The Portuguese coach is achieving the impossible: he is somehow making an abundance of attacking talent not only ineffective but tedious to watch
The Portuguese coach is achieving the impossible: he is somehow making an abundance of attacking talent not only ineffective but tedious to watch
The thing with football tactics is this: it’s a trade-off, really. Playing in any shape, a fundamental question any manager must answer is that of where he can afford to leave space, as it is impossible to cover every square inch. Having reached that conviction, he must then be fervent, even to the point of religious dogma, in following it; there can be no half-measures or middle grounds.
In order for Jose Peseiro’s structure and selection in the shock home defeat to Guinea-Bissau to work, it was imperative that the entire team function as a block without the ball, either completely sitting off the opponent to protect the space behind their defense or utterly imposing upon them to dominate Guinea-Bissau territory. What not to do, in any circumstance, was what was done for the game’s only goal: between two stools, the Super Eagles were caught with their pants down, and as a consequence now find themselves looking up at the summit of Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying Group A.
“Normally, if you play like we did today, you can beat any team,” Peseiro said afterward. “Today, Guinea(-Bissau were) very lucky.” And in a sense, he was correct, but in the same sense, he was not. The Djurtus certainly needed, as any minnow does when the odds are so heavily stacked against them, some good fortune. However, it is damning that, in this case, they did not need very much of it, and even more so that, taking their goal out of it, they were themselves unlucky, having created another chance of similar quality not long after.
Peseiro’s vantage point was probably better, but especially after the interval, it is difficult to remember goalkeeper Jonas Mendes needing to make too many saves of note. It was a siege, but only of the lamest kind. Wilfred Ndidi, shocked by his own intrepidity, seemed nonplussed by the prospect of having to finish and tickled Mendes with his effort when through on goal. Moses Simon dragged a presentable chance wide on his weaker foot. The iron giant Paul Onuachu, brought on for just such an occurrence, headed the game’s one presentable cross wide; look closely enough and you likely would have seen some rust flaking off his bonce upon impact.
If, as Peseiro surmised in the aftermath, the game could have gone on for hours without Nigeria scoring (and this was clearly a line that was briefed in the dressing room—Alex Iwobi repeated it verbatim), it is because they never really looked like it in the second period. This time marker is a vital one, as the biggest failing on the night was, ultimately, one of composure. Not only was Peseiro unable to stick or twist when it came to his team’s stance out of possession, but when the heat turned up, his lack of conviction showed in how quickly he jettisoned his initial game plan as well.
