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Time for Super Eagles to try 3 at the back

By Daily Sports on August 8, 2017

In recent years, the super Eagles of Nigeria have struggled to replicate the excitement of then Technical Adviser Clemence Westerhoff era of wonderful wing play football coupled with marauding full backs like Ben Iroha, Austin Eguavoen, et al.

Today that the Eagles, currently coached by German Gernot Rohr, are struggling with the absence of specialist full backs is very obvious. Our fullbacks do not provide any exciting over-laping runs and crosses to terrorise opponents like the days of yore.

The right fullback positions have severally been manned by different players to very limited effect, while Edison Echiejile who has been for years now the main left back has struggled of late as a creative outlet for the team.

I think now is the time to begin a serious rethink of our playing formation and begin to use the speedy wingers we have to more effect.

Enter the 3 at the back system. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte showed last season in the EPL that with 3 center backs and speedy wingers cum wing-backs, a team can be very effective offensively and defensively.

Now many more teams are adopting the formation to bring out the best in their teams. The Super Eagles can as well give it a try. There are a number of fast wingers at Rohr’s disposal, like Chelsea’s Victor Moses, Moses Simon and Ahmed Musa of Leicester City. My thinking is that these guys can be made to play as wing backs (Moses already does so to great effect at Chelsea) for the Eagles to provide more offensive width for the national team in the absence of real specialist fullbacks.

We can then have three centerbacks to provide defensive covers for the flying wingbacks, with two solid central midfielders to give shield the defence.

Upfront Rohr can detail Alex Iwobi to do what he does normally for Arsenal, which is playing between the channel of the opponent's center back and full back.

There are a slew of strikers who can occupy the other attacking positions like Isaac Success, Kelechi Iheanacho and Odion Ighalo.

3-4-3 and 3-4-2-1 are the fads of the moment as far as formations go. Germany adopted it to win the Confederations cup last month with a young team. It’s time for us to be brave and try it out in some games. I believe we have the players suited for the formation. Playing with static fullbacks is so old and should stop.

Source Daily Sports

Posted August 8, 2017