Former Heartland of Owerri interim coach, Chijioke Gabriel Osuagwu has charged cadet national team, Golden Eaglets’ coach, Manu Garba to main his tactical approaches at the ongoing FIFA U-17 World Cup in Brazil, as he believes the tactician is on the right path with his wards, megasportsarena.com reports.
Although many Nigerians have been critical of Garba’s close-knit approach of playing through the middle, and continue charging him to instill wing play into his pattern, Osuagwu is of a view that the UAE 2013 Cadet Mundial winning coach is experienced enough to know what he wants, and says the gaffer should not allow widespread comments distract him.
The outspoken tactician, who is now the technical coordinator of Diamond Football Academy in Umuahia, Abia State, the team that produced Samuel Chukwueze and Kelechi Nwakali, added that Garba’s technical approach is basically build on the fact that he has good midfielders, hence his decision to employ their ball holding skills and strength to the fullest.
He, however, went on to point out that Garba does not have a stable goalkeeper and effective wingers, while many of the team’s passes are also errant, but stressed that the former Wikki Tourist of Bauchi handler, who played for Nigeria at Chile ’87 World Youth Championship, must not on any account bow to pressure and change the strategies he used in their first two matches.
The veteran youth development tactician fondly called ‘Ogburonu,’ who has previously worked with National Grassroots Dream Team, Flaming Flamingoes of Lagos, Abia Warriors of Umuahia and Bussdor FC of Port Harcourt, posited that Garba’s system has worked thus far in Brazil, with two breathtaking victories, hence his verdict that the coaching crew should continue with their winning formula, but admitted they need to plug the missing points in defence and on the wings.
Osuagwu opined: “I believe the coaches really imparted, something into these lads, this present Eaglets have their strong hold from the midfield. But, unfortunately, (they are there) without a confident goalkeeper, and effective wingers, and there final passes sometimes go wrong, I advise not on any account should they change their system of play, irrespective being under any kind of pressure. Kudos to the boys and the entire team.”
