Mikel, Micheal Ballack,Florent Malouda.
Strikers: Nicolas Anelka,Didier Drogba.

Tottenham* with Modric,Huddlestone,Palacios and Lennon in midfield

Supposed English team with Barry,Lampard,Gerrard and Lennon/Wright Phillips in Midfield

Spain* with Alonso,Iniesta/Fabregas,Xavi and Silva in Midfield

Many other teams also use this formation.

*It should be noted that Tottenham used this formation before Modric got injured in 2009/2010 season and Spain's formation is subject to many changes based on the decision of the coach.


Feel free to comment and ask questions about this.You can check on this blog regularly for more about football...

e-mail to; lil_lusan@yahoo.com or call: 07030711869,08024740427.