Nigeria defender William Troost- Ekong has been nominated for Watford Player Of the Month award for December, reports Completesports.com.
Troost-Ekong will battle captain Troy Deeney and Kiko Femenia for the individual honour.
The centre-back made five consecutive appearances for the Hornets in December before picking up an hamstring injury.
Deeney scored in three successive games against Rotherham United, Birmingham City and Brentford.
Femenía followed up winning the November award by going unbeaten individually during December, with Watford winning three times and drawing twice when the full-back played.
Fans have until 3pm on Thursday, December 31st to vote for a player of their choice.
By Adeboye Amosu
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74 Comments
Those CSN arm-chair coaches and ignorant (about modern) football gurus would pretend as if they don’t see this post….
U would not see them commenting….
Some days back they were here typing their normal long but empty, obscure and vague epistle caliming EKONG left SERIE A and got benched in the english championship….
How come he’s being norminated for watford’s player for the month of december when his critics keep telling us he’s warming wattford’s bench in the english?
Their best midfielder that is better than all SE midfielders (according to them) is not even seeing his name on match day squard….
The one that claim’s Rohr knows his starting X1 is about moving to another club( since LEAGUE 1 is bigger than him) on loan but they would not tell us that one.
See how they hate Rohr to the point that they start hating whoever Rohr prefers in his team but little did they know that Ekong is a Nigerian just like them….
Say no to hatred they would not hear….
Well said. I never doubted Ekong. Rohr and his technical know how. You spot on mate.
Love these beautiful words from you @ UBFE. God bless to you n a big congratulations to Ekong, whose qualitiies are salient but unfairly blinded out by irrational judgement of few.
Thums up @Glory….
Ignore those hypocrites @UBFE. They keep eating their shame on this forum day in day out. Ekong has been delivering for the SE right from day one of his introduction till date. No player is God and everyday isn’t Xmas. Can they even count how many times he has been nominated player of the month since his arrival? My joy is that most of their preferred players can’t even make match day squad and some are bench warmers. Apart from Musa who is clubless at the moment all Rohrs generals are super active at their various clubs and even the intended ones are in good health. The hatred on Ekong was too bad. Am not saying a particular player can’t be bench for a more better one, but that has to be done when the surest bet is available and with proper integration
@Maevelous continue the Rohr worship. The Blackman is his own harshest critic yet without even trying he hero-worships a Whiteman who comes to tell him he discovered the river in his village where his ancestors have been bathing and fishing for generations… Some of us love whitie so much that we can’t even attempt a rewire of our brain that he is not our saviour… hahaha.
What is all the hypes about a vice captain of a National team being a candidate for player of the month of a championship club for…
The main point of argument is whether he is indispensable or not.. His performances in SE have regressed massively hence the need for suitable replacement.
Would you rather choose a player being considered for player of the month ahead of a player that was nominated for the team of the year in the same championship ?
Would you pick a player that is not commanding regular shirt in the championship with the one playing regularly in premiership/Bundesliga?
Ekong is not really bad but he is not indispensable in SE.. There are better options in Akpo/Semi/Adara..
These folks are ahead of him
@Larry
i’ve noted this your comment… The day this names u mention loose form and u start ranting or complaing i would remind u….
So if u were a coach u would pair BALO with AJAYI?
2 CBs that aren’t aggressive and rugged???
Coachilaaaa…. Weldone….. U too sabi….. Infact u be dey man wey sabi…..
Until AKPO (though i’m yet to watch his game on eagles color as CB) provess to be such, EKONG remain the main man for now….
We can’t parade 2 slow, non-chalant CBs…. One must be aggressive, rugged, hard… while the other is calm, knows how to read game, comfortable with the ball at his feet, have good sense of awareness.
Hence we have this pairing for now;
(BALOGUN-EKONG) or (BALOGUN-AKPOGUMA (Not sure of AKPO yet)) or (AJAYI-EKONG) or (ADARA-EKONG)…..
Mind u;
one calm, game reading CB paired to one aggressive, rugged and hard tackling CB…..
strong defender
Powerful defender. Nice 1 . Keep the fire burning
Based on SE performance,Ajayi cannot bench Ekong. One bad day in office does not make you a bad player. People started disrespecting Ekong just because he was chosen to go and help bring back Watford from Championship. Remember he was not relegated. In fact Udinese his former club last season had one of the best defensive record in Serie A. So the club owner decided to deploy one of their most trusted defenders to rescue Watford, also their club, and we begin to look down even while they are on course to gain promotion.
Ajayi is doing well now, even though they are still a long way from retaining their top flight status. Now we have good competition, Ajayi,Akpguma,Balogun,Awaziem,Ade,Ekong, are all in good form and can start. Which is good news to us.
@Ikeben don’t mind the folks, they feel ekong was relegated that’s why he is in championship. A top defender from seria A send to Watford from the same club owners to perform a world class task of bringing Watford back to premier league. If he was a mean defender I don’t think he would have been sent on such a mission. So stop feeling as if he was sold because of incompetent. Talking of Ajayi, how can you compare Semi with Ekong? SE will prefer to play one man down than to bench Ekong for S.Ajayi in CB role. They are better options in Akpoguma(tested at least) and very few others(not tested and can’t be sure yet) but we should integrate all with care and good technicality and not rushing in players as if they can command a change immediately. For your information I never liked some foreign coach so am not a foreign slave. I never like Lagerberg and one Berti V. For me to like Rohr is because of his sincere efforts. Stop been a racist.
You must be sick for thinking Ajayi is not up to Ekong’s level. I mean you sound like a lunatic.
Check Ajayi’s success story per club and his upward trajectory till date that he is now commanding regular shirt in a Premier League team with goal(s) and Man of the match displays for his club compared to your Indispensable and Almighty Ekong. Now go back and watch Nigeria Vs Ukraine and Nigeria Vs Brazil and see that Ekong is just so lucky to be in the team before AJAYI else He would have rot on the Bench assuming the Coach knows what he is doing. If not for our Technically deficient Coach that now sees a World class Center Back in AJAYI as a Defensive Midfielder (just imagine!), AJAYI would have been arguably the best we’ve had in that CB in years.
Nigeria vs Ukraine – Zinchencko ghosted past a heavy Esiti and a sluggish Ajayi to start a remarkable comeback from 2 goals down
Nigeria vs Brazil – A sluggish Ajayi once again lost Marquinhos allowing him to head a set piece unto the crossbar for casemiro to tap in the rebound
Nigeria vs Lesotho – A sluggish, heavy Ajayi once again lost a aerial battle with a relatively shorter opponent for the SE to go 1 goal down
Nigeria vs Sierra Leone – A sluggish Ajayi once again looses another aerial battle to another relatively shorter opponent for S/L to go 2-4 down and later sluggishly and half heartedly blocked a pass albeit unsuccessfully from a tight angle for S/L to go ahead and get an equalizer.
But Ekong is the weakest link in the SE defence….LMAO. “He is liable for most of the goals the SE concede of late”….LMAO. Thank God Youtube is there to shame those who are hell bent on distorting the facts….LMAO
Ekong is not “commanding a regular shirt” in the championship not for lack of ability but because of squad rotation. Teams in the championship average 3 matches in 7 days compared to the EPL where apart from those participating in the UCL and Europa league, teams were averaging 2 games every 7 days before the Christmas rush. Whoever expects any footballer to continuously play every game in this sort of scenario (3 matches per week) is just plain wicked.
Ekong was a regular starter in a team that had the best defensive record in the Serie A and facing top strikers and teams consistently without languishing in relegation waters relegation before he was redeployed by the club owners to their sister club. If he were a useless defender as some choose to paint him due to their hatred, he wouldn’t have been the chosen one to be redeployed, neither will he have won as many nominations for MOTM as he has done so far….even whilst not “commanding a regular shirt”. I doubt if any other Watford defender has had as many MOTM nominations as Ekong despite not “commanding a regular shirt”. Even with all the squad rotation and all that, he has played 12 out of 17 matches since he joined the club, but he is not “commanding a regular shirt”…LMAO. He must play 3 matches in 7 days consistently and then burn out by midseason or end up with a cruciate ligament injury that rules him out for the rest of the season…LMAO
While we dont discourage competition in the SE, whoever is going to displace any of Ekong or Balogun from the heart of the SE defense in the colours of the National team will have to either pray for a severe loss of form for any of the duo and double his own efforts in the national team colours. Enough of the hate on Ekong. Anybody wey e pain say ekong dey start match for SE make e nak in TV for ground when e see troost for starting line up.
#Hands of W. Troost-Ekong
Thanks @Dr Drey! You couldn’t have put it better. Its obvious that most of the attacks on Ekong is driven by negative sentiments.
People need to know that you do not need to pull down someone else before your preferred player can rise. Just last season both Balogun and Ajayi were playing in the EFL Championship and many were singing their praises, with emphasise that EFL Championship is a very challenging league. Now the same folks are thrashing the EFL Championship once it is mentioned that Ekong is doing well there.
As @Dr Drey rightly highlighted, Ekong’s movement from Udinese in Serie-A to Watford in the EFL Championship was a strategic agreement between the player and the owners of the two clubs which will result in great benefit for the clubs owners and the player if Watford succeeds to gain promotion.
In the last Super Eagles home game against Sierra Leone, it was obvious to every objective watcher of the game that, Eagles defence collapsed with the introduction of Ajayi who was also directly responsible for two of the goals Nigeria conceded, yet people came here trying to turn the story around to blame Ekong.
Every player have their weaknesses including Ekong and Ajayi. I also believe that all Nigerian players always step into the pitch with a resolve to give their best for Nigeria. Sometimes they make mistakes (all of them – Balogun, Ekong, Ajayi, Anwaziem, Akpoguma etc), but over the years we have watched these guys enough to know who is more reliable than the other in Super Eagles shirt.
As a Nigerian, I’ll continue to wish all our players well even in their clubs, hence I was so relieved for Ajayi when he scored against Liverpool after his poor marking had led to Liverpool’s goal earlier on.
We have to stop the hate and try not to bring unnecessary friction between these players. It’s a good thing that Nigeria is blessed with many good central defenders and all of them are doing well for their clubs presently. It’s good that there’s competition in that department now, but it will take superlative performance by any one of the others to break the Ekong/ Balogun combination.
You’re an Idiot Drey. Why don’t you point out the positives Ajayi also made in those games including a goal line clearance against Brazil amongst many superb displays he made. And also point out Ekongs big flaws in the aforementioned games too. Just a bunch of Hypocrite!
You are a Bastard…! Did you point out the positives in Ekong’s game in all the matches he has played so far too. Fool…go and type “Nigeria vs ——- player ratings” on google for all the matches in which Ekong and Ajayi have both partnered in defense and come and tell us who on the average had the better ratings…fool….when we tell them to think with their heads and talk based on facts, they prefer to think with beneath their feet and talk based on sentiments.
As much as you want to pull him down with your hatred we are still struggling to see how many times he has cost us in almost 40 games he has played for the SE so far, compared to as much as your much revered Ajayi has cost us in just 9 matches he has played so far for the SE. Between Ekong and Ajayi who is luckier to still be in the SE…LMAO. You too go and rewatch the same Ukraine and Brazil games and come back here and tell us who was the better defender amongst the 2. Idiot….you think you can use your lies and hatred to pull down Ekong….LMAO…Bloody bunch of racists…!!! Thank God youtube does not tell lies like many people…LMAO
I still rate ekong above ajayi, akpoguma and awaziem, but at this point in time, based on form adarabioyo is verry well ahead of ekong in all round play both passes, arial comand and man marking, if he hopefuly completes his switch to naija, I expect him to play ahead of ekong without any sentiment, unless rohr is playing a 3 man defends formation where the three of them(balogun inclusive) will be like olumo rock.
Tosin is a good defender but he has similar style of play to balogun and Ajayi. My concern is that, a two libero or a two man markers in a two-man central defense hardly works. Central defense usually comprises of one libero and a man marker. I have said this before, Balogun and Ekong combination rarely make mistakes and they both compliment each other better than any other partnership.
Who is this Mercy?. I doff my hat for you. Your understanding of football is celebrated by me. People talking about defenders been good individually, but fail to talk about defence combination ( DEFENCE NETWORK). Balogun/ Ekong pairing has been the best defence combination Nigeria football has ever had take it or leave it. These two Understand how to cover each others weaknesses. Ajayi, Aderabioyo, Akpoguma, Omeruo, Awaziem etc. These are all very good defenders but a team needs not just good defenders but workable defence combination and on a broader sense, a very good defence network that must involve the entire playing personnel. So the gaffers see the best defence combination in training and that he will always play while we fans must learn to support the team that he picks always. THE GAFFER IS IN CHARGE ALBEIT FOR A PERIOD, SO WE HAVE TO TRUST HIS SELECTION UNTIL HIS CONTRACT EXPIRES. God bless to we all forumites.
@ Glory
Senior man! Thanks!! Respect man!!!
They both played together in last world cup. How far??NY dear Ekong is full of mistakes sooner or later you will see it
The most painful thing is that, when these names (AJAYI, ADAR, AKPO) experience a little lost of form, they’ll be the first to cast the stones at them.
That is how they were criticising BALOGUN at afcon when he lost form, today they are singing the song of Balogun like no other.
Had it been when they were criticising Balogun, oga Rohr adhere to them & frozen him out of his squad, would they sing the praise they are singing today?
Same thing was seen in the case of IGHALO, despite not scoring goals Rohr still have faith in him even when nigerians were against him. We all saw what happened.
Now we see ONUACHU not performing but Rohr still invite him, who knows what would happen in the nearest future?
Those of u that claims u played soccer to the highest order(if at all), is that how u were treated?
We all know AJAYI is not a rugged type of defender. Some times he react slowly, we’re yet to see AKPO. in that CB role in SE colour, now u want the only aggressive and hard-fighting defender to be frozen out.
The talking point is Ekong and not Balogun. It is very clear that Balogun remains the best CD in SE.
When it comes to performance in the championship, although the season is still young but it is most unlikely for Ekong to match the record of Ajayi in number of appearances, performances and accolades, numerous team of the week selection, player of the month award and nominee for the team of the season. You may recall that at one point, Balogun was also named in the team of the week.
Talking about errors in SE matches: In terms of goal conceeded in SE matches, Ekong is responsible for numerous ones.
Walking back to recent SE matches;
Miracle of Benin, three of the goals were Ekong’s fault, he got caught out of position in the 3 crosses.
Against Algeria (friendly), the whole world saw a defender that was jittery. His lack of concentration led to the goal, he completely lost his marker not once but twice..
Against Algeria AFCON 19, I think he scored an own goal, diverting a harmless cross into his own net..again wrong positioning.
Modern defenders are known for ability to organize, concentrate, good passing skills, good positioning and movement. If all these skills are considered, Adarabioyo, Ajayi and Akpoguma are ahead of Ekong.
Again I’m not saying Ekong is not good but we need to be careful of complacency.
The call is about who is the right partner for Balogun. Based on what I’ve seen in recent SE matches, Akpo is the preferred choice. His great tackling/positioning/ball playing skill/German basics will complement Balogun’s leadership/libero skills.
No doubt Adarabioyo is a top contender.
With avalanches of more capable alternatives in every department, I hope GR will summon enough courage and have the balls like Westerhof/Keshi to drop underperforming players to where they belong.
Perhaps, I hope GR is upgrading his technical skills to a more robust styles. Hopefully we get to see improvement or a transformation of his old/archaic analog style into modern techniques.
I hope GR get to break one good record not bad ones like; First loss to South Africa (we lost at home!), miracle of Benin, Ending a year without a win.
Over to you GR boys!!
@Larry….
Which record do u want him to creat again?
The first and only super eagle’s coach with the highest win ratio??
SE joint top winning coach at afcon, 5 wins??
First nigerian coach to hold football power house (BRAZIL) with the likes of NEYMA, ARTHUR, MARQUINOS, THIAGO, ALLISSON, ALVES, CASIMERO, GABRIEL, COURTINHO et al on parade to a 1-1 draw??
Which record again?
Is it the first nigerian coach to consecutively qualify for 2 different tournament with games to spare???
In fact, a point was even diducted and 3 points added to one of the contenders but yet still Rohr still qualify.
Which record again do u want???
We’re okay with this ones….
Atleast we no longer hope and wait for “BRENTFORD to beat BARCA…. while praying for BRAZIL to play a goaless draw with SEYCHELLES for SUPER EAGLE to qualify “….
Isn’t this a welcom development?
When it comes to mentioning the top 3 defenders in the Super Eagles, the name ekong will surely be there.
Ekong is by no means a perfect defender, his ball control and distribution sometimes lets him down but he gives his all on the pitch and is also very tactically aware.
His combination with Leon B at the heart of the Super Eagles defence was a revelation in the past years.
Sure his playing in the lower championship division in England, but he has played in the Italian serie A for the past few years against some of the toughest attackers in the world. He also has world cup and nation cup experience. So I see no reason why he or Balogun for that matter (who has played in Germany, England, Scotland and also has world cup and nation cup experience) will be compared to the likes of Ajayi and Adarabioyo.
For what I know of the two they are just making the jump to the premiership for the first time in their careers. I think tosin was owned by man city but im not sure he even played a single game for them. This is their first full season in a top league and all of a sudden, they are better than more travelled, more experienced defenders. I dont think so. Even Aina has more experienced than both of them.
Ekongs continuously being nominated for man of the match awards shows he is above the level hes currently in.
I have said it before and will say it again. Ajayi and Tosin may be ok but they are nothing special in my eyes. I cant remember a game ajayi played for the Super Eagles that we kept a clean sheet. Both of them are in teams that are struggling in the premiership and are leaking goals. And yet they are what the Super Eagles needs?
When it comes to inviting defenders with dual nationalities to the Super Eagles, I will always go for the germans and dutch defenders because they have shown to be more tactically aware than those from other countries.
Hahahahaha….here once again are the highlights of the S/L game. Those looking for EVERY means to demonize Ekong should tell us the 3 goals we conceded that where his fault…..LMAO.
Maybe it is the 1st goal which started with chukwueze giving the ball away, etebo not being able to stand his ground and Balogun being the our left sided CB being caught out (for the 2nd time in that first half).
OR the 2nd goal which a sluggish Ajayi watched a shorter striker attack
OR the 3rd goal from and unmarked opponent outside the box
OR the 4th from another hesitant defending from the trio of Iwobi, Sanusi and Ajayi (yet again).
Thank God youtbube does not lie. Otherwise anything will do just to demonize Ekong….LMAO. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kmWmbyp8IIo
And here also are the highlights of the Algeria friendly where all 5 defenders within that square meter had equal share for flaks for being allowed to be dominated by 1 man…but ofcourse. The blame will always be laid at Ekong’s doorstep…..LMAO.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNrV36nZaes.
In case they have forgotten…..Rohr still holds the record of the coach (dead or alive) with the highest win ratio with the SE since we started playing international football and still qualifies us for tournaments with games to spare. And lest I forget, no record is as shameful and worse than not qualifying for ordinary afcon, even if it is as 2nd in the group or as one of the best loosers. So if we are still playing miracles of Benin and still not in danger of not being at AFCON, we are still way better off….. LMAO.
We prefer the analog coaching styles that move us up 40 places in 4 years to the digital styles than cannot even qualify us for ordinary afcon….lmao
I thought it was ogbe stadium pitch and the Benin witches that cos the four goals, I was looking at the highlights trying to see which of the goal that was magicaly scored or the part of the pitch that was obstructing the goals,or play. now the players are beginning to share from your blames, hypocrites and ingrates. @mercy balogun partnered omeruo against gunea standing in the right central part of the defence and they both had an excellent game they also partnered against Zambia in Zambia and we won that game 2 1, if you like rate ekong ahead of all the remaining defenders your opinion will be respected but trying to play the trick of libero or liberty is just a bayarce way of placing ekong in an untouchable position which he doesn’t deserve, balogun started as a right back for the eagles and all good central defenders can pair in either side of the cd wether left or right. they only need to adapt by good understanding and constant communications. Lastly the word libero is often use for central midfielders or a roving midfielder it can also be referred to as a supporting striker, in cases where it’s refer to the defenders is in a three man deffenders where the defensive midfielder in front of the three man is referred to as libero allowing him to move to the midfield when attacking and also return to central deffence to make it four defenders when defending, that was the role ogu perfected against Argentina in a friendly, prove me wrong.
Hahahaha…I was expecting you to point out the 3 goals your chief liar of a leader said Ekong was at fault for vs S/L, only for you to shock the entire footballing world by saying “…the word libero is often use for central midfielders or a roving midfielder it can also be referred to as a supporting striker…” LMAO….I never hear this kind thing before…Wetin we nor go see for CSN….LMAO
According to Wikipedia, “…The sweeper (or libero) is a more versatile centre-back who “sweeps up” the ball if an opponent manages to breach the defensive line.This position is rather more fluid than that of other defenders who man-mark their designated opponents…”
It is too early in the year to start spilling ignorance. Just type Libero in Football on google and you will help yourself. All the links you will see associated the term libero to a central defender that is comfortable with the ball at his feet….not a midfielder…..not a striker. There has never been a time midfielders or Support strikers were liberos….LMAO….unless some people want to introduce us to another footballing philosophy the world has never seen before.
And FYI….it was Ekong that partnered Omeruo vs Zambia not Balogun and the goal we conceded was still as a result of yet another appalling defending from Omeruo.
Only God know what Ekong has done to deserve such hatred from haters. Ever since he was given the captain’s armband in a SE game ahead of Omeruo all sorts of inuendos have been bandied just to kick him out of the team. Their ring leader will even go as far as absolving the defender who was there and liable when a goal was scored of any blame, but lay all the blame of Ekong who was not there for “being out of position”…..LMAO. I didnt know central defenders are meant to be rooted to one spot like an Iroko tree…….Na Ekong go stand for one place cover the whole Box 18 make opponets nor score…LMAO
Till any of them looses form terribly, our best CD partnership in the SE till tomorrow remains Ekong and Balogun. Make all the rest go join line. LMAO
Lastly abeg epp us beg una ‘winches’ for Benin make dem dey gree SE win matches for benin. Even Botswana we nor dey fit beat for Benin. The one wey e b like say we for win wey we don score 4-0 for 1st 30 mins una people still do, we still nor win am. If una nor go gree us dey win for Benin we nor dey carry we match come play for benin again…if una like make una build San Siro for there. LMAO
@ Mercy
Gbam….! Good thinking, good product.
Balogun, Tosin, Ajayi – Ball playing CDs. Of the lot, Balogun is the best.
Ekong, Omeruo, Awaziem – Schemers. Of the lot, Ekong is still head and shoulders above.
The best and ideal CD partnership in football is one that has 1 of both. And so far in the SE….Balogun and Ekong have been impeccable, both in terms of their chemistry and in terms of execution. The rest will have to show they are many times better in the colours of the national team or patiently wait for their turn.
Tosin is not yet even a SE player yet (we still dont know how quickly he will acclimatize to the demands of rugged African strikers, in the heat and humidity of Africa, on millet farm pitches like the ones in Freetown and Porto novo) while Kevin is still struggling to adjust to his new environment. Ajayi has not even been above average yet in all the matches he as played for the SE so far with his slow reaction often costing us 1 out of every 3 goals we have conceded since after AFCON (highlights are there on youtube for all to see), while Omeruo still does not give us the confidence of an experienced defender anytime he plays, despite being the longest serving defender in the team. Awaziem has been a catastrophe in the CD since his debut but has been a beast at RB. But some hatred filled people are hell bent on seeing Ekong out when he hasnt hurt the team in anyway since his owngoal vs Algeria at AFCON….Lolz. Even Taribo West gave his verdict earlier in the year on the CDs in the team and Balogun/Ekong still emerged as the top picks. Nuff said.
If e sure for you Mr. Big fool Drey, go to same YouTube and bring out Ajayi’s clip and see if you won’t see great games of him you’re trying to shade by all means. Your stupid Epistles does not change the fact that AJAYI is better than Ekong and Ekong has also made loads of Silly mistakes in the Super Eagles
Idiot, born by mistake, you dont know the road to the same youtube…? You too go and bring the clips of the great games he has had so far for the SE. You are the one that want to pull down Ekong to promote Ajayi……go and bring the clip of where Ekong was a flop and Ajayi was a collosus in the SE defence. Ajayi has just played only 9 matches for SE and he has been directly liable for 5 goals as at the last count. Go and bring the clips of the so-called silly mistakes Ekong has made in his 40 matches in a SE shirt that is more than the ones Ajayi has made in just 9 matches he has played. Go and check player ratings for all the matches Ajayi has played and tell us how many times he had a higher rating that Ekong…..Bastard…!
Hahahahahaha…e sure for you naim you never go bring out clips of the mistakes wey Ekong do wey lead to goals….???? Almost all the matches wey Ajayi don play for SE since after AFCON he don make direct mistakes wey lead to us conceding goals….but mumu like you dey hype am above person wey be the other half of our best defensive partnership since Keshi/Okechukwu…..Ajayi don play JUST 9 matches for SE so far and goals wey we don chop from in mistakes go full all the fingers of 1 hand yet you dey rant over person when don dey near almost half a century of caps…..Idiot.
https://youtu.be/DCp8DbRQnZs
Sometimes we make the mistake to think we were just so good in the past. Makes sense to sometimes go on to watch SE of past to appreciate the present.
We’re ready to burst their lies with stats and facts…..
Still waiting for their CHIEF EXCECUTIVE LEADER (@omo9ja) to come up with his errorneous, misleading, empty, vague, obscure & sentimental verdicts on this matter…
My regards to @Ikeben, @mercy, @Dr dry, @Glory, @Marvellous, @Sportfan et all good minds that are after the good will of our dear SE….
These noble men are actually after MERITOCRACY not MEDIOCRACY
@UBFE… You mean Rohr’s hype men? Lol…
I think some people need to learn the techniques of the game of soccer.
Some positions in a soccer team are more of what you do without the ball than what you do when the ball reaches you. Perhaps, if you are out of position before the ball gets to you, the team pays for it.
Adarabioyo and Akpoguma are direct challengers and better alternative to Ekong.
I jusr wanna say that i have nothing against Ekong as a person. All I’m trying to do is to avoid complacency and make suggestions that can strengthen SE. Ekong needs to improve his awareness, positioning and passing skills.
Here is another link
Super Eagles Central Defence
If there’s a department of the Super Eagles with a pool of quality options to pull from it is the centre half of the defence. Never has the national team, in a long while, had it so great with a glut in supply of central defenders as we currently enjoy. Not even in the days of Taribo West that we had such abundance of quality players. I recalled that at the turn of the new millennium, 2000, we could barely keep faith with the Eagle’s defence of Taribo West and Furo Iyenemi at the 2000 ANC cohosted by Nigeria Ghana despite the quality of players in the squad with notable players as Jay Jay, Adepoju, Ikpeba, Oliseh and co. Efe Sodje was the only alternative central defender in the entire squad aside Godwin Okpara who was an utility player.
At 2002 African Cup of Nations in Mali, the defence was fairly better in terms of number as the quality showed no appreciation with addition of Isaac Okoronkwo and Eric Ejiorfor and new sensation Yobo who featured as a right back.
Given the background of the Eagles’ central defence about two decades ago compared to the quality of players in the presently constituted team,there’s no gain saying that there’s massive facelift with central defence options of Leon Balogun(Rangers FC), Troost Ekong( Watford), Semi Ajayi(West Brom), Kenneth Omeruo(Leganes) Collins Awaziem(Boavista), Kevin Akpoguma(Hoffeniem)with the impending addition of Tosin Adarabioyo(Fulham).
However with the recent performance of Ekong at the last Afcon games and the friendly games against Algeria and Tunisia,it’s clear to see a gradual dip in form of the former Udinese defence strongman. Going by the competitive nature of the team, it’s not unusual to see the coaching crew bringing in a replacement as we’ve witnessed during the last Afcon where Balogun lost his first team place to Kenneth Omeruo.
While acknowledging the role and contributions of Troost Ekong in the national team in the last couple of years, it’s safe to say he’s been one of SE’s dependable centre half with his imposing figure and his strong defensive hard tackles vis-a-vis the number of games he’s chalked up for the national team. But at this rate where Watford, a Championship side is considered by many as a step down from his former club, Udinese with his observable slide in form, viable competitive options in Akpoguma, Awaziem and perhaps Ajayi would not be out of place.
While eyebrows might be raised with the mention of Semilogo Ajayi as a worthy sub for Ekong, as his performance for the SE in recent time in the Super Eagles colors has not really inspired so much confidence yet if his performance in the competitive Premiership is anything to go by, particularly his goal scoring exploits and the defensive shift put up against Man City and Liverpool, then he should be given a chance. Though Semilogo looks soft and easygoing, his recent outings in the elite division have proved him otherwise.
Awaziem is one player who’s grossly underrated among Eagles’ defenders for his versatility. At Boavista, where he enjoys a new lease of life, he’s grown to be the team’s reliable and dependable defender with his timely hard tackles and his strong physicality.
Chidozie is highly favoured to step into Ekong’s place as both share many attributes: power play, strong and imposing figure, aerial dominance and combative style.
Akpoguma Kevin, a German breed like Balogun is calm, calculative and composed. Kevin is a typical defender with defensive discipline; what he seems to lack in being an adventurous defender in breaking out to join attack, he makes up for in his impregnable defensive duties.
Balogun is by far Eagles’ best defender. While injury might have been his Achilles heels yet he’s always found away of getting back to form.Having regained his form following his summer move to Scotland with Ranger FC, he’s produced immaculate displays for both club and country. It was argued that save for Leon Aderemi’s injury in the home game against Sierra Leone, the opponent would not have been able to rise from the dead to draw the game at 4-4.
Troost Ekong should draw inspiration from Balogun to bounce back to SE reckoning.
Trust Ekong is the weakest link in the team. He started well from his debut But now fading since come rain, come sun he makes Rohr’s starting 11. Some bench roles might re-format his footballl brain
This is a good debate, and I must confess that you guys killed it, very eloquent analysis.
Experience is very expensive , for players born and raised in Europe to adapt to African football is not that easy ( central defense is a sensitive position to do much experiments), they Need to be integrated gradually.
That being said it’s not an excuse to make some players feel untouchable , in a less competitive games players doing well in training should be given a shot simple because our aim is to improve the team.
I will like to give @ Mercy a big thumbs up for his deep analysis on CBs
As a progressive I’m not tired of success at all, in fact I believe seriously that all man is work in progress, so for those who always remind us of winning Ratio abeg make una sing another music because this one is not selling again.
Winning Ratio without trophy doesn’t move us and let me remind them too that one is as good as his/ her last match and we all know how it went.
Let’s allow oga Rohr to do his job, we can only try to assist him but if he fails he is responsible.
@UBFE, you keep making the same mistake. You need to watch the games of Ajayi, Akpo and Adara closely..
Unlike one dimensional Ekong, Adara, Ajayi & Akpo can play 5 or 6 effectively.
We saw Balo/Akpo against Tunisia and the combo was far better than against Algeria. Ajayi may be similar to Balogun but Adara/Akpo are direct alternatives to Ekong.
The coach is free to decide but making an average or underperforming player look indispensable is just ridiculous..
The last time we checked, it was Balogun and Omeruo that paired against Tunisia with Akpoguma playing a rightback….Balogun was replaced in the 2nd half by Awaziem…..so when on earth has Balogun ever partnered Akpoguma in the heart of the SE defence….LMAO. And we all saw how the Tunisians walked the ball up into our 6 yard box to score…something which didn’t happen against a far superior Algerian attack/team….yet the defence was better agaisnt the one that wasnt breached in open play against a better team….LMAO. Some people are just hell bent on distorting facts to find some endorsement to their mission…..LMAO
Why are you sounding like you don’t know your boss GR 352 formation again.. Against Tunisia, Akpo Omeruo Balogun played the match. We saw how Akpo complemented Balogun. The defensive coordination was better than what we saw against Algeria (Belmadi vs Belmadi’s boy)
Hahahahaha…they have entered the new year with lies again….LMAO. Ngwa tell us who played the wing back position in your so-called 352 na…LMAO. When the narrative suits them, they will say Rohr plays akpoguma as Rb…..when they want to distort facts they will switch to “Rohr partnered Balogun and Akpoguma in CD and latter claim we played 352 when all match review sites online show a 4 man defence in a 433 with Balogun partnering Omeruo as the 2 CBs….LMAO….with balogun latter subs off for Awaziem….so only God knows where they ever say Akpoguma partnering Balogun in CD for the SE so far…..LMAO
https://www.transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3466189
https://africa.espn.com/football/match?gameId=583423
https://www.footballcritic.com/fifa-friendlies-nigeria-tunisia/lineups/2186748.
That is how they watch TVs upside down and come here to tell us Ekong was at fault for the goals we conceded against S/L……LMAO.
the defensive coordination was better but Tunisia strolled right into our 6 yard box to score…..LMAO. Akoguma complemented Balogun indeed…LMAO…So early in the new year….LMAO
Hahahahaha…they have entered the new year with lies again….LMAO. Ngwa tell us who played the wing back position in your so-called 352 na…LMAO. When the narrative suits them, they will say Rohr plays akpoguma as Rb…..when they want to distort facts they will switch to “Rohr partnered Balogun and Akpoguma in CD and latter claim we played 352 when all match review sites online show a 4 man defence in a 433 with Balogun partnering Omeruo as the 2 CBs….LMAO….with balogun latter subs off for Awaziem….so only God knows where they ever say Akpoguma partnering Balogun in CD for the SE so far…..LMAO
transfermarkt.com/spielbericht/index/spielbericht/3466189
africa.espn.com/football/match?gameId=583423
footballcritic.com/fifa-friendlies-nigeria-tunisia/lineups/2186748.
That is how they watch their TVs upside down and come here to tell us Ekong was at fault for the goals we conceded against S/L just because of their hatred…LMAO…thank God YouTube highlights cannot be distorted…LMAO
The defensive coordination was better but Tunisia strolled right into our 6 yard box to score….LMAO. Akoguma complemented Balogun indeed…LMAO…So early in the new year….LMAO
Every tree in the whole universe is known by its fruits.
Now we know the real SE FANS & the self-acclaims.
A real SE fans always want the good of SE by supporting the team in all condition.
But all these “SENE-GAMBIAN” immigrant keep distracting us on this forum.
They were using our national team “SE” to earn a living, but a man of integrity(ROHR) came in & shattered their dreams &livelyhoods, rendering them hopeless.
Why won’t they HATE him?
They should’ve just allow our “BEST” coach & our average boys whom they”NDI BELMADI” claims to be BALMEDI’s boys to have peace.
U pple are ALGERIAN fans from SENE-GAMBIAN origin, we’re the “real” Nigerians supporting our coach & our only team SE; leave us alone & stop distracting us.
Go & support your algerian national team & their world best coach “Ndi balmedi”.
Allow our “average boys/coaches for us”, Balmedi ASSLIKERS.
U sing the praise of your national team coach, we sing ours & u pple are crying; why?
NDI BALMEDI
ALGERIAN CITIZENS from SENE-GAMBIA.
Awaziem is far better than William Troost-Ekong. Even Semi Ajayi is far better than Troost-Ekong.
We hear u, oya clap for yourself….
Ndi Balmedi….
I wonder what u pple are doing in nigeria….
Staying in nigeria to fan algeria makes no sense at all….
Why not relocate to algeria….. Balmedi asslikers…..
When u don’t like something just stay away from it case close….
U pple are distracting us (the real SUPER EAGLES FAN)…..
Why not go and fan your Balmedi and Algeria and leave our players alone?
Ajayi, ekong, adara, akpo are all nigerians not algerians…. We use them any how we want them…. U pple should go and use your algerian players the way u want shikina….
If rohr decides to start benching ekong for ajayi or akpoguma you will see these hypocrates in the other pages of this argument, their opinion always lies on Rohr decision. I know that Dr drey in his real sence was never in accordance with rohr decision to play akpoguma in right back position ahead of well established rightbacks like aina and ebuehi, but becos of his usual blind love for the coaching crew he will never analyse such errors, unless Rohr decides to do otherwise before thats when drey can reason otherwise too, just like a shadow. Lets assume rohr have been benching ekong for aweziem and any of us dares to condem such decision, you will see Drey in his full capacity defending Rohr decision, na him go show us more of ekongs flops. Until rohr tenure is over there is no need arguing with Dr drey. So for now happy newyear to all of us and i wish all of us a prosperouse new year.
Hahahahaha…bring statistics to the table to back up your warped arguements instead to talking with hatred, sentiments and emotions….LMAO. The day Rohr decides to bench Ekong for Awaziem it will be evident, both physically and statistically that Awaziem is a better option….for now Ekong has proven to be the better option and no hatred, racism or jupiter can stop it. Na for our Koro Koro eyes Rohr drop iheanacho for Ighalo when he lose form…drop Uzoho, drop balogun, drop Jamilu and many others wey e don drop. None of you had to dictate to him before he took such decisions and none of you will dictate to him till he leaves. If e too pain you nor watch SE match again till Rohr leaves…..LMAO.
Below are the player ratings of both Ekong and Ajayi called from 3-4 respected websites (and not individual blogs) with an overall average in all the matches they’ve featured together since after AFCON. Anyone who has doubts can double check from google.
Vs Ukraine
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
All Nigeria Soccer.com—–7—–6
Pulse—–6—–4
CSN.com—–7—–7
AVERAGE RATING—–6.7—–5.7
Vs Brazil:
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
Goal.com—–6—–5.5
All Nigeria Soccer.com—–7—–7.5
Pulse—–6—–6
Premium Times—–7—–6
AVERAGE RATING—–6.5—–6.3
Vs Benin:
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
Brila.net—–6.5—–5.5
All Nigeria Soccer.com—–6.5—–6
Pulse—–7—–7
Owngoal.com—–7—–7
AVERAGE RATING—–6.8—–6.4
Vs Lesotho:
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
Brila.net—–7—–7
All Nigeria Socce.comr—–7—–6
Pulse—–7—–7
AVERAGE RATING—–7—–6.7
Vs Algeria:
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
Goal.com—–7—–5.5
All Nigeria Soccer.com—–6—–6.5
Score Nigeria—–5—–6
CSN.com—–6—–5
AVERAGE RATING—–6—–5.8
Vs SL home:
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
Goal.com—–5.5—–5.5
All Nigeria Soccer.com—–4—–3
Premium times—–4—–5
CSN.com—–5—–4
AVERAGE RATING—–4.6—–4.4
Vs SL AWAY:
—–Ekong—–Ajayi
Goal.com—–6—–Nr
All Nigeria Soccer.com—–7—–4
CSN.com—–6—–4
AVERAGE RATING—–6.3—–4
.
.
.
.
Ndi Ajayi is better than Ekong….Ndi Ekong is the worst SE defender….Ndi Ajayi Must replace Ekong ASAP..over to una o….LMAO. Statistics dont lie. those are match ratings of games they’ve played together in the SE since after afcon. Not in any match has Ajayi had a better average rating than ekong over a sample of 3 to 4 different sports media…..not to talk about the many available video evidence of how many goals Ajayi’s mistakes has cost us in those matches compared to how many Ekong’s mistakes has cost us….LMAO. Statistics dont lie…facts and figures dont lie….Youtube highlights does not lie too….LMAO.
Im sure some people will come here and tell us those sites are fake websites that publish lies…..or that Ajayi is being dicriminiated against because he is black….LMAO.
@Dr. Drey this pple (Ndi Balmedi) are something else….
When you catch them in this angle they quickly turn and use the other angle….
Some of them are here singing the praise of algeria and Balmedi and still claiming to be a “real fan” of our dear SE eagles….
In UK, can a real Liverpool fan be singing the praise of man. Utd?…
Or in spain, can a Barca fan be supporting Madrid?
These pple are just parading themselves here crying and wailing bcos ROHR has block their livelyhood…..
No more using the national team to advertise their local players…..
U say u don’t like Rohr, his team, tactics, game plan, game play, team selection et all the why not do yourself a favour and save yourself from BP by ignoring deserting from our national team and everything that has to do with SE?
Leave our boys/coach alone….
Go and sing the praise of ur world best coach and his boys…..
Ndi Balmedi and Algeria….
When ROHR single-handedly “TUTORED” SEEDOF & KLUIVERT at afcon, u don’t hear them say anything about that one.
But they keep telling us they love SE when deep down their heart they are praying day in day out for the team to fall….
See hypocrytes.
If u are not praying for the team to fall why must u keep emphasising on one failure over numerous success?
This man has only lost to “just” 4 african teams in a period of 4 good years….
Haters would never mention that one…..
Is only the person that opens his left NYASH for them to leak that they see…..
That is why i normally call them “BLIND HATERS”….
Ekong has failed. He now needs to step aside for other flamboyant CDs to take over. Ajayi is the one. Akpoguma is far better than Ekong
This is a clear evidence that u aren’t a nigerian….
If u were a nigerian u would have known that Nigeria as a country has “failed” in all areas, hence we keep using those failures in position…..
Let Ekong be since he has failed(according to u); 2ndly he is in a failed country…..
Carry your PREMIER LEAGUE/BUNDES LIGA best CB with their FLAMBOUYANCY to algeria your country of origin…..
Inform Balmedi (ur world best coach) to come and take them….
TAKE THIS HOME;
Nigeria as a country has failed its citizens so if EKONG has failed(based on ur own “LOW IQ” definition of failure) he does no harm at all…..
Mr. Rater, your selective rating is flawed with inconsistencies. Ignoring ratings from a more reliable source like owngoalnigeria and including games where AJ was played out of position or came in as a substitute in your analysis proved your motive. Yet, the rating still shows that the margin between newcomer AJ and super star veteran Ekong is close to call in games where they play in their usual positions.
Swansea vs Watford match is still in progress.. GR’s star defender is showing his skill from the bench..
Guess who was selected ahead of him ?
Hahahahaha……Mr Hater, owngoalnigeria is no longer a fake website that publishes fake news….LMAO….? So CSN is no longer a reliable source, Goal.com is not a reliable source, Brila.net is not a reputable source, Allnigeriasoccer is not a reputable source, even Premium times is not a reputable source…LMAO. Owngoalnigeria is still crawling where those other sites are….LMAO. Owngoalnigeria can only pray to get to the heights those sites have gotten. Sports sites don’t get more reliable that those sites….LMAO. Look for another excuse to cover your shame. I was expecting more ridiculous excuses than these…LMAO….you are actually performing below expectations. I thought you were ranting before that Ajayi is better than Ekong……LMAO….concrete figure and stats have shut you up….LMAO. If e like make e close to call or close to shout, the simple fact is that these ratings have shown that in ALL matches played so far Ekong (despite being the most useless defender who makes all the mistakes that result in all the goals the SE concede as you have unsuccessfully tried to paint him) is still better even if it is by 0.0001% than the person you were hyping (whose mistakes you tried to sweep under the carpet, but which youtube highlights have devastatingly spoilt your plans) to be better than him.
Was AJ played out of position vs Ukraine…? vs Benin…? vs Brazil?….vs Lesotho….? Was he played out of position too vs SL in Benin when he came on and our defense collapsed…?….LMAO. Thank God it is not me that made the ratings. You too go to google and compile your own comparative ratings that is not selective by your own reliable sport sites and lets see….LMAO.
When their lies have been busted then will be foaming in the mouth from left to right with various excuses and whataboutries….LMAO.
FYI there is nothing selective or inconsistent about the ratings. The fact that it even has some element of randomness makes it more valid. Moreover not all the sites provided ratings for all the matches e.g CSN didnt publish ratings for some matches, likewise Goal.com and the rest too and hence, the next available reliable sports site (with sports editors) provided by google was used. And in games where they both played in defense the championship defender was CLEARLY THE BETTER DEFFENDER going by those ratings from reputable sites who have editors who screen what their writers put out there b4 if is even published in the first instance….lmao. Coupled with all the available video evidences of the mistakes AJ caused leading directly to the SE conceding not less than 5 goals in at least 4 of those matches. Stats dont lie….figures dont lie…Youtube too does not lie…LMAO
Your newcomer has cost us more goals in 9 appearances than ekong has cost us in 40….LMAO….only God knows how many more he will cost us….if anybody is lucky to still be getting callups…its your AJ.
The fact that Ekong had better average ratings in all the matches they played together in defense shows your newcomer is not better than Ekong and will have to pray hard for a monumental miracle to have a shirt in the SE ahead of him, because even the DM position is not his own, it is Ndidi’s or Etebo’s…..LMAO.
Credible and experienced sports editors have spoken……Youtube highlights have spoken. Ekong is still a better choice in our central defense above Ajayi. No amount of blackmails and destructive conspiracy theories can change that. Stats dont lie….figures dont lie…video evidences do not lie. The funny thing is that these matches are even at the times when we assume Ekong is at his lowest ebb, yet he still rates higher than your Van Dijk AJ. So we will rather stick with our Ekong that we know has forged a strong partnership with Balogun over time. No amount of blackmail will work. Ekong/Balogun played 3/4 of a game and our defense was bridged once….uncle VanDijk came on for Balogun and we shipped in 3 goals in the last 1/4 of the game. That says it all.
GR’s defender is showing his skill on the bench because his coach is resting him so that he can come on in the next match vs Huddersfield to produce another man-of-the-match performance as he has done regularly since joining Watford. No defender in that club has had as many nominations for MOTM award so far as this “benchwarmer” called Ekong.
Anybody wey e pain say Ekong dey start ahead of Ajayi for SE….make he go dey bite palm kernel tree for bush.
Mr. Rater, West brom is playing Arsenal and Ajayi is playing the right side of CD.
A beg no mind am. Ajayi is far better than Ekong.
Mr hater, I hope you saw that awesome VanDamme kick against his own goalpost from your perfect AJ who never makes mistakes. LMAO
At least he didn’t score an own goal. He has played in all minutes of his club all mighty premiership matches in the past months. Your captain fantastic is warming the bench in a championship match (Division 2).
Mr. Twister, I hope you have a reason why your irreplaceable Baresi haas not featured in recent matches. May be you need to contact GR (Belmadi’s chick).
Hahahahahha….stats, figures and video evidences have shut them up….LMAO….Ekong was responsible for 3 goals vs SL…..Balogun paird Akpoguma in central defence…..Ajayi performs better than Ekong….LMAO… They are looking for exit clauses now…LMAO.
Go and ask Watford coach and other championship coaches why they choose to rotate their matchday squads playing up to 3 matches in 7 days…LMAO. That “bench warmer” keeps churning out MOTM performances each time he gets his turn in the close to 75% of Watford’s matches he has featured so far….LMAO.
Once again, Anybody wey e pain say Ekong dey start ahead of Ajayi for SE….make he go dey bite palm kernel tree for bush. Even the media has spoken. End of Story….LMAO
Nothing has shut me up. I am still saying that Ajayi is far better than Ekong. I am still here. Ekong will not lace Ajayi’s boots.
You should understand by now that that your tactics won’t work..
Choose to rotate their squad, and your player has not played in consecutive matches..
Since you know how to track records, Go check Ajayi’s record the past 3 seasons or check Balo’s numbers and huge impression in the same championship.
Hahahahaha……are managers rotating matchday sqauds…..YES or NO…??? LMAO.
They have resorted to their usual whataboutries again…..LMAO. They will tell us if the football calender was disrupted last season or 2 or 3 seasons ago as a result of COVID, hence requiring this rushed 3 matches in 7 days schedule managers are faced with now….LMAO
Since you want to track records, why not also go and track Ekong’s records 2-3 seasons ago and see if he has ever been a bench warmer (even in a top league like the Serie A)….LMAO
Once again, Anybody wey e pain say Ekong dey start ahead of Ajayi for SE….make he go dey bite palm kernel tree for bush. The media has spoken. End of Story….LMAO
@Doctor Koyemi Oderinde, do you actually watch Ajayi’s games in Premier league? I don’t think so, poor positioning of Ajayi has cost Westbrom so many goals so far. However I must add that collectively their defense line has been so poor in the league but he shares a great number of blame in their poor form so far. Comparatively Adarabioyo and Aina are both doing a sterling job in the heart of Fulham defense and should receive far more praise than the useless Ajayi. Watch closely again the S/L 4th goal against SE in Benin, you will see that it’s actually an own goal by Ajayi if VAR was used, and this was due to his poor positioning & indecision on how to defend the attacker
Please stop hyping this guy abeg. Ekong’s ruggedness is highly effective in the heart of SE defense thus far
Thank you @Dr Banks, you’re a good analyst. The problem I find with comments of most forumites is that they’re heavily laced with sentiments & subtle sectionalism. It’s easy to spot their clouded judgements & emotions.
Ajayi has been suspect for a long time, kind of rigid, not flexible with the ball or turns. Alardyce has already hinted he’ll offload some players and get a fee new legs this January window. Pray Ajayi is not on that list.
Ekong has made some costly mistakes too, but Ajayi is almost, always a liability at the back. A calamity. Check out how many goals his club has been shipping in of recent, compared to Watford.
If there’s anyone at the SE backline that needs to be dropped or sacrificed for a new invite, it’s Ajayi. Watch out for Rohr’s next list. I won’t be surprised if his name is missing. Balogun was withdrawn in the SL & Ajayi subbed on and we almost immediately conceeded 2 goals!!
Nobody is overhyping Ajayi, the one that is being overhyped is Ekong who has lost his place in a championship side. Perhaps, this debate is all about making SE more effective and competitive. The CD is one of the weakest links in SE and coincincidentally Ekong’s performance has regressed lately. My comments are channeled to the better alternatives to Ekong.
If our best defender Balogun could be dropped from SE when he was having a hard time with Brighton, then same should be applied to Ekong. The fact that we have better options in Akpo, AJ and Adara makes it more competitive. No player should be made to think that he is irreplaceable.
How about the performances of Ajayi against Manchester city and Liverpool.
It is not about being rugged, it is about doing it in a more discipline way. Against almighty Liverpool, Ajaying win 100 percent of his tackles and ended the game with no caution.
My comment is not only for Ekong but a wake-up call to all our players and Belmadi’s boy.
No complacency!!
Your better perfect replacement who is the strongest link in the SE defense and never makes mistakes has cost us more goals in just 9 matches than Ekong has cost us in 40. Despite Ekong’s so-called regression, the stats from all the matches he has played with your van Dijk still shows he was the better defender……LMAO. Your EPL 100% tackler’s best so far in the National team is still not up to the worst of a so-called “championship benchwarmer” and you are talking about competition in the SE….LMAO….It’s like you are thinking hatred and desiring competition means the same thing….LMAO. You never start….go sleep wake up and try again.
In as much as your AJ van dijk who is the main stay of the defence that has shipped in the most goals in the EPL so far cannot provide better performances than the worst of a championship benchwarmer like Ekong, you can continue to go gaga when you see Ekong starting ahead of him. The type of players we are looking for in the SE now are players like Kalu, Chukwueze, Aribo, Sanusi who will walk into the team and tower above whoever is there and show them their way out….not those who will be repeatedly serving us below par performances and causing us to throw away healthy leads. If in 9 matches Ajayi cannot boast of 1 match in which he rated higher across board than a “regressing” Ekong, I wonder what business he has in the SE……LMAO.
The person who needs to shape up or shape out between the two is Ajayi…..No 1, he hasnt done enough to displace any of Ekong and Balogun in the CD …..No 2 he is no where near what Ndidi and Etebo provides in the DM. And with more CDs and DMs coming into the SE now, Ajayi’s continual invitation is seriously hanging on a thread….its only a matter of time….LMAO. Wait till we get Tosin and Jordan till we finally show Van Dijk his way out of our National team camp…..LMAO. I hope you know Omeruo is still higher in the pecking order of CDs in the SE than Ajayi….LMAO. A fit and playing Omeruo will still be a preferred choice to partner Balogun ahead of Ajayi.
Transfer your hatred for Ekong to positive advise to Ajayi to shape up or shape out and stop hiding your hypocrisy under the cloak of desiring competition……Period..!!! You have cooked up enough lies and innuendos just to discredit ekong so far, ALL of which have been debunked by raw figures and video evidences.
Okay, as long as GR aka Belmadi’s boy is in charge, irrespective of club appearance, irreplaceable Ekong will always start SE matches ahead of players playing regularly in the premiership or Bundesliga.
Ekong is thr best defender in the championship, he plays regularly and he is included in multiple team of the week, in contention for team of the month, and team of the season.
You don’t need to bring other players into this discussion. Stick to the point of conversion.
If SE were to have a game this month, will you choose a player who is struggling in the championship ahead of the one playing regularly in the premiership or Bundesliga.
Rohr aka Belmadi’s boys and Rohr’s fans aka Belmadi’s brats will soon see the error of their ways by supporting Ekong. Semi Ajayi is a million miles ahead of Ekong in the basics of defending. This is a disease of the eyes. Ekong makes too many mistakes to be taken seriously. Ajayi has not made a mistake in Super Eagles colours.
For as long as the EPL and Bundesliga players can’t play better in a SE shirt than the worst of a championship bench warmer, he will continue to start ahead of them…..I repeat, for as long as the best of the EPL and Bundesliga perfectionists is not better than the worst of a regressing, declining “championship bench warmer” in the national team he will continue to start ahead of them. Smash your TV on the ground anytime you see Ekong staring in a SE shirt ahead of AJ van dijk……LMAO.