Well, Peseiro has elected to stick with his own rendition of 4-4-2 formation even in the face of fan criticisms. I am yet to be fully bought into the efficiency of this approach against quality oppositions simply because the end results are yet to justify the means of formation used.
But at least I can see what he is trying to do.
Against Algeria, Mozambique and São Tomé and Príncipe, it functioned like like clockwork. But we were overrun by Portugal and not all too convincing against Guinea Bissau and Sierra Leone (where the formation only succeeded in delivering three victories with just one goal margin victory on each occasion and even one loss in the process against Guinea Bissau).
Tacitly, Peseiro has promised goals galore with this formation but it is just not happening. But, but, you can’t deny that the formation is allowing the players to get into promising positions. They push forward at the slightest opportunity.
If our strikers are as savvy as we think they are (and our wingers [Chukwueze, Lookman] are more precise in their deliveries) , indeed, Peseiro’s just-in-time, quick transition all-out-attack philosophy may have produced more goals.
But we are also leaking goals. For me, we don’t have GOALKEEPER-PROBLEM, we have goalkeeping problems. Uzoho and Okoye are cut from different goalkeeping cloths, yet the same issues plague them in Peseiro’s and Eguavoen’s Super Eagles. Already there are murmurings in certain quarters that, based on just one match against Sierra Leone, even Adeleye is not good.
And yeah, did anyone analyse the second goal scored by Sierra Leone against Adeleye? It was eerily similar to Partey’s goal in Abuja – the same thunder seems likely to strike any goalkeeper under the current dispensation.
People are saying Adeleye is not tall enough not taking into account that Enyeama is just marginally taller than Adeleye so much so u would think they are the same height.
Sometimes in life, you just have to keep practicing, practicing and practicing the same thing until you get it right. I like the former Liverpool and Leicester coach Brendan Rodgers.
But he failed in Liverpool and ultimately fell out of favour in Leicester because he kept tweaking and changing formations under panic. One time he will pair Iheanacho and Vardy with 2 at the top only to drop Iheanacho in another game and play Vardy by himself. This caused confusion to the players and ultimately doomed his plans leading to his sack in Liverpool and Leicester.
I guess there might be some wisdom is settling for one formation and just sticking with it, only making modifications to it’s movements and application in-game.
See yesterday, see Onyeka. He seems to be settling in that role within the framework of the formation. Simon knows what to do and Iwobi threads passes from deep. Maybe, just maybe this Peseiro’s approach will come good in time enough for world cup qualifiers and Afcon.
Love or loathe Eguavoen but 4-4-2 brought him fabulous success in the Afcon until he was found out. Even at that, he only lost narrowly to Tunisia and he didn’t lose in open play to Ghana.
Peseiro plays a slightly different version of 4-4-2. His is called 4-4-2 double 6.
His two midfielders (unlike Eguavoen where Aribo was largely in front of Ndidi) strive to be on the same line and play out from deep with one of the wingers (mainly Iheanacho or Chukwueze) drifting in to fill the gap in centre attacking midfield.
Iheanacho was simply wonderful to watch in that roving role while Chukwueze threaded a delicious through pass to Lookman who really should have done better against Saudi Arabia with his scuffed shot. Ndidi, Iwobi and Onyeka are naturally defensive minded with attacking tendencies.
Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid used this 4-4-2 throughout a whole season regardless of opposition.
It can work.
I can only assess it based on the output Peseiro’s Super Eagles are producing and so far, it is a bit of hit-or-miss. But I can understand why he persists but if it ultimately doesn’t work, the price in world cup qualification and credible Afcon showing may be to high to pay.
If it does work, Happy Days
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