Emmanuel Dennis was on target again but it was not enough as Watford suffered a late collapse, to go down 2-1 at Brentford in Friday night’s Premier League fixture, Completesports.com reports.
Dennis has now scored seven goals in 15 Premier League games this season.
His Nigerian teammate William Troost-Ekong was also in action for Watford.
Also in action was Frank Onyeka, who came on with 13 minutes remaining in the game.
Watford have now lost their last four Premier League games.
Also Read: Real Madrid Identify Ndidi As Casemiro Replacement
Dennis gave Watford the lead in the 24th minute when he rose highest to head home a corner.
Brentford equalised with six minutes left thanks to Pontus Jansson who met a flicked on header at the back post.
And in the 95th minute Bryan Mbeumo converted from the penalty spot to give Brentford the dramatic win.
The defeat saw Watford now in 17th place on 13 points just three points above the drop zone.
For Brentford, they climb up to ninth place on 20 points.
And in the French Ligue 1, Moses Simon was the hero as his late goal sealed a 3-2 comeback win for Nantes against Lens.
It was Simon’s second goal in the French top flight this campaign.
Simon, who came on in the 70th minute, scored in the 90th minute to complete the dramatic comeback.
Lens had gone 2-0 ahead through David Costa (7th minute) and Arnaud Kalimuendo-Muinga (15th minute).
But a brace from Randal Kolo Muani on 49th and 57th minutes, drew Nantes level.
Nantes move up to 10th position on 25 points in the league standing courtesy of the win.
By James Agberebi
121 Comments
So completesports is so biased they don’t want to report the last minute penalty was caused by Ekong lol they stylishly avoided linking his name to the penalty. It’s pertinent to call out players when they don’t have a good day in office just as much as you praise them when they are playing well or have a good game and that is what unbiased sporting journalism is about.
Sports*
Lolzzz. They don’t want to offend people who hate it whenever Ekong and Iwobi are criticized. Before criticizing them, you should also offer them words of advice so Ekong go and learn how to be a focused center defender.lol
It’ll be wrong not to acknowledge that in 2018 and 2019 the oyinbo wall were solid but it baffles me that at 28 and with all the experience Ekong has had he is still making some silly mistakes and is oftrn jittery……. His positioning is also questionable. I hope he buckles up before the Afcon or sit out.
He actually have a decent game until the usual calamity he is familiar with this days, I mean you need be sure you touching the ball before stretching your leg out in that manner, I just pray God help ekong men, he is our own and we surely not gonna cast him away but his confidence gonna be real affected. I really feel for him.
The way eagles defender are performing in their various leave in Europe is making me to get hypertension . Ndidi ekong zaidu are all give free goals to opponent. In fact sallah will have a fill day playing against them . I can bet thing with 500000 naira . And Ghana and the rest countries in pot 2 go they laugh secretly now.
League
Ekong lost his marker for the equalizer. He was right there when the cross came in, but the ball went over his head, and the Brentford player behind him nodded home.
For the 2nd goal, Ekong caused the penalty because he made a rash tackle in the box. If he had just allowed the player free passage, and the player shoots or crosses, and the ball ends up in the net, fans will still call for his head. He was within his rights to try to stop the shot or the cross that would have happened. But the way he went about it is the problem.
Lots of mistakes by Ekong in recent times.
My advise to Ekong is to keep working hard, stay focused, keep things simple, and try to get fitter. He has looked a bit heavy in recent times.
Nothing wrong with Ekong “chopping small bench” in the SE. That might motivate him to improve. But I still insist that he is not a bad defender. Good players lose form from time to time.
It is noteworthy that Ekong’s mistake would not have mattered if Watford converted the chances that came their way!
THE MENACE scored a goal. He also set up Josh King with a fairly easy chance, which King fluffed. If King had scored, Watford would have been up 2-0 with 15 mins to go.
This defeat is not for Ekong alone to bear. The team collapsed in the final 10 mins of play. So the whole team is to blame for this. The missed chances and the poor game management in the final minutes ultimately cost Watford the game.
@Pompei: Thanks for your fantastic summary and analysis of the game.
Thanks, OmoEsan.
Abeg mr man go and reset your tv and see exactly what he did properly. Even the pundits said he didn’t need to make that needless tackle. We keep calling for his head he keeps making the same mistakes week in week out. The first goal he was just lazy simple
A player is in his 18 yard box, getting ready to shoot or cross the ball, and you are here saying Ekong didn’t need to make a tackle?
Ekong 100% needed to make a tackle. The problem is he failed to make contact with the ball. If he had not made a tackle, and the ball ended up in the net, you and your yeye pundits would still have blamed him.
It is you who needs to reset your tv. And don’t stop there. Try to reset your brain as well. You need am.
This Nigeria team is getting nowhere, this team is so overrated. The French colonised African teams are better because of the recruitment of the French people. Players who are born in the French colonized country get top 5 european club experience, France being #5. And from then on they move upwards. These players are starting games regularly too and few are from relegated teams. Shoot, even players born in France chose to play back home because they know they can win. Like the Senegalese, Algerian and Moroccan team. The super eagles are full of relegated players. Some players don’t even play regularly or have top flight experience.
Players of countries colonized by England most likely have to start in lower tier in the english league, because english league promote their own, use their academy and its tough to get in. If not that they have to start playing outside the top 5 league. Jamilu Collins? That dude been on that relegated paderborn 07 forever, obviously he is a bad defender and not making an impact. I don’t know what type of recruiting the super eagles got, stay trash.
Dennis is playing regularly, he scores and he assists in the number one league in the uefa rankings. He had two assists and one goal when watford beat everton. He was energetic and scored in the loss against Leicester and scored again today. Now he has 7 goals and 5 assists. He was even productive in the last couple of champions league games. With no top flight experience the Nigerian team cant even get far, people here need to be more realistic. Obviously Rohr and or other staff members have favorites on who to pick, its plain and obvious looking at the lineup more of a certain tribe. The #1 populated African country cant get right, happy with mediocrity, bunch of scammers.
Dennis always tries to win the ball back. He is infectious when he plays he always tries to get the team back. I swear whenever the team is down, he tries to bring them back up. It was evident against Leicester. He had offers from Napoli and Arsenal, but were rejected by Brugge because they were asking 5* the amount for him. He was even nominated for November player of the month. Watch the awful players Kalu, Onuachu, Awaziem, Iheanacho and Iwobi still get called up. Iwobi wasn’t even a regular starter for Arsenal, Everton got fleeced by Arsenal when they bought him for 35 million. Ekong just cant make it in the Premier league, he can play in the serie a. Watford got promoted and we can see Dennis can adapt but Ekong cannot. Watford keep conceding goals because of him.
@ Footballfanatic ; I support CSN for not adding to the problem of Ekong ; the guy need our support to boater back his morale ; otherwise by the time Afcon kick off , his confidence would have been badly gone deeper.
Can’t you noticed the bias English press cameraman, focusing on Ekong while walking out of the field as if Ekong had just won the Man of the Match? That is enough embarrassing to Ekong and his family members at home .
His confidence is at the lowest ebb now , a decent player with no indiscipline record surely deserved our support at their trying moment
Today I actually felt bad for him as you can see he is trying his best but he needs to overcome the jitters. The commentators didn’t spare him either…
You could tell from his demeanour after he conceded the penalty, he was embarrassed . He had the look of “Let the ground swallow me up”. He is better than this and needs all the support to get back on track.
Raineri should take him out of the firing line, it is an unforgiving league where mistakes are thoroughly punished.
Ekong and mistakes are like 5&6, he is not EPL material.yet he will come to SE and start every game, where it is obvious he has a hand in 80% of goals conceded
Some of you like dwelling on the negativity and misfortune of others.. Ekong, Ekong Ekong everywhere. The guy needs our encouragement/advice and support. Dude was not like this. Every player gat his lowest point. And that is what complete Sport does. Because this is global forum. We protect our own not put him a bad light. And it’s so funny nobody is talking about Moses Simon late strike for his club side everybody Denis because of your hatred for the guy. I smell hatred and favouritism in your comments anytime I come here and funny enough that is what everyone is accusing Rohr of…SMH
Ok fine but why is nobody talking about Moses Simon who’s late strike sealed a comeback win for his club Nantes???
At some point, players are bound to making mistakes but that isn’t their end, even messi missed a penalty kicks as you can see in the clip and still didn’t deter him from winning laurels afterwards. I think you guys wants Rohr to replace Ekong having another player in mind, then go ahead but it’s devilish to start dropping Troost Ekong’s name for tribal sentiments, at least everyone can see in between the lines. Remember this is a public forum, becareful how you tarnished people’s reputation.
Messi missed.
https://youtu.be/tW3GdF9U5DU?t=35
****kick****
Ekong is not a good center back deal with that, what concern a 7 times balondor winner with a serial flop like Ekong. May God deliver you from the spirit of whataboutism
I tell you @Chris some of this forumites can’t just think deeply before they comment..Thank you though. That was a wonderful speech!
Jittery Ekong had never once been an in intelligent defenders… In the super eagles day of “Oyibo wall”, it was Balogun who did it about 70 percent but now that age has caught up with Balogun fowl nyash don dey open..
Jittery Ekong left udinese for the then championship club Watford not because he really wished to.. it was because the newly appointed Udinese coach said that Ekong was not in his plans… because em no Sabi play.. if you are not good at 28 in football, guys forget…
I don dey talk say Ekong no good now for more than 2 3 4 years now.. Wallahi jittery Ekong na calamity!
@Abdul Handsy, let us support one of our own. True, he has lost form of late Nd needs to sit it out for now but let us encourage him. Same dennis who is now called the menace now was a nightmare at fc coln but he is doing so well now. Ekong has lost confidence and his coach needs to do some work (psychological) on him.
@Golden Child… he has not lost form… the truth remains he has never sustained any commendable form since he started doning jerseys for SE!
Troost Ekong… cannot do more than his ususl abilities… what he is displaying is the limit of his natural abilities…
He gave away penalty to Croatia at 2018 World Cup wrestling Mario Mandzukic to the ground… he will also again caused an own goal in a duet he was so tensed over 90minutes against Riyad Mahrez in AFCON2019!
Ekong will always be Ekong…
Agreed he hasn’t been one of the best of defenders we ever had but his level is still better than what he is showing presently.Afterall , he took them to promotion and that is no small feat. If had worn our colours, he is one of us and deserves our support . Having said that, he needs to sit it out for a while for club & country.
So none of the current SE has ever made mistakes or given goals away in a SE shirt abi….? LMAOOoo.
Awaziem’s flops and own goals in a SE shirt arent well documented…? Or is Balogun’s or Omeruos….?
Hating on Ekong must really be raking in plenty of money for you on weekly basis.
Ekong is off form, agreed, but the last time I counted, I’m yet to count 5 Nigerian CBs to have ever played in both the Seria A and the EPL in their careers. Ekong must truly be the “worst” defender to play for the SE……LMAOOoo
@Dr.Drey… you are not even helping Ekong’s case listing all the leagues and clubs he has been fortunate enough to play for… it is the more reason why he should not be making the sort of school boy errors he is now used making on a continuous basis… it shows his is hardly improving… you cant give what you dont have brother… we are not helping Ekong by continuing to dress his mistakes with muffled voices and hushed tones… he needs to know he can be made to sit on the bench so that he can force himself to improve atleast to be able to focus on defending or the whole duration of 90minutes… we are tired of nearly-men!
Wow Dr. Drey, with this comment, someone will soon say you and I are the same person! Looooool!
You Hypocrite@Drey! Kudos to you and your bias opinions.
Go on Rohr, play Ekong, Collins, Ighalo, Shehu, Moses Simon (ur world class defender) & co.
Pls continue to bench Chuzy, Aina, Ejuke, Zaidu n Co.
Go fast and win the toothbrush at AFCON.
Ye ye Inundated Old P.E Mechanic Orchestrated by Picmick!
Hahahaha…..Jimmylie, why are the rest of your world class Nigerian central defenders not “fortunate” to play in Serie A and EPL. Was Balogun not “fortunate” to play for Brighton….? Did we not see him flog and struggle with the pace of the EPL…? Was Omeruo not “fortunate” to be a chelsea player….how many starts or sub appearances did he have for chelsea……infact how many times did you ever see him wear a chelsea jersey….actually, please remind us of omeruo’s jersey number when he was at chelsea…….LMAOoooo. And was Calving Bassey not a former Leicester player too before running to scotland…? Let them all come to the EPL lets see them.
The EPL exposes even the best defenders in the world. That is the creame la cream of CBs in the world get messed up by the EPL. That is why we are begging our own defenders to move to the EPL and lets see what they’ve got. Almost on weekly basis we see mistakes being made in the premier league by defenders, it doesnt take anything away from them.
I’ll rather pick an Ekong committing blunders in the EPL than pick Anthony Izuchukwu who is scoring own goals for fun the Isreali league…..LMAOooo
Ekong is simply fatigued….and its showing. The boy has played 60 games or more since the begining of last season for club and country. He hasnt added any weight yet he is looking heavy and slow in reacting.
Your racial hatred for Ekong knows no bound, I was expecting you will come daggers drawn today after he gave away that penalty, because even when goals conceded arent his fault, you always find a way to pin it on him….not to talk of a more glaring penalty like that one.
Give him 2 weeks rest and he will bounce back. The pace and standard of the EPL, coupled with the number of games he has played in the last one year is what is killing him at the moment.
Nosa, you I know you want attention, you’ve been seeking my attention for a while but Ive been ignoring you intentionally, I still wouldnt give you that attention you are craving for……LMAOOooo. CSN is a free forum. My bias opinion is MINE and none of your business. Share your own UNBIASED opinion lets read……LMAOOoo.
Rohr might be a PE mechanic but he is still miles ahead of any of your guadiolas currently. FACTS and FIGURES dont lie. Accept that and deal with it…….LMAOOoooo
Hahahahaha…pompei, wait till jimmylie uses Microsoft excel and avast antivirus to once again detect that you and I are one and the same person……LMAOOooooo…the same way he used optimization design algorithms to do a word processed similarity checks and it return people from different origins and locations as Dr.Drey…….lmaoooooooo
Support what?. You can’t give what you don’t have
@Abdul, this is actually a lie. Ekong was sent from Udinese to Watford because the management of both clubs are the same. Plus Ekong was a stand out defender at Udinese and was recommended to Watford because of his hard work he did there. Also scoring a few goals. Don’t say what you do not know.
It was a careless penalty. He didn’t need to go for the ball at full stretch. Now we have seen defenders make such silly decisions before but his is coming off the back of a series of very poor performances for his club and country. He is really going to receive alot of backlash from Watford fans, I just hope he can come back from this. He has never been a world class defender. I always rated balogun higher than him but atleast he has not been this bad for a player who has played in the serie A, nations cup, world cup, he really should be doing better than this or he should get ready for some time on the bench and he may also lose his position in the Super Eagles. He cant bring this poor form to the Super Eagles team and expect to start games.
Ekong is below average no be today na. I dey wonder why this guy dey bench awaziem
@jimmyball no mind the biased people on this forum, they will see black and call it white. That is how that goalkeeping coach go to invite a reserve goalkeeper the last time out. You Sabi my man.
@Jimmyball. You can identify a real baller in 15 minutes and you’re always castigating Rohr that he doesn’t give players enough minutes to show us what they can do. Lmao!! Ekong was having a decent game until the final moments of the game in a high tempo game. Which other defender in Watford is a world class defender?? Everyone already know even before the season started that Watford will battle relegation this season.
I laugh when someone said Omeruo is better. Omeruo that couldn’t cope with English championship while at Middlesbrough?? At least Ekong was one of the best defenders in the EFL last season and our only defender playing regularly in the EPL at the moment. Ranieri at the moment doesn’t have a better defender than Ekong and Cathcart until he buy another defender in January while Ekong will be on international duty at the AFCON. As good as Nkoulou was we saw how he couldn’t cope with the pace of 36 year old Ronaldo and gave way with a hamstring problem.
One clown said the SuperEagles is a tribal team. Lmao!! So because Senegal is a French colonized country and their players use the French league to move up to better leagues means they’re better than our players?? The last time I checked Senegal are still looking to win an AFCON for the first time. They’ve never won a single AFCON. Nigeria have won more AFCONS than Even Algeria and Morocco combined. So anyone who is not appreciative of our players efforts over the last few years in Europe can go ahead and purchase the jerseys of Senegal, Morocco, Algeria and Ghana to pitch their unconditional support for them.
The fact remains that Ekong Zaidu and Balogun are commanding regular first team shirts when fit. If they can bring that to camp in few weeks time I’m very confident they will be a solid unit along with Awaziem, Aina, Akpoguma, Omeruo and Bassey at worst they can be a bend but not broken unit especially against top African oppositions and we have a very potent attack to compliment them. What matters now for our boys is to get enough playing time in their various clubs and stay fit irrespective of the struggles of their clubs. A stable and match fit SuperEagles team will always stand a chance against any top African oppositions. I can take that to the bank all day everyday.
@Ayphillydegreat… I get your point. My analogies are based strictly on the fact that Ekong has enjoyed unfettered playing opportunities under Rohr and yet we all see that he is prone to mistakes… yes, to me Ekong is not better than Umeruo & that remains my position regarding the two… I was satisfied with the work both Umeruo and Awaziem did against Cape Verde when we played them away… and in my opinion if Ekong and Balogun were there and paired… for occasional errors they often jointly make these days, Cape Verde would have defeated us… but let me state again that this discussion is not about Umeruo versus Ekong… it is about the fact that Ekong is not good enough to be starting games for us if we are hoping to have a stable backline capable of shutting out formidable opponents… Ekong is not a good ball player, the ball is never comfortable at his feet… no matter what eulogies and dressings are offered to prop-up Ekong, he just is not good enough for the level for demand from a starting Super Eagles starting central defender… so it is not the words of @JimmyBall that will put Ekong out of his one-too-many sloppiness… I do not hate him but I am only speaking in footballing terms… again qAyphillydegreat.. Rohr hardly gives a newbie in Super Eagles more than 3minutes to prove themselves… infact he often introduces them after 90minutes, in are cases they come in during the regular duration but almost at the death of time… let us stop promoting mediocrity in Super Eagles sqauds… my hope is that one day very soon… we can get Tosin Adarabioyo to play for Super Eagles… perhaps the NFF and Rohr do not yet know the best way to approach the lad and win him over… that guy is a modern centre back whom I watched the whole of last season for Fulham FC…
That’s a lie that Rohr hardly gives newbies more than 3 minutes pure sentimental. For me Ekong for now is playing at higher level than Omeruo and Awaziem that’s a fact. In an open camp it’s up to the gaffer to decide who plays. Olayinka played more than 10 minutes against Cameroon in our last friendly, the sane with Abraham Marcus who played about 15 minutes go and check the records and stats of those matches. Dessers played about 20 minutes on his debut for Nigeria against Tunisia. Ejuke played more than 15 minutes in that game when he was introduced. So the insinuation that Rohr hardly gives newbies more than 3 minutes is pure lie. It doesn’t hold water when you go and check the stats of those games. I don’t know any defender in this world who doesn’t make mistakes. The entire back line of Watford have issues that’s why Ranieri can’t bench him because he doesn’t anything better. The most important thing is that he’s playing regularly in the EPL and this being his first season in such a top league let’s just hope he can cope and improve. All the same with or without Ekong Watford are still going to battle relegation throughout the season.
@Jimmyball, you sabi my brother. Yobo didn’t do half of what Ekong is doing at the moment before he is labelled calamity Yobo. So why must Ekong be spared against criticism. I have said this overtime the so called Oyinbo wall we embarrass themselves at AFCON if the coach don’t drop them to the Bench or out of the team. Awaziem, Izuchukwu, Calvin Bassey as he’s thrive playing the CD role at Rangers with the help of Akpoguma and Omeruoh should be given the center back role. Akpoguma and Omeruoh should be there as back ups.
Some Nigerians are funny. We expect and demand so much from our players, in an environment that invests so little in these same players! We expect world class performances form players who are being owed months and months of match bonuses! Hahahahahaha!
Some Nigerians are like the husband who gives his wife money that is not even enough to transport her to the market. Yet the husband comes back home and expects his wife to have prepared a feast!
I thank God that there are still some Nigerians who are realistic enough and patient enough to realize that you don’t throw an asset away just because it has a blemish. You don’t get rid of your home because the roof needs repairs, or abandon your car because the tires have gone bad.
Ekong is bad. Ekong is bad. Ekong is bad. If we want to name the top 5 center backs Nigeria has today, can anyone produce a list that doesn’t include Ekong?
Ekong has had a run of poor performances of late. Fact. He perhaps should be on the bench for the SE’s next game. Does that make him a defender who has NEVER HAD TALENT?
When Iwobi made a joke of Mascherano in our 4-2 win over Argentina, putting the ball in between his legs via a sleek nutmeg, before smashing a left footer into the Argentine goal, some forumites here would have had him castrated for that. Some would even say Mascherano has never had talent in his life!
Which center back doesn’t make mistakes? We all saw Tomori’s huge gaffe couple of days ago! Harry Maguire of Man United has been in the news of late for mistakes even worse than Ekong’s. Every where you go in the world of football, center backs make mistakes that result in goals. Does that mean they don’t have talent?
So Ekong won olympic bronze medal, played in Italian Serie A, English premier league, won Afcon bronze, qualified and played in a world cup, ALL WITHOUT TALENT?
The guy is off form. Benching him might be in order. No player is too big to be benched. Perhaps it’s time for Ekong to sit back, while others carry on. That doesn’t mean he’s not a talent, or he won’t bounce back later.
Someone said he’s not world class. How many world class players do we have in the SE? Is the SE a world class team? Do we have a world class coach? Is Nigeria a world class footballing nation, with world class grassroots programs and world class facilities? All these shortcomings are there, yet it’s Ekong my people sat down with, saying he’s not world class. Make una siddon there dey wait for world class ooo!
You are a confused Hypocrite as Drey@pompei. We no send una ye ye comments, AFCON 2022 will be the end of this rubbish orchestrated by Picmick! Rohr is simply O.Y.O!
Please produce a list of Nigeria’s top 5 center backs that doesn’t include Ekong.
If you can’t, you are a bigger hypocrite than Dr. Drey and myself combined!
Support what?. You can’t give what you don’t have
You no send our comments yet you read them from beginning to the end……LMAOOoo. Please run to the nearest birth registry and have a change of name. Hypocrisy should be your surname.
Hehehehe at Pompei…..Ekong has no talent, Ekong is useless, Ekong is the worst defender to play for Nigeria, yet every coach since Keshi starts Ekong in their SE teams. Yet the boy has been making upward career moves all these while…..LMAOOoo. Those coaches of the SE and directors of football of those clubs must be the ‘stupidest’ persons on earth……LMAOooo.
Same people said Okoye was not SE material until the boy was GK of the season in his first season in the Eredivisie in a season he started as Sparta B Gk in the 2nd division…..LMAOooo
Same people said Onyeka is not national team material until the boy made 10m move to EPL and has taken to the league like fish in water…..LMAOooo
These are the same people whose career highlights is juggling the ball 5000 times, claiming they can spot a talent in 15 minutes yet always crying that the national team coach with decades of playing and coaching experience doesnt give new players enough minutes
@Nosa, you are the confused hypocrite that doesn’t like to hear the truth. Is Ekong the problem we are facing with Nigerian football? Y’all just comment with too much bias and sentiments
I’m still waiting for that list of Nigerian top 5 center backs that does not include Ekong.
I challenge anybody to produce this list!
Wait for your ancestors@pompei! Ekong is a worn-class defender indeed… Olodo repete!
Hahahahaha…is that supposed to be the answer to “…produce a list of Nigeria’s top 5 center backs that doesn’t include Ekong….”…???? LMAOooooo. Later now, you will lie you are not the junkie who claimed to Zulu from south africa but cannot even spell the ancestral homeland of Zulus…..LMAOooooo
Pompei, pls just get a walking stick close to you…..cos you’ll age waiting for them to produce any such list without “the most pathetic defender to EVER play for the super eagles”…….LMAOOooooo
Hahahaha, Dr. Drey, I’m still waiting for dem ooo.
Me I go soon waka, because I have to try and enjoy this lovely Saturday morning.
Ah, sorry o oloshi Bobby. Oniranu. Miscreant like you.
I know you wanted to request Ekong to help SA qualify for both the Afcon and the world cup playoffs. Does SA have any center backs that is fit to tie Ekong’s shoes? Your great center backs like Mark Fish, Lucas Radebe, Neil Tovey, are of the past. Name one playing today that is a match for Ekong!
Please go and buy a nice big TV, so you can watch the Afcon matches comfortably, as that is the only way you will be participating this time around. Looooooool!
I can obviously see the bias in this forum as it stands currently. This story thread was about Dennis, Ekong and Simon but despite Simon’s brilliant solo goal where he left 3 defenders for dead before hitting a thunderous strike into the roof of the net, no one could praise him here.
Now we can see clearly that most of you guys are not a collective SE supporters but only infested with selfish interest about certain favourite players
Kudos to Rohr’ world class defender who would even be a goal keeper for Ogah! Keep it up bro#Simon Mo! Classy goal there!
Indeed, that goal by Simon is one of the best goals I’ve seen this year.
If he can produce like that in the SE, his critics will change mouth very quickly.
That’s the player hatred-filled people claims has no business in the SE……LMAOoo. The boy is practically behind everything good that happens to Nantes…..and he has been consistent to the past 3 seasons now.
Very good goal ! Surely you can understand why most people are not really excited; he hardly translates his club form to national team colours.
Still waiting.
Why unu come run commot now? Just because of a simple kweshon?
Kindly produce a current list of Nigeria’s 5 top center backs that does not include William Troost Ekong!
Who run? I have been enjoying Saturday sleep joor…. I am still on bed like this. Five central defenders for Super Eagles excluding Ekong:
1.Akpoguma.
2.Umeruo
3.Awaziem
4.Semi Ajayi
5.Balogun
6.Calvin Bassey
6.Izuchukwu
7.Tosin Adarabioyo(Potential we can get him if NFF get sense)
8.Wilfred Ndidi
9.Nosa (The New Orlando Pirates backman… deliberate to anger some people… go and watch pirates play come back and see if you laugh at my list)
10.Godfrey Oboabona.
All these central defenders listed are a million and one times better than Ekong… Who no good, no good. You asked for 5,i give you 10. Gwogwo!
The Orlando pirates guy…
Ndah… I forget his full names! He has massively improved from his Olympic Eagles nations cup days in 2019. They sing his praises at Orlando Pirates…
“….They sing his praises at Orlando Pirate…” LMAOOooo.
FAT LIAR……LMAOOoo
Olisah Ndah has been conceding penalties and indiscriminate fouls since joining Pirates, same way he was conceding them while in the CHAN, WAFU and U23 Eagles teams.
He was even fingered as responsible for their loss in the last soweto derby with Kaizer chiefs.
Which praise did you here them sing of him….LMAOooooooo. Pls copy and paste links of where they sang the so-called praises of him at pirates here….LMAOooooo
Dont come here telling us lies about stuff you dont know Mr.
LMAOOooo
“….They sing his praises at Orlando Pirate…” LMAOOooo.
Make e move come English Premiership nah…..LMAOooooo
Hahahahaha…you have removed the “top” in the question and listed every jack and harry in order to summersault and rigmarrole your way out of defeat as usual…..LMAOOooooo.
Did you forget to also list Azubuike Eguekwe and Stephen Eze…??? Or you intentionally left them out…??? LMAOOooo
Ekong is the worst defender to ever play for the super eagles……LMAOOoooo.
Some people will lie and even the devil will shout “blood of Jesus”
@jimmyball You simply just made a mockery of yourself. Do you read what you write before posting at all? You really shouldn’t have responded. Hian!
Guy, you can give me 20 if you like. But looking at this list you provided, Ekong makes the top 5 with ease. You know this.
Adarabioyo is an English man till further notice. So he’s outside the scope of this debate.
I really like Izuchukwku. Have admired him for a while now. Look forward to seeing him in the SE soon.
Oboabona is an Afcon hero. Was really good in his hey day. At 31, he should still be good. But he now plays his football in Georgia (not Georgia, USA). Given your anger that Ighalo was invited to SE at the expense of other strikers in top 5 leagues, I’m amazed at your spectacular volte face in now accepting a Georgia based defender over a Premiership defender!
They are all good. No doubt. But I say, if you select the top 5 from this list, Ekong will be there. Unless you’re not serious.
Nosa, you too? You do run?
With that your big mouth? Produce the list na? Na run you run commot for here?
Hahahahahaha!
All of dem don run commot like rabbits, because of a simple kweshon.
Hahahahahahaha!
@Pompei
Off course Ekong is always going to be one of our top five best centre backs right now. Just as in the attacking midfield;currently, we are not blessed in that section.
It doesn’t mean Ekong hasn’t been bad recently. As it stands,as stated, it simply means we are average in that department.
But as it is in football, average can always come good someday;somehow.
But in our encouragement; we shouldn’t be shy to state our mistakes. If we want to be the best; there should be a balance between emotions and rationality.
Mr. Hush,
Did I ever deny that Ekong has been bad of recent? I even suggested that the bench might be good for him, didn’t I?
The issue on ground is that some believe Ekong WAS NEVER, AND IS STILL NOT GOOD ENOUGH FOR THE SE.
That is why I posed the question.
If anyone believes Ekong is not good enough to be an SE player, kindly produce a list of the top 5 Nigerian center backs that does not include Ekong.
A very simple kweshon. We are still waiting for the response.
After all, if Ekong is to be excluded from invitation, someone is going to replace him? Let’s have a list of these probables, and compare them to Ekong. Where are they currently playing their football, how much experience and exposure do they have, what have they achieved in their careers?
As you said, we want to motivate our players to do better. So constructive criticism has it’s place, and is always welcome. But to say a player has no talent, and does not belong in the SE, because the player is experiencing a poor run? That’s destructive criticism.
IF WE WANT TO BE THE BEST, WE SHOULD ENCOURAGE AND CRITICIZE IN SUCH A WAY AS TO STRIKE A BALANCE BETWEEN EMOTIONS AND RATIONALITY.
@Pompei
Touchè
Good point you raised but where you play at times is not the best yard stick for quality.Mikel obi played for Lyn oslo in Norway and was able to walk straight into the Chelsea first team. Mohammed Salah played for FC Basel and was recruited from there to Chelsea. Uche Okechukwu arguably Nigeria’s defender never played for big club or in a big league but was solid as they come. He played in Denmark and Turkey. This what our SE handlers need to do more.
Hahahahahaha…..You don demote yasef to shell cup star again…? LMAOOooo.
You didn’t play at the highest level anymore….??? Or where you not a “senior player” at Lobi stars in your “hey-days” any longer….? So much so that your testimonials as a super star is now only limited to SHELL CUP and juggling the ball 100,000 times…..LMAOOoo….as if freestyle football is a KPI for measuring the prospect of a player making it professionally.
I was hoping you would mentions the names of your teammates and coaches at Lobi where you were a senior player, the likes of Sani Haliru, John Agbawu and the likes who played at lobi within the same period you claimed you played there…….LMAOOoo.
Tori don change, son-of-man don switch career mode to SHELL cup……LMAOOoo….as shell cup records are going to be practically none existent to search for….LMAOOoo.
Please where was your “ability to spot a classy player” when Ekong was one of our best players at Rio 2016 alongside Etebo and Umar…? Pls remind us of the name of the player who partnered Ekong in CD in Rio and the club where he plays now, without checking on the internet….LMAOOooo.
Please where was your “ability to spot a classy player” when Ekong btw 2015-2018 forged unarguably the best central defensive pairing in the SE since Keshi/Okechukwu……? Sorry, I forgot, you were still struggling to find legitimacy in which ever ghettos you were breeding, until you finally found a life in 2020 and barged into CSN….LMAooooo
Where was your “ability to spot a classy player” when professional clubs in Norway, Turkey, Italy and now England where signing him……LMAOOoo….I guess juggling the ball 50000 times has made you know football more than the sporting directors of those clubs in those leagues….LMAOOooo.
Maybe it was Ekong’s “one European parentage” that was helping him secure such upward career movements (something we hardly see from your ‘talented world class’ Nigerian defenders) or maybe it was rohr’s favoritism.
The last time I checked, Omeruo was an u23 player in 2016, maybe Siasia “favored” Ekong too then above Omeruo….LMAOoo. Omeruo’s best years as a Super Eagle ended in 2014. We all saw the same Omeruo almost gifting Capeverde a last minute equalizer in the away leg. Maybe, Keshi, Oliseh, Siasia also chose Ekong ahead of Omeruo because of his skin colour……LMAOooo.
As bad as you claim Ekong is, Omeruo stopped smelling SE starting shirt since when Ekong arrived. Ekong arrived almost 3 years after omeruo but has almost the same number of caps with Omeruo today….LMAoooo….Omeruo is not even starting league games of late in the Segunda division. This season he has only started 8 out of 19 games…..LMAOOooo
As bad as you claim Ekong is, he’s still one of only 2 Nigerian central defenders playing regularly in a top 5 leagues and probably the only Nigerian CB Taribo West to have played in both the Serie A and EPL….LMAOooo.
Or is this not the same EPL the likes of Omeruo and Balogun couldnt survive….??? Tell your world class Nigerian central defenders to move to the EPL lets see if they would get messed-up too…? We saw how Balogun was ran ragged the few times he got to play at Brighton, till he was farmed out on loan to Wigan in the championship and later decided to take the easy option in Scotland. Omeruo didnt even ‘qualify’ for 1 second game time in the EPL……LMAOoooo
I thought you lied here 2-3 weeks ago that Ranieri has declared Ekong surplus to requirement at watford……LMAOOooo….yet he has played 8 out of 9 matches in charge since Ranieri took over…..LMAOOooo. MAybe you can explain what “surplus to requirements” mean in your omniscient football dictionary.
And before liars will come and tell us cook us stories of Ekong leaving udinese because he was surplus to requirements, THAT IS A LIE FROM THE PIT OF HELL. Its all there in the public domain. The Pozzo’s specifically picked out Ekong and transferred him to Watford to aid their EPL promotion project which they achieved with Ekong being amongst the best in the EFL last season, getting numerous MOTM nominations even as Central Defender.
How a player who is claimed to be so bad and useless could be chosen to push a promotion bid to the premier league beats imagination.
Ekong has never for once called himself a world class defender. He himself confessed in an interview with Ben Foster that he is very much aware of his limitations and hence makes up for it with double than usual the amount of training he needs. So you are not telling us anything new by calling Ekong an average defender.
As a matter of fact no Nigeria central defender currently is above average….that is why we have been pleading with them to move to the EPL or the top 5 leagues and go and face the toughest strikers there are in football so they too can get tougher.
Williams Troost Ekong is the most pathetic central defender to ever play for Nigeria and Super Eagles……LMAOoooo……that’s why he made the teams of Keshi, Oliseh, Siasia and Rohr till date……LMAOOooo. FAT LAIR……LMAOOoo. the most pathetic CD to ever play for the SE yet starting under ALL coaches till date since his debut….LMAOooo. The most pathetic CD yet playing in the EPL where the rest struggle to set their feet.
If Williams Troost Ekong is the most pathetic central defender to ever play for Nigeria and Super Eagles, where will you put the likes of Furo Iyenemi, Dele Adeleye, Obinna Nwaneri and Omeruo….?
@Dr Drey. Thank you so much for your objectivity. I don’t know how these forumites forget the good times we have had with this committed footballer – Ekong just because he is having a bad run of form. To imagine @jimmyball would even suggest ball juggling as a criteria for identifying a footballer that would cut his teeth gives me migraine. If that’s the case we for don become professional footballers nau. Haba! If you have to lie, be smart about it
Hahahaha…..ball juggling…..LMAOOo….No mind am.
Which Nigerian boy-child didn’t juggle balls as competition while growing up…? LMAOOoo.
There are millions of amazing ball jugglers and freestylers out there who dont even know where to stand on a standard 11-a-side soccer pitch……LMAOooooo
@Linkin… @Dr.Drey… Some of you guys are very funny how you pick out phrases from one’s writeup you like while leaving others… I mentioned my youth football and amateur days when I was 8yrs,10yrs and even 7yrs. God sees the heart of men… I mentioned very tender age that those of us talented could do what our peers and mates would struggle and can’t even do… then on my street apart from normal sets-kickabouts we played… it believed that juggling the ball hours on end was a feat… Common we were. Just 7yrs/8yrs old playing street tournaments at insane skill levels… at 7yrs and 8yrs most Nigerian kids can’t even stand properly on one leg and not fall… @Dr.Drey,could you stand without falling on one leg when you were even 10yrs old? Hahahahaha… do you know what is called keepy-uppy in ball juggling? Bro forget… no be mouth, I played over 50games professionally for Lobi Stars right through my 200Levels till Final year… I was going to school and studying engineering same time so of course I could not travel for away games most times during semester exams… I don’t need to shout Drey. We have rummaged all these facts and stories before, I was involved in shell cups before Lobi and you do not need to curse and insult. You hardly can ever manage your default tendency to insult… person wey don go market buy market no need to force anybody for validation… no be you spend my money for me! Your responses are always replete with jealousy and envy… I thought you said you ere busy with projects and don’t have time to comment when Rohr your moongod was under fire and about to be kicked out but since stupid NFF already tied Nigeria to a slave and master contract with Rohr a quack already and it appears he has Nigerians by the balls and can’t be sacked for his release pay being criminally huge… You are now back with your noise as usual… the mickey mouse fictitious project wey you the do don end so soon? Morphing Murphy a.k.a @Dr.Drey switching multiple profiles… hahahaha, we know you brother! You don quickly go clone another one called @Linkin… very retarded, just to support yourself… Mtweeeeew! At the age of 10years old I was already far more talented than a 28year old William Troost Ekong… Lol.
Hahahahaha….Linkin is now also Dr.Drey……the smae way pompei, greenturf, Kel, Ayphilly, Oakfield, Dr Bankz etc are all Dr. Drey…..LMAOOOO…..cant you see you are the retard here…..LMAOOoo. Please which softwares did you use to detect that this time around….??? AutoCAD…..LMAOOooo or Arduino…..LMAOOOooo
Pls look for another lie to tell, this your lie of Dr.Drey is so so person and that that person is out of fashion already…..LMAOOooo. Linkin has been existing on CSN long before you barged in here in 2020 when you finally found a decent enough life to live in decades……LMAOOooooo
Your story has taken a new twist today…..lmaooo…. you now played for Lobi from 200 level to 500 level…..LMAOOoo….But the same you once claimed 3 of you, Daniel Atsaka (whom you claimed was in 100level), You(claiming you were in 500 level) and Inalegwu were picked after trialing with Lobi after playing in NUGA games……LMAOOoo….no your story has changed again to you played for lobi from 200level to 500 level (4 seasons), Yet we have asked you to name the squad lists of your teamates at Lobi stars and the coaches (technical crew) you played under till tomorrow that question remains unanswered…..LMAOoooo. Oga you dont need to lie to anybody here to seek validation…..LMAOOoo.
Before you claimed you played 1 season at Lobi, playing home games, now 1 season has changed to from 200 level to 500 level …..LMAOOoo…..your stories about your phantom soccer career NEVER adds up. The more stories you tell them more the loopholes and contradictions in your so-called stories….LMAOOoo.
For someone who played 4 seasons at Lobi stars when you are name checking people, one would expect to hear you refer us to the likes of John Agabwu, Sumaila Suleiman, Onyekachi Okoye, Odeh Ogah, Imadun Dooyun, Tar Akombo, Terkimbri Akigar as some of your teamates in the Lobi stars team of that era who can bear testament to your greatness in those seasons……LMAOOooooo.
Today now you claim you played over 50 games for Lobi……LMAOOOo. So pls, is that the HIGHEST LEVEL you were lying to have played last year on this forum…??? LMAOOooo. So after 4 seasons of playing 50 matches for Lobi did you now retire or what…???? LMAOooo. Abi the fake injury you claimed made you fail trials never healed till today…???? LMAOOoooooo
Telling us all these your fake stories including juggling balls 10000 times as a boy doesnt move anyone here anymore….LMAOOoo. There is nothing….ABSOLUTLELY NOTHING about you to make anyone jealous or envy you, except your emptily pompous and pathetically perjurious twin Chima…..LMAOoooooo.
Yea, I’ve been busy with a project since late October and if only you had retentive memory, apart from not being able to correlate your cooked up stories, you would have remembered also that I also stated I’ll the project closure will be by mid decemeber…….how my endeavors has suddenly become a headache for you beats imagination…..LMAOOooo. Not all of us are stuck in a workshop repairing faulty instruments from January to December, less 30 days paid leave o……LMAOOooo.
Apparently somebody has been praying for Dr.Drey not to have time and space on CSN again so they can continue to pollute this forum with their lies and continue their reign as empty prima donnas……LMAOOooo. So if its paining you that Im back here to shout please drink poison…..LMAOoooo
At the age of 10 you were really more talented than Ekong…..LMAOooo…cant you see how you are still struggling to hewn lies that you played at the same highest level that we are watching Ekong play today….LMAOooo. Person wey nor pass arithmetics for elementary school dey open mouth to call person wey dey do equivalent of Masters in Mathematics “Average”. You reach “Average” naim we nor hear ya name at all……LMAOOoooo
Abeg you guys should free Ekong. What is it nau? Did he kill someone? Troost is one of the most committed Super Eagle. Recently he has been error prone and so what? We all have our moments abeg.
It’s easier said than done. Premier League football is the highest level of football. It’s surprising how you praised yourself and your skillful footballer friends yet none of you are known globally or locally in the game of football. Troost-Ekong had a disappointing game quite alright, but stop using yourself to explain his failure.
Hahahahaha….Awesome Response. Awesome…..LMAOOoooo
“Skillful footballer” praising himself for juggling the ball 1000 times and participating in shell cup…..LMAooo…judging a professional guaranteed first teamer who has played in the Serie A and EPL…..LMAOoooo.
@Felix…you did not hear about me much because I was a student professional player with Lobio Stars FC Makurdi… there were a few of us like that… go and watch CAF Champions Leagues 2007 match between Enyimba vs Accra Hearts of Oak… it was my childhood team-mate Louis otanwa that scored the solitary goal for Enyimba’s 1-0 victory in that game from centre circle… I was working in a bank already then in lagos and called him rigt in their dressing room during pep talk after the match… that guy was seriouisly victimised at Enyimba because he was never preferred to some some of the Igbo local boys on the team… let me not even talk about myself… go to facebook and look for Louis Otanwa and verify… we no the make mouth like @Dr.Drey wey dey Alimoso with the hustle the claim project manager/lecturer/PhD Holder… meanwhile bob claims he has no social media account for us to verify him in this modern day and age… dude will lie just to appear larger-than-life here but has never been able to back him his noisy and non-existent claims… Doktor ohne Zeugnis… hahahahaha!
Oga…….tell us about your own footballing career stop telling us about Louis Otanwa all the time…..LMAOOooo. Yea we know you know louis Otanwa at close quarters, Markurdi is a small town, every one probably does. Tell us stories that add up to back up your lies about being an ex-footballer….LMAOooo. Fat liar.
You played for lobi stars from 200 level to 500 level, yet same you once claimed you were only signed after trailing at 500 level with your junior Daniel Atsaka whom you claimed was in 100 level at that time and Inalegu playing in NUGA games….LMAOooo. Your ages and your timelines keep shifting from pillar to post….LMAOoo.
So when you graduated from varsity your also graduated from Lobi stars too and ended your career……LMAOOoo…??? So quickly that as early as 2007, as talented as a player you were, Lobi did not offer you an bank-breaking contract straight out of varsity. You were already working in a bank….LMAOOoo. On on earth did Lobi stars let a player who was so good that he almost got signed by ASEC Mimosas through John Zaki and Enyimba, let slip from their grip to now start working in a bank…LMAOoooo.
Your lies are beginning to catch up with you. LMAOOooo
Someone who was in U17 camp with Dominic Oruma, and was so good he almost got signed for Enyimba in 2003 with Kingsley Elvis and David Tyavkase working in a bank in 2007….LMAOOooo
Not everyone is a scam like you.
One thing about people who lie too much is that they hardly remember their lies after a while.
I can see that my not divulging my person details to you still burns you in the heart…..LMAOOoooo…..bussybody, poke-nosing hedgehog…..LMAOoooooo.
I’m not the one who asked you to lie yourself into trouble because you are seeking validation…..LMAOooo
Dr.Drey now lives in Alimosho….? I thought he’s the same person as AyPhilly who is living in Philadelphia…..LMAOOoooo…..or is then an alimosho in philladelphia that we dont know yet…???
So the IP filtering you did the other day also returned alimosho as Dr.Drey’s location…? Wonderful……LMAOooooo
Ekong is simply experiencing a dip in form…that’s just the truth. And its quite understandable. The boy is simply jaded and has had probably the longest run of games in his entire career for both club and country for the past 1 year, coupled with the fact that he is playing at the highest difficulty level of league football in the world, the EPL.
I stand to be corrected but Ekong must have played more than 60 matches for club and country since the beginning of last season till now. The boy urgently needs plenty of rest and bench time…..unfortunately even Ranieri cannot afford that because this “Pathetic Ekong” is still one of the best he’s got at Watford at the moment.
Ekong has not gained any weight, yet he has become a tad slower in the last few weeks which is a clear indication of fatigue. If he doesnt get the rest his body needs now, he will continue committing more errors due to both his physical and mental fatigue. That lazy lounge at an opponent in the penalty box last night says it all.
Ekong is average, Ekong is average, they should tell us the Last world class central defender we have had in the SE since Taribo West and Joseph Yobo.
Ekong is average, Ekong is average only him and Harry Kane are currently playing in the EPL today out of his graduating set at Tottenham Academy.
Every SE defender currently has his own catalogue of calamities from recent memory both for club and country. Balogun who is our best currently was so bad a few weeks ago that he was compared to a local pub central defender. Not to talk of his howler that gifted CAR a win in Lagos in October.
Ekong only needs timeoff, he needs rest ASAP.
SE AFCON camp will open soon…let the best CB pair win emerge. But even with a new coach in charge, with both of them fit, Ekong and Balogun will still pair in central defense. Unless something drastic happens.
The best bet for us going to Cameroon is to play a 3 man CB and build our games on a solid defensive
Its easy to spotlight Ekong because he’s playing in the BEST AND TOUGHEST LEAGUE IN THE WORLD. I’ll rather pick a defender committing blunders in the no 1 league in world than pick one committing blunders in no 20th ranked league in europe. Those who are playing against Hearts, Livingstone, Ankaraspor, Gotzepespor, Hapoel this, Maccabbi that, should move to the EPL and go play Man City, Liverpool, Leicester, Brentford, Everton etc and see if the breeze wey go blow nor go expose wetin pass their yanshes.
Lmao!! Dr Drey I was rolling in laughter as I was reading where you said if Ekong is the most pathetic Central defender the SuperEagles ever had where will he put Furo Iyenemi? Lmao!! Or where will he put Obinna Nwaneri, Eric Ejiofor, Joseph Enakarhire, Danny Shittu and a certain Isaac Okoronkwo who slipping and sliding all over the place against Sweden at the WorldCup in 2002?
How about “slow as snail” Azubiuke Egwuekwe…that was the nickname Deo gave him during KON days if you remember……LMAOOooo.
Later them go say den watch Abidjan 84…….LMAOOoooo
@Dr Drey
Question.
Yes Moses Simon has been doing well in Nantes, does he mean his recent games for the Super Eagles hasn’t been average or below his abilities?
Yes. The Super Eagles have had worst defenders than Ekong. Does it mean Ekong hasn’t been bad lately? Does Playing in the highest difficulty exempt him from being told the obvious! Can’t he be criticised for his poor performance like everyone else. Criticism to make him see his flaws and get stronger. Or do you think criticism is always from a place of hate.
Please do tell.
*does it mean, his recent games..
Mr Hush. Every SuperEagles fans are of the opinion that Ekong deserves a place on the bench as of late myself inclusive. The fact still remains that he’s playing regularly in the EPL. That alone is not EDIKANG IKONG. Left to me I will prefer a central defensive pairing of Awaziem and Akpoguma, but it’s up to the gaffer to decide his preferred options in the heart of defense in an open camp environment. As much as we can request for Ekong’s head for his poor runs of form he still deserves a spot in the SuperEagles squad to Cameroon. And yes we’ve surely had worst defenders in the SuperEagles in the past Lmao!!!
As for Moses Simon. His best position should be outside left, but we have many options in that role. His versatility allows him to play as a wingback for the SuperEagles where his potentials are limited, but offers a balance defensively. If we play 4 at the back he might get a chance to fight for the left wing role in attack. At the end of the day everything lies on who the gaffer deems fit to carry out his philosophy.
The earliest I believe everyone will be in camp is January 2nd. 9 days to our first match against the Pharaohs. An Egyptian team that looks very determined under Carlos Quiroz. We won’t have enough time to test new players, but a professionally selected 28 SuperEagles if all are match fit should be battle ready for what could be the game of the tournament in the group stages.
@ Ayphillydegreat
Glad you pointed out your preference for Awazeim and Akpoguma..
On the contrary, though some are; dont think most are calling for the head of Ekong. They are basically stating the obvious; he has being poor lately!
I know even William knows that.
It is a tough league, The EPL; but he can learn from his mistakes, criticisms and come in strong. Even the best of them gets criticise, it takes nothing away from how they have been or how good they can be.
And as you emphasised on Moses Simon;which I agree;
His best position is on the wings.
But even you would agree he hasn’t been productive for the Eagles recently; in terms of what he is good for; ASSISTING!
Yes; his flexibility is an addition and He is good defensively but we have better in that position and he could be better else where; and like I stated he hasn’t been productive in that angle.
I am one for players been used to their strengths. I think like Iwobi(in Everton); Simon’s versatility has affected him in the Eagles. He could offer more.
Off course, it is the coach pregorative to pick anyone he wants for his team. But it is our right to state our opinion on such. Right or wrong.
Like I say; it is for the good of our team.
Mr Hush, no one is above criticism. But that does not give anyone the liberty to reduce another to the level of a mere piece of rag.
The hate on Ekong did not just start recently…..its been going on for a while. Any goal the SE concede since the match against Brazil is always pinned on Ekong by these people…..as if the rest of us are blind, or as if youtube is a liar. Even Balogun’s howler vs CAR is Ekong’s fault till today……LMAOOoo.
Same people lied to us that Ekong was a championship benchwarmer when the boy was playing 3 out of every 4 games within the space of 3 days intervals and earning MOTM nominations even from central defense…..LMAOooo.
Ekong is an average defender, ekong is an average defender as if we have or have had any defender of class since Taribo West and Yobo in the SE
Ekong does not have talent, Ekong is not SE material, yet this boy keeps making upward career movements that their own Worldclass defenders can only dream of.
There is a thin line between criticism and hate and what we see most times is clear hate.
Not all CBs will be ball playing CDs, not all CBs will be sweepers, not all CBs will be stoppers. So If Ekong is not a Keshi, or a West or Leon so be it. He has his own strengths if well utilized will be useful to anyteam. Ekong is a natural 6. and when paired with very good sweeper his best emerges. A talentless poor CD cant be progressing from Dordrecht to Hagesund to Bursa to Udinese and now in the EPL.
We’ve all come to agreement that Ekong is experiencing a dip in form, there’s absolutely nothing new in that. Any players who plays 60 games in the course of a year will most likely than not experience such….the human body also obeys Hooke’s law and other laws of elasticity. But to go on an on in denigrating a player just because you are still traumatized your harrowing experience in the hands of caucasians…..LMAOOOo.??? that is hatred.
There should be a nexus between criticism and reality. That is when it is fair. But when the last SE defender to play in both the Serie A and EPL is Taribo west and somebody is here telling us Ekong is not a SE material…..LMAOOoo….or when the last SE defender to an EPL regular was Yobo and someone is here telling us Ekong is the worst defender to ever play for SE……please where is the nexus in that…..LMAOOoo…That’s pure hatred.
I agree with you..
A “professionally” selected Eagles would be ready for the Afcon.
I am “subconsciously ” aiming for gold and practically taking every match as it comes.
It is all positive for me.
@Dr Drey
” there should be a nexus between criticism and reality”.
I totally agree.
You see Mr. Hush I chose Awaziem and Akpoguma based on agility and age. They can keep up with the pace of fast attackers, more like Omeruo and Oboabona in 2013. However, me and you know that based on pedigree and experience Balogun and Ekong will get the nod ahead of Awaziem and Akpoguma. Yes we have a right to view our opinions without any form of animosities, but irrespective of how we want to portray our opinions the gaffer still have the final say in his first 11. I can guarantee you that if you ask some other people their preferred CB pairing will be different from mine. But thank God none of us are anywhere near the coaching crew of the team. Lmao!!
Whether ekong has been bad or he is just having a bad run, what is needed for rigid and clueless rohr to do is to put him on the bench. I wonder why he has nit been doing that. His school boy error in friendly against Cameroon was another one. Too much errors fron a player who is 28. I hope rohr will do something about this because I heard he has asked to continue
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWpgvLZGyyo
William Troost Ekong……EARNED NOT GIVEN.
Troost has earned every move he has made and every height he has attained till date. Its not easy to be a guaranteed starter on 4 diffenrent national team coaches. Favoritism can work for you with 1 or 2…..but with FOUR (4) national team coaches….???? LMAOOooooo. Your Father must be the president of the nation like Ghadaffi…..LMAOOoo.
The boy has never for once claimed he is world class….he himself has said it in interviews that he is average…..and works his hardest to make sure he at least delivers…..and that is what has gotten him to heights reserved for only legends. So anybody telling us today that Ekong is average is not telling us anything new, or what we dont know. Such persons are only wasting their saliva. They should save it for something useful to their destinies.
Of their class of graduates from Tottenham Hotspur Academy. Only Ekong and Harry Kane are playing Premier League football today. That doesnt come by being just “fortunate”. It comes by being disciplined and hardworking.
The directors of football and coaches of Udinese and Watford are/were not stupid.
Yes, Ekong is experiencing a dip in form, yes he is fatigued both physically and mentally at the moment, he only needs a break, that’s all. Time-off, benchtime…that’s all he needs. But he still remains one of our best at the moment.
If we start chronicling all our CDs blunders we wouldnt finish in 24 hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tu7v0lBtcQ0
This is for those who are good at using youtube videos to judge players.
I thought they said Ekong cannot make a long pass to save his life……LMAOOOoo
True Hatred is when people overlook your pluses and amplify your minuses.
@Dr.Drey… You can post Ekong clips all you want. Claudio Ranieri is already billed to have a special one-on-one interview with him to really underhand what his calamitous regular outings are all about… Lol. Ranieri is not a coach who will allow himself get sacked by a half-baked pretending footballer whose youth team coach at about 10years already read his mum the root act that his son… Ekong, can never really cut it on an elite level. Feelers are already in the media that he is just not Premier League standard… Rohr can allow himself and Nigerians be rubbished by lifelong football defence apprentice not Ranieri… Lol.
*understand…. *riot act… typos. Bear with me all we the type from bed… Weather cold! Hahahaha…
Hahahaha….so you too can commit typographic errors while typing. I thought only a “so-called phd holder” like Dr. Drey commits such…..LMAO. You’ve been committing typos even b4 winter, dont blame it on the weather, and nobody has ever been killed for it…..so there’s nothing to bear with about committing typos.
The last time I checked, you lied here that a world class coach Ranieri has arrived at Watford and seen that Ekong is useless and declared him surplus to requirements…..4-5 games later, Ekong is still starting games……pronto you have shifted to Ranieri will have an interview with him.
You too call Ekong a useless footballer all you can, he has olympic and AFCON medals and several seasons in Top 5 leagues including the EPL to show for playing at the Elite level…..not Shell cup and juggling the ball 1000 times like some other people have to show from playing at the “highest level”…….lmaoooooo.
Please remind us how many African internationals are currently central defenders in the EPL or Serie A….? LMAOOOoooooo
Since you have started an official Ekong campaign… pray that dudde still remians a premier league player after Januray transfer window! Lol… no be anybody the do Ekong… he is just playing to his natural abilities… period!
If he remains a premier league player after January please drink poison ehn…..LMAOoooo.
If God wan silence you the way he has been silencing you, maybe he will even return to the premier league with an AFCON medal after January…..LMAOOooo
No Ekong is playing to his natural abilities…..LMAOOoo…..I thought you claimed he was only “fortunate” and being “favored”…..LMAOoooo. Now your tongue has twisted left and right once again to “he is just playing to his natural abilities”…..LMAOOoo.
All your other favored defenders who are playing with their super natural and metaphysical abilities, have they come anywhere close to playing at the levels of Serie A and Premier league….LMAOOoooo…?
Down memory lane. Nice clip. Ekong will come back a lot better but admittedly he has to work himself out to level matching his years of experience across many competitions and different leagues. I trust Troost to come back a lot better. If sitting on the bench will help that, then it’s fine. Sometimes it’s helps to step back a little so as to see clearly certain areas that need fixing.
Woooooow! Lovely long range passes!
Is that Virgil Van Dyke in dusguise?
No, it’s UNION TROOST EKONG!
I have truly truly enjoyed reading some explicitly brilliant comments outta here, both for Ekong the king Kong and against. There is just nothing to add. Not a surprise though, for as soon as the penalty goal was scored, I knew straight away, we gonna have another busy forum straight after the game. Don’t understand why it tarried till today though. Lolzzz.
I knew we were going to reading lots of Jimmyspear/sledge hammer and supremely gifted Dr “shield em” Drey and many other brilliant opinions.
In this matter, I am sticking with the once again very sound comments from the likes of @ Pompeii, Dr Drey, the irrepressible/ever impressive @ Hush, Aphilidgreat, Rohrs best friend@ Monkey post lolzzz etc. Jimmy ball e go hard to support your comment on Ekong ooo because one sledge hammer is enough. Two will destroy the whole SE team. Hope u understand.
Anyway in truth Ekong has lost some form and whilst I will agree with that, I vehemently will refuse accepting Ekong has never been a quality player. Thats is just going overboard in expressing dissatisfaction with his recent PERFORMANCES. Like Drey and many others may have stated, lots of things, such as playing too many games, intensity of EPL especially being his first time, etc may just be reason. But truth remains Ekong is way below good standard needed to be a first teamer for SE. Well that’s our, Fans opinion which could run contrary to Rohr’s opinion, so we see. But again do we really have good replacement? putting the closeness to the AFCON into consideration. I saw the nammes Jimmy sledge hammer put forward; sure individually 1or 2 may be better as defender while others clearly not tested yet.
But defending is more of a working defence combination than just a good defender. So again we see as we all hope that other combinations be tried. This, as at this moment should start in earnest to bother Rohr cos it is beginning to look very much SE most troubled department going forward into AFCON.
Anyway saw that great goal from Moses Simon. That is what we wanna see him do for SE. Maybe just Maybe these players should be used in their best positions especially now that we the luxury of multiple players in each position.
GOD BLESS ALEXANDER THE KING IWOBI,GOD BLESS EKONG THE KING KONG TO REDISCOVER HIS MOJO, GOD BLESS ALL DESERVING SE PLAYERS, GOD BLESS NIGERIA. FOREVER PROUD OF YOU ALL. AWUUUUUUUURAAAAAA ( THE SOUND OF VICTORY)
…let me share this here in a proper full post and not response to @Dr.Drey… to let him and his hallelijah minnions know some of us have not only played the game but read volume from several sports sites and forumes over the year… some of us started donating money as a team of sports readers to buy colourful complete football magazine by Mumumi Alao and his team of sound sports editors since the early 90s…
@Dr.Drey… in his usual distorted facts, half-truths and convoluted posts as usual in a bid just to win arguments that are even really non-existent carpeted my mention of young Olisah Ndah of Orlando Pirates as being error-prone and a very weak central defender… to put his quantum lies to the dustbin as usual where it belongs… guys see for yourself who is lying and trying to always slyly rail-road noble CSN fellow into believing contorted and malignant regular lies… the below is Orlando Pirates confirmed lineup for today’s game… if Olisah Ndah who was the best defender in the NPFL last season helping Akwa United to the title and earning himself trials(because Orlando pirates management wanted to see him live and rigorously assess him for his real rave reviews before he was recommended), a trial he not only passed with flying colours but did so well so much that he walked straight into the starting lineup of the Buccaneans…
…that link above is match lineup for today December 11, 2021 for Orlando pirates. Imagine a guy walking straight from NPFL side to the started 11, of one of the best teams and arguably the best league in Africa… if that is not a rare feat for an ambassador of NPFL and Nigeria football, I do not know what is, and believe me this is the guy that @Dr.Drey wants to rubbish simply because he is still playing on the continent… the simple truth about life is that you can lie to yourself and try to confuse people, but there are lots of sound minds who will see through your gimmicks and apperations to punch a big hole right through the middle of your fallacies… I am often not liked, not popular on CSN because my views are honest and brutal… get me eleven sound brothers to play for Nigeria from No.1 Goalkeeper, to No.11 Left Winger… if they are the best I will sing hallelujah and sing praises to God in support of such a team… dont come here to confuse and convolute noble and decent individuals… most who are very sound and educated individuals with your Alimoso-raised-ghetto-thuggish social media public forum participation etiquette… Olisah Ndah is not good but a sound coach ar Pirates whose shoe laces your quack moongod cant even tie… find him good enough to walk straight from Akwa united to Orlando Pirates starting eleven… talk of a clown posing as a wannabe PhD holder… hahahaha!
*fora… for forumes(by the way it was intended forums and not forumes) please… I have to correct myself on that error… I am so vexed I dont even care to proof-read… just get the message out before he submits another lie… hahahaha! We the share football minds anyways and we aint in a literature class so… errors and typos can be excused…
Hahahahaha….1st and foremost, exceptional players dont go on trials…….LMAOOoo. Exception players get chased with contracts to their mother clubs and get signed….LMAOOooo.
That is to show you are a FAKE ex-footballer of a scam….LMAOOoo
And please in what club and what league did your superstar Ndah go for trials…….ORLANDO PIRATES……LMAOOooo…..SOuth African league.
You should rather bow your head in shame…..LMAOoooo. The BEST CB in Nigerian league trialing in South Africa before getting signed….LMAOOooo. You are very shameless putting on this empty defence of your lies that they are praising singing Ndah’s praises in south africa…..LMAOOooo
Ndah is starting Pirates’ match and so what…??? when did pirated become Juventus…..LMAOOooo…..When did south african league become EPL….? Or is this one drunk….???? What sort of lame arguement are you putting forward….LMAOOoo.
Wait if an NPFL players does not walk into the starting line up of a south african league side…….please which league does he want to walk into….??? Mr man you are too old to talk without sense…..LMAOOooo.
Its a shame, a total shame, that you think this low of the same NPFL players you always rant have MANY TALENTS. NPL players where walking straight into the starting lines ups of teams in Europe…..not Orlando pirates…..LMAOooo. See the way all your facial muscles are contracted because you want to praise a player who only got sign in a south african club after TRIALS….LMAOoooo
Oga….post the link of where you read them singing his praises at Olrando pirates as you lied……LMAOOoooo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7oy9v7HMMR8
Video evidences do not lie…..LMAOOoo
Not eerybody is a pathetic liar and scammer like you….LMAOOoo
What for yourself the player you claimed they are singing his praises at pirates….LMAOOoo
Ekong dares not do the things your NPFL Super wonder is doing at pirates at the moment…..LMAOOooo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdIFz-MHQio
What your Olisah Ndah again…..LMAOOoo.
This one only seems to be good at pulling down opponents in the box.
Dont worry. I hope I can locate more of his wonder performances that will make Ekong’s blunder look like a child’s play….LMAOOo
Pathetic liar like you. You think everyone is as shameless as you…..LMAOOooo
Grown up fool is already getting vexed….LMAOOooo
At your age you tell cheap lies because you want recognition and validation…..LMAOoooo.
If you like say I never even saw the walls of a classroom all my life it doesnt take a strand of hair off my skin…..LMAOooo
Its part of you to always lie about everything….even things you do not knw. LMAOooo
Please dont forget to post the link of where you read them singing his praises at Olrando pirates as you lied……LMAOOoooo
…@Dr.Drey just pause a moment and read this thread from the first comment to the last… haba!
…see the way you just the give yourself work posting all sorts of videos, frantically just to dress your misguided comments about a young, talented and promising Nigeria defender… Olisah Ndah.
…The guy Olisah Ndah is still just only 21years… because he made mistakes in 2019 U-23 Nations Cup does not mean he is still same player and has not improved ever since.
Infact one pities the way you are often loud, aggressive, onoxious and gregarious like a man always out for ego massage and validation of some sorts… Lol.
Ok… you ask for a link to where he was being praised and louded right? I wish you can stop being aggressive and insultive, it is almost like a default attitude for you, yet you claim to be a PhD holder, when even your attitude gives you easily away… *smile…* enjoy the link you asked for and fellow forumites… I am not saying Olisah Ndah should be drafted rightaway into Super Eagles but he is one for the future and he is sure on the right path… but the truth is that, he is evidently a better football player than William Troost Ekong… atleast in my opinion… @Dr.Drey my good friend… enjoy your read…
…hahahahaha. I backup but you dont, because you cant… because you are fake! Cheers… I wont bother reply you after now because you are jobless and unscrupulous… get in contact and solicit folks and people here to find a day job… idleness will only make you case worse with this moroose attitude you display here daily… help yourself na ehn? Na wa o… I honestly the feel for you! God help your son sane please… It shall be well with your plight! Sorry!!!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vD7nsaotBos
This is the defender who made your 10 best Nigerian defenders ahead of Ekong……LMAOOoo.
Any smalll thing I played this game….LMAoooo yen yen yen yne yen. LMAOooo
Na only you play football when you dey grow…..LMAOooo
Pathetic Liar.
Thank God Youtube does not lie….LMAOooooo
CSN forum will judge who is the real lair bewteen the two of us today…LMAOOooo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rgyRsUMzJs
Stupid fool. Useless Idiot. Pathetic Liar……LMAOOooo
They are praising Ndah at Orlando Pirates….LMAOooo
Voila….Regarde….!!!
Who rates a player in south african league ahead of a player in the EPL unless an insane liar…..LMAOOoo
You nevr vex o. You go vex sotey you go lose your sanity…..LMAOOooo
Post the link of where you read dem singing praises Ndah at Olrando pirates…imbecile is posting matchday lineups and plenty of shameless rubbish.
Best CB in NPFL is going on trials in south africa before signing and you dont have enough shame to hide it from being heard in public.
Your body just grw….you brain refused to grow with it…..LMAOOo.
Dr.Banks pls help us with the medical terminology for those type of diseases…..LMAOooooo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDjWnVPFbTc
Is this the Ndah they are singing his praises at Orlando Pirates or another one…..LMAOOooooo.
Pathetic liar…..LMAOOooo
You must post the link of where you read dem singing praises Ndah at Olrando pirates….LMAOooo
I play this game, I played this game, yen yen yen yen, I can spot a talent in 15 minutes……LMAOOooo. I juggled ball 1000 times……LMAOOoo… That is the Olisah Ndah that made your top 10 Nigerian CDs ahead of Ekong…….LMAoooooo. You are a real talent spotter. Bloody racist.
Lucifer must be so proud of you. LMAOOooo
I dont have your time this evening, you hear….LMAOoooo
At least CSN knows who the real king of liars is on this forum……LMAOOoo…and its definitely not Dr.Drey.
Cultivate a habit of thinking properly before vomiting rubbish in public….and go and learn how to tell the truth always….LMAOOooooo.
Maybe those youtube vidoes have been doctored by Dr.Drey. Because anytime things are not going your way, your last joker is to try everything you can to tarnish Dr.Drey’s image as revenge for your image which you shredded by yourself with your millions of lies….LMAOoooooo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMVQ92WhbYg
That is the player they are singing his praises at orlando pirates……LMAOOooo.
Bloody pathological liar.
Let me leave you to your fake life of telling lies up and down…..LMAOooo
If we start cataloging every defender’s howlers and bad performances lets see who will stand…..LMAOoooo
Useless Racist….LMAooooo
Post the link of where you read them signing Olisah Ndah’s praises in Pirates let us read it…..senseless fool is posting matchday squads…..LMAOooooo…..eulogizing Ndah for trialing in a south african club before securing a move outside the NPFL as if the quality of defenders in orlando pirates are any better than the same Ndah…..LMAOooooo
If you praise Ndah this much for passing trials “in flying colours” what will you do if Ajax Amsterdam go and sign him up straight from his club…..LMAOOoooooo
Let me add this dear forumites, Moses simon hear something! Him hear waiting?
Him hear say victor moses wan come back na hin the guy shaparly step up His game.
May be just may be Taribo or Taiye Taiwo should threathing Ekong. Wether the guy go gree shake body.
@Dr.Drey… Has lost it! Hahahaha dude got busted for calling out Ndah and making scathing comments about the young man… Meanwhile the Ndah dude is as ever conspicuous presence in Orlando Pirates lineup…same way thick-dark-greasy dirty hair lines the space between @Dr.Drey’s scrotum and anus… hahahahahaha!
Are you done……LMAOoooo….?
We are not surprised……that’s all you can offer….LMAOoooo. Your lies that never add up and your filthy gutter languages……LMAOOoo.
Between you and Dr.Drey who looks to have lost it…? who has been slam into the dust with his lies in a loud seismic inducing activity thud……LMAOOooo
Who has just been slapped once again and knocked out stone cold with facts and video evidences……LMAOOoooo
Maybe Youtube is lying….LMAOOoooo. Dr Drey must have doctored all those clips…..LMAOOoo
At least its the space between by scotrum and anus that is dirty. Actually, everyone’s is. So it not news.
I’ll rather prefer that to be the only dirty place than a combination of my name, my mouth and brains, because obviously, my perineum is heaven compared to what anyone will see whevener you ope your mouth.
Post link of where you ever read or heard Ndah, praises being sang in orlando priates……LMAOOoo….you have been bracketing like a monkey on heat…..LMAOOoooo.
I wont go down this route of uselessness and shamelessness with you…….LMAOOoo…..no ways…becasue that usually is your last resort when you have been humbled…..LMAOOooo
Go and lick your wounds and sniff your poop after yet another day’s sound beating……LMAOoooo
…@Dr.Drey just pause a moment and read this thread from the first comment to the last… haba!
…see the way you just the give yourself work posting all sorts of videos, frantically just to dress your misguided comments about a young, talented and promising Nigeria defender… Olisah Ndah.
…The guy Olisah Ndah is still just only 21years… because he made mistakes in 2019 U-23 Nations Cup does not mean he is still same player and has not improved ever since.
Infact one pities the way you are often loud, aggressive, onoxious and gregarious like a man always out for ego massage and validation of some sorts… Lol.
Ok… you ask for a link to where he was being praised and louded right? I wish you can stop being aggressive and insultive, it is almost like a default attitude for you, yet you claim to be a PhD holder, when even your attitude gives you easily away… *smile…* enjoy the link you asked for and fellow forumites… I am not saying Olisah Ndah should be drafted rightaway into Super Eagles but he is one for the future and he is sure on the right path… but the truth is that, he is evidently a better football player than William Troost Ekong… atleast in my opinion… @Dr.Drey my good friend… enjoy your read…
…hahahahaha. I backup but you dont, because you cant… because you are fake! Cheers… I wont bother reply you after now because you are jobless and unscrupulous… get in contact and solicit folks and people here to find a day job… idleness will only make you case worse with this moroose attitude you display here daily… help yourself na ehn? Na wa o… I honestly the feel for you! God help your son to be sane again please… It shall be well with your plight! Sorry!!!
Hahahaha…Dr, Drey should find a day job….LMAOooo…like the slave job you currently do as an ordinary technician, repairing faulty instruments with your acclaimed 2 bachelors and 1 master degrees in Electr. Engineering right……LMAoooo….and coming in public to beat your chest to boast about it….LMAOoooo. Is Dr. Drey no longer a staff of CSN…?? LMAOoooo. What happened to ” I swear, Dr. Drey is a staff of CSN and is the one blocking peoples’ comments here”…….LMAOOoo. Same way you swore to using an optimization algorithm to carry out word similarity checks which returned Ayphilly in Philadelphia as the same person as Dr. Drey in Alimisho…..LMAOOoo.
That is to show what a filthy liar you are….LMAOooo. You end up busting yourself after a while….just like the fake footballing career stories you always cook up that keeps changing every episode….LMAOooo.
For the first time ever you could actually locate a link to back up your claims….LMAOooo. That is to show that you would have done so for others previously is they were indeed true.
Mr 1000 times ball juggler had to go search frantically for a monologue issued as far back as earky in the season when his World class Ndah’s first few matches after passing trials and joining Orlando pirates in the south african league…..LMAOOoo.
Pictures tells a thousand stories. The evidence of all those so-called praises are in those videos above which shows how much of a frace they all are…..LMAOooo. No wonder he walked straight into their team. Or is it not the same league that produces the bulk of the South African national team that could neither qualify for AFCON or WCQ playoffs…???.
I hope the same persons who sang those praises at the earlier in the season are still singing the same praises after subsequent games featured in that video LMAOoooo.
I dont claim to be a PhD holder…..I AM A PhD holder, obtained at a time you had no bearing in life…..a height you can never achieve…..LMAOoooo…because earning a PhD is all about discovering novel truths and realities, something you can hardly ever do, considering who your brain has been genealogically and genetically wired to telling FAT lies….LMAOOoooo. Sorry ehn….LAMOOo…no matter how my you want to disparage that fact, you can never undo what was done…..LMAOoo…you are 2 decades late.
From listing Ndah above Ekong in your list of every jack and harry CBs for the Se, you have shifted you tongue like lick a sickly chameleon to
“….The guy Olisah Ndah is still just only 21years, because he made mistakes in 2019 U-23 Nations Cup does not mean he is still same player and has not improved ever since….”
I guess those recent videos of his at Orlando pirates are also videos of the 2019 U23 AFCON……LMAOooo.
After seeing several blunders back to back pathetic liar changed his story line….LMAOOooo
Go and feel sorry for yourself and your battered image……LMAOoooo
Moses Simon and Dennis still deserve to be in SE because they both compete in Top5 league and they make the headlines from time to time.
Today, 3 Lions center back Tyronne Mings recklessly, even foolishly, wrestled down Salah in his box, resulting in a penalty that condemned Aston Villa to defeat at Anfield. The Mings error was just as bad as Ekong’s, perhaps worse.
From Harry Maguire, to Tyronne Mings, to Ekong, all have made mistakes in recent games. Mistakes that cost their teams the match. The premier league is not moimoi. Even highly talented defenders are taken to the cleaners regularly. It’s a dog-eat-dog world out there.
Ekong may be experiencing a performance slump of recent due to burnout from playing so many matches in a short period, but to say he has no talent is bordering on the ridiculous.
This is why I love squad rotation so much. Instead of starting Balogun and Ekong to death, let’s have other capable defenders that can come in and help with the work load. Nothing wrong with mixing it up from time to time.
Balogun and Akpoguma,
Awaziem and Ekong
Awaziem and Akpoguma
and back to the Oyibo wall, Balogun and Ekong.
If we are doing a 3-man center back formation, we can rotate as well.
This will keep players rested and fresh, ready to battle when called upon.