NO IDEYE BROWN AND SOME ODD INCLUSIONS FOR KESHI'S PROVISIONAL SQUAD

So King Keshi, amidst calls for a...FOREIGN technical assistant and meddling from the NFF, announced his provisional squad...and as one would expect the sun to rise...THERE WERE issues to be raised. The most notable of these are the large number of unknown quantities included and the exclusion of Ideye Brown as well as the return of Osazie.

Ideye Brown is one of those players that you HAVE to take with you to a World Cup. He has to AT LEAST be in the squad. He is similar to someone like Muller in the sense that they may not be technically gifted, but in a match situation they are DEADLY.

Ideye Brown as an attacker does NOT work as he misses too many good chances. But as a midfielder who can come forward and distribute, he is VERY good at that. I do not see anyone else in that squad that can do what Ideye Brown can do for the team. Mikel is DEFENDER now, whilst Onazi and Mba are different kinds of players, who are more technical. EVERY midfield needs that workhorse and that man who can really run the lengths and give the team those legs. Keshi does NOT want to tire out Mba and Onazi by getting them to do all the running, which will just play into the hands of Iran and Bosnia.

Odemwingie was the big surprise. It seems, MAYBE, things have been patched up between him and the King. I have to support that decision as long as Odemwingie tows the line and shuts up. Fact is, Nigeria are short on strikers and they will need as much striking options as possible. Ameobi is not a player I am a fan of, but you need as MANY different kinds of players as possible so that various strategies can be tried out.

Then you have the unknowns in the team, and I am happy to see that. That is why they are called friendlies, so that you can see how these guys can play. But Keshi HAS to rethink and bring back Ideye Brown. It would be far too much of a risk entrusting unknown quantities at a World Cup. Home-based players...that's a different story, but I count only TWO home-based people and the rest are guys who I have hardly seen. So we just have to put faith in Keshi that he knows what he is doing....but please King Keshi, for the good of the team....BRING IDEYE BROWN.


HH