Joe Aribo has reflected on Southampton’s promising performance during their week-long training camp in Spain.
The Premier League club defeated Montpellier 4-1 on Saturday morning to make it three wins from three in pre-season.
Aribo expressed satisfaction with Southampton’s display in the encounter.
“Feel like it was a good win from us, a good performance from the boys,” Aribo told the club’s official website.
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“Through the 90 minutes we showed good intent, on the ball we were good, out of possession we were good so it was a good performance.
“For me it’s just getting a good performance and a good run out. I got 60 minutes in the tank so it’s in the tank now.
“I’ve taken a lot of pointers on from the gaffer, what he’s saying to us in training and what he wants from us, and then it’s on us to implement what he wants from us in the game. I felt like today was good. He said to us that we need to be a bit more clinical and be better defensively.”
Returning to the Premier League for a second time with Saints, the Nigeria international is looking forward to the season ahead.
“This is where the club needs to be, so we just need to showcase what we’re capable of. For me it’s always improving, getting better,” Aribo added.
“I set myself high standards and it’s important for me that I reach those heights that I want to and just show what I’m capable of and the talents God has given me.”
By Adeboye Amosu
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3 Comments
Why is no one commenting on a thread of Joe Aribo’s story. I will tell you why. Quite a sizeable number of Super Eagles fans have given up on him, that’s why.
Once heralded as the next best midfield invention after slice bread, Aribo is now ridiculed as a joke.
Is it fair though and is there a realistic future for Aribo in the Super Eagles and in the hearts of fans?
I think so.
In truth, in the past two seasons he has been a bit lightweight for Nigeria in midfield. He would often struggle to energy and vibrancy into Nigeria’s midfield. His passes, for the most part, were standard and at times even subpar. In range, he keeps his passes short and in quality they rarely unlock opposition defences.
He often gets overrun and couldn’t apply himself like Onyeka and Iwobi did in the just concluded Afcon with versatility and drive.
For me, he hasn’t been helped at all by not nailing down a specific position on the pitch for his club as he is often played from pillar to post in attack and midfield making him a master of no specific space.
But, if you ask me, I think that it his trump card. The Super Eagles need versatile players.
As a team member, I think he can be valuable as a sub to see out games until he finds a department to call home in club football.
He knows the Nigerian system as he is well acquainted with the rigours of African football.
He still shows glimpses of being able to produce decent passes here and there and I have seen him pull off successful take-ons in 1 on 1 situations for Southampton.
And, talk about Southampton, that demographic of Super Eagles fans who would go to bed with any player in Premier Leagues will clamour for Aribo’s inclusion following his team’s promotion back among the elites.
But Aribo needs to be emphatic if recalled to the Super Eagles. I expect defense splitting passes, incisive movements and all round unputdownable performance laced with goals contributions.
I think it is premature to write Aribo off. He does actually look dejected and disinterested to me in his demeanor for the Super Eagles recently. Perhaps he just needs to rediscover his drive, determination and confidence.
After which we will see the Aribo that razzle and dazzled against Ukraine and Brazil in 2019.
He got cut with the old players by dancing to their calm down tones and it’s back firing on his game.If he had continued with the same morale he came with against Brazil, gbam.
His course was not helped by ultra defensive coaches who like 1 2 passes. The same wahala for the Falcons who are compact defensively but toothless in attack. The national teams need coaches who combines both offensive and good defensive higi haga
@Deo,I can tell you that the Super Eagles handlers are the problem of the team’s potential in midfield.Aribo as for now is the best quality Nigeria had in the midfield area.But the issues in Nigeria is the we play name more than quality.
What do I mean?
Aribo came in 2019 against Ukraine scored and was exemplary in the match.He was seen by the media-allnigeriasoccer.com specially as the heir to (number 10) Mikel Obi who retired from the Super Eagles after the AFCON 2019 in Egypt.
But his presence was limited by a Nigerian formula which favoured name against quality.he(Joe Aribo)proved that he’s the one that we need in the creative midfield.
But instead Nigeria and then Coach Gernot Rohr was giving a place and accolade to an Alex Iwobi because he was a former Arsenal Player. Against Ukraine few Nigerians could see that Iwobi has the talent but his lack of confidence limited his class on the pitch for Nigeria.
But it was swept under the carpet as if to say that no one is better than a player from Arsenal football club.Even today Aribo moves with the ball, dribble and make decisions on the pitch more than an Alex Iwobi who’s only afraid to carry the team and push it forward due to his own lack of courage.
Therefore Aribo was always sacrificed for Iwobi giving the Arsenal star a preference in the team midfield areas.This would see Iwobi flop or have an average game without checks as Nigeria mostly won or was superior to the opposition generally.Iwobi is a good goal scorer just at the edge of the 18 yard box.his abilities to score some goals exonerated him in the games which he was toothless and non existent or commanding in the Super Eagles midfield.Aribo was having an excellent run of form at club level with Rangers.
But who send Aribo’s hype and his quality showing at club level with hi superb goal for Rangers as Iwobi- the Arsenal renowned star is available for selection for the Super Eagle’s but was largely average on the pitch for Nigeria.
Aribo was played out of position leading to his underperformance in the team.It was as if Iwobi blinded us by his average game (underwhelming at times) because of his club reputation and the occasional goals he scored from the tireless efforts which the likes of mostly Victor Osimhen and Moses Simon provided for the team.
Therefore Aribo was marginalized giving him no place to thrive in the midfield.
With our Premier League mentality-Aribo was relegated among other midfielders since he only played in the Scottish League.While Wilfred Ndidi and Alex Iwobi was seen as the Oga at the top in midfield even with lack of midfield spark coming from the latter Iwobi.
Playing Aribo out of position in the deep lying midfield was one of the problems for the Rangers man who should have been unleashed to play directly behind main striker Victor Osimhen via the transition from Ighalo-Osimhen as at the time Aribo was first handed a maiden appearance in the team.
Another player this affected his quality Oghenekaro Etebo who was forced to play at the base of the midfield also around Wilfred Ndidi just to make way for an Arsenal euphoria player Alex Iwobi who was mostly not above average for the Super Eagles.
Etebo himself have more guts,speed and goals in him coupled with his dashing runs from the midfield while in transition.But everyone else has to make way for underwhelming Arsenal star Iwobi.
Iwobi is afraid to take risk,he’s not commanding in midfield for Nigeria except only in a flash.
His occasional goals covered up for him (Iwobi) while the Super Eagles suffered for creativity and quick transition that should come from a vibrant attacking midfield player like the Nigerian-born stars(Michael Olise and Eberechi Eze) easily and repeatedly do for Crystal Palace which is responsible for keeping Palace up in a competitive League like the Premier League.
Can Iwobi carry the Super Eagles midfield on his shoulder?
We’re all aware of the answer already.Eguavoen played Iheanacho,Aribo and Ndidi in a midfield three against a Mohamed Salah Egypt-and we all saw how they played a brand new football that delighted most Nigerians with Iwobi sitting on the bench.
Rohr did exceptionally well with Etebo playing in front of Mikel Obi and Wilfred Ndidi during the world Cup in 2018.
With Etebo stunning the world class Croatia midfielders(Luka Modric”Real Madrid “and Mateo Kovacic”Chelsea”) with his flair and forward movement despite Nigeria’s defeat in that opening match at the World Cup in 2018(Russia).
Until we move away from Iwobi and give opportunity to Aribo,Dele-Bashiru and other possible addition could be Nigeria’s major setback in the Super Eagles finding out that quality midfield style that could aid our wing play system (football culture) with the amazing runs and deixterity needed to put them through(Nigeria wingers) to make assist (to our large pool of talented forward-Dessers,Osimhen,Sadiq,Moffi,Boniface,Onuachu, Dennis)and to flourish in the attack. I refuse to be deceived by Alex Iwobi average game for the Super Eagles.
Peseiro deployed Aribo in an unfamiliar role (defensive midfield) along with Iwobi leading to the struggle and the team only managing a slim 2-1 win over Sierra Leone in his
First competitive match for the Super Eagles.
If he was doing to Nigerian standard,why is the Super Eagles still complaining of lack of creativity in the midfield.
If any of the Palace guys (Eze or Olise)was at the AFCON in place of Iwobi, Nigeria would have comfortably won the tourney in Ivory Coast.
The Palace duo would have revealed the world class talent we have in attacking department by setting up class acts like Ademola Lookman,Kelechi Iheanacho,Victor Osimhen,Terem Moffi and Moses Simon(all world beaters) in the final third.
Joe Aribo was on the bench even when he can shoot and is more mobile in transition than Iwobi in a lethargic Nigerian midfield that struggles for real class in all reality.We need a change of personnel in the Eagles midfield to forestall creativity in that region.Thats the way forward.
We might as well try out again Kelechi Nwakali (maybe for the last time)and hope to get Chelsea talent Carney Chukwuemeka(20 years old bundle of talent)
God Bless Nigeria.