Super Eagles’ head coach, Gernot Rohr has outlined a new tactical approach for the team’s matches under his latest dispensation in charge of the squad, as he has hinted at a semblance of what many Nigerians often refer to as ‘mass attack, mass defence.’
Megasportsarena.com reports that this can be deduced from a declaration by the Franco-German coach that he wants his full-backs to be a lot more mobile and join the attack more often than they are currently doing, while also pointing out that the goalkeeper too should be able to launch quick counter attacks.
The former handler of the national teams of Niger Republic, Gabon and Burkina Faso is joining the ranks of coaches who want their goalkeepers to be ‘ball players,’ in order to quickly turn defence into attack even as he hopes to get more stability in the Eagles’ defence.
Having recently signed his third contract with Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) , with a double-caveat to win the 2012 Africa Cup of Nations and qualify for the 2022 World Cup, Rohr admitted he has to give his very best in order to win his first trophy as Eagles’ coach.
It will now be left to see how this plan will become practicable for the 66-year-old former coach, who played as a defender for Bayern Munch of Germany and Girondins-Bordeaux of France, the second of which he also coached, and then had a role in charge at Etoile du Sahel of Tunisia.
The soft-spoken tactician, who has been involved in tactical tinkering duties since 1998, is now thinking of adding novelty to the Eagles’ mainframe, as he aims to make the best of the recent two and a half year contract he signed with the NFF, hence his demands for improvements from all players in the team, especially the keepers and defenders.
Rohr, who qualified the team for Russia 2018 World Cup with a match to spare, but could not take them beyond the group stage, then led the squad to bronze at last year’s AFCON in Egypt, posited: “I want stability with the goalkeepers and in central defence. I also want the fullbacks to be more offensive.”
