After two games, Udinese?s Asamoah Gyan has shown the nation what is called profligacy in front of goal while Junior Agogo has given strong indication of the talent underlying his 10 goals for Nottingham Forest in the English Coca Cola League one.
Selecting a striker who has scored only 3 goals for his club (Udinese, Italy) this whole season to play in a high profile tournament like the Nations Cup is at best inept.
In fact, even more intriguing is the scandalous manner Asamoah Gyan keeps getting the stamp of approval over all others and playing at least 75 minutes of the two games Ghana has played so far.
It is hard to fathom why the technical team of the Black Stars consistently shies away from playing talented strikers and settling for mediocre and wasteful players who have but only disappointing track records. During the world cup in Germany, Asamoah Gyan failed spectacularly in finishing off easy moves, leaving the mantle of winning games on the Muntari?s, Dramani?s? We are seeing the same notorious track record at this Nations Cup. Obviously, lots of Black Star fans are struggling to find answers to the logic in selecting and playing this guy in the Nation?s attack. But for a penalty gotten by Junior Agogo, Asamouh Gyan would have been without a goal in the tournament; a wastefulness that defies the numerous chances coming his way.
Asamoah Gyan has a phenomenal virtue of positioning himself and accessing gilt-edged scoring opportunities. This talent is however undone by his stunning wastefulness in goal. One thing is true about wastefulness in front of goal; it is simply not a hallmark of top strikers. Of course, if the chances coming the way of Gyan fell the way of Drogba, Eto?o, Adebayor, Dindane ? they would have taken unassailable leads for the tournament?s goal kings. Instead, Asamoah is hanging proudly to the one penalty he was even lucky to have scored.
In my opinion the Ghanaian coach and technical team are yet to arrive at the Nations Cup tactically. What are we doing with Haminu Dramani on the bench when he and Owusu-Abeyie could play the wings with the inventive Laryea Kingston playing in attack behind Agogo? The nation sure does not need a rocket scientist to figure out something more common sense than the incompetence we are witnessing. You have to play Laryea in attack not because he a consummate striker, but because he simply is just a more inventive, composed, and an all round lethal option.
Certainly, Ransford Osei, Sadat Bukari, Sadik Adams, Prince Tagoe among others have better striking pedigrees than Asamoah Gyan. In fact, they are the nation?s best available striking options. Only the coach and his team know why none of these guys is on the roster at the Nations Cup. Not until a middle of-the-table team signs them to one of the European elite leagues, the fabulously inept Black Star technical team is unlikely to see the need to select and play any of these germs ahead of a wasteful player like Asamoah Gyan.
The ability to spot, pick, and inspire confidence in premium talent defines the hallmark of a good coach. This is the ability that has distinguished legendary coaches like Jose Mourinho, Fabio Capellos. Alex Ferguson etc. And for the Black Stars group boasting one the worlds? most competitive midfields, the payoffs for deploying talents in attack look really sumptuous. But until the nation embraces talent and elevate merit over irrelevant experience and favoritism, Ghanaian soccer fans will soon start listening to classic arithmetic as our analysts advance models with elaborate probabilities and assumptions about situations and conditions that will win Ghana her fifth nation?s cup.
Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.
After two games, Udinese?s Asamoah Gyan has shown the nation what is called profligacy in front of goal while Junior Agogo has given strong indication of the talent underlying his 10 goals for Nottingham Forest in the English Coca Cola League one.
Selecting a striker who has scored only 3 goals for his club (Udinese, Italy) this whole season to play in a high profile tournament like the Nations Cup is at best inept.
In fact, even more intriguing is the scandalous manner Asamoah Gyan keeps getting the stamp of approval over all others and playing at least 75 minutes of the two games Ghana has played so far.
It is hard to fathom why the technical team of the Black Stars consistently shies away from playing talented strikers and settling for mediocre and wasteful players who have but only disappointing track records. During the world cup in Germany, Asamoah Gyan failed spectacularly in finishing off easy moves, leaving the mantle of winning games on the Muntari?s, Dramani?s? We are seeing the same notorious track record at this Nations Cup. Obviously, lots of Black Star fans are struggling to find answers to the logic in selecting and playing this guy in the Nation?s attack. But for a penalty gotten by Junior Agogo, Asamouh Gyan would have been without a goal in the tournament; a wastefulness that defies the numerous chances coming his way.
Asamoah Gyan has a phenomenal virtue of positioning himself and accessing gilt-edged scoring opportunities. This talent is however undone by his stunning wastefulness in goal. One thing is true about wastefulness in front of goal; it is simply not a hallmark of top strikers. Of course, if the chances coming the way of Gyan fell the way of Drogba, Eto?o, Adebayor, Dindane ? they would have taken unassailable leads for the tournament?s goal kings. Instead, Asamoah is hanging proudly to the one penalty he was even lucky to have scored.
In my opinion the Ghanaian coach and technical team are yet to arrive at the Nations Cup tactically. What are we doing with Haminu Dramani on the bench when he and Owusu-Abeyie could play the wings with the inventive Laryea Kingston playing in attack behind Agogo? The nation sure does not need a rocket scientist to figure out something more common sense than the incompetence we are witnessing. You have to play Laryea in attack not because he a consummate striker, but because he simply is just a more inventive, composed, and an all round lethal option.
Certainly, Ransford Osei, Sadat Bukari, Sadik Adams, Prince Tagoe among others have better striking pedigrees than Asamoah Gyan. In fact, they are the nation?s best available striking options. Only the coach and his team know why none of these guys is on the roster at the Nations Cup. Not until a middle of-the-table team signs them to one of the European elite leagues, the fabulously inept Black Star technical team is unlikely to see the need to select and play any of these germs ahead of a wasteful player like Asamoah Gyan.
The ability to spot, pick, and inspire confidence in premium talent defines the hallmark of a good coach. This is the ability that has distinguished legendary coaches like Jose Mourinho, Fabio Capellos. Alex Ferguson etc. And for the Black Stars group boasting one the worlds? most competitive midfields, the payoffs for deploying talents in attack look really sumptuous. But until the nation embraces talent and elevate merit over irrelevant experience and favoritism, Ghanaian soccer fans will soon start listening to classic arithmetic as our analysts advance models with elaborate probabilities and assumptions about situations and conditions that will win Ghana her fifth nation?s cup.
Views expressed by the author(s) do not necessarily reflect those of GhanaHomePage.
