Ghana players won't relax for fear of card suspension against Niger

1. African Consciousness says:

   January 26, 2013 at 4:34 pm

   It is time for the Coaching Staff to make some bold moves going into the Niger game. The ranking table suggests Ghana is light years ahead of Niger when it comes to football. It is time for the Technical and Coaching Staff to cash in on some of that experience and advantage. Ivory Coast is doing that as we speak against Tunisia a much stronger team than Niger. The Coach is resting Drogba and Yaya Traore. Two of the most experienced players on the Ivory Coast squad.

   Ghana must rest some of its star players and not run them to exhaustion by the time they get to the knock stages. Playing the experienced and star players especially the once carrying yellow cards will hurt the team in the long run. They will either be suspended for a vital match due to too many cards or they will make mental mistakes due to fatigue both of witch will hurt the team.

   As for strong tackling or challenges it is part of the game and players are expected to be decisive and combative in games. The issue however is the type of challenge that gets a player yellow carded or even red carded because the tackle is with the intent to take out the opposition. Tackling with the studs up with the intent to mangle an opposing player, tackling viciously from behind with the intent not to collect a ball but to cripple a player. This is the type of tackling the coaching staff must instruct against because it could unnecessary weaken the team at the knock out stages and cause the pre-mature elimination of a good team such as Ghana.

   The Coach must rest some of the Stars by either not starting them at all or starting them and then getting ahead by a couple of goals then pulling them out. So far K Asamoah, Gyan, Paintsil, Badu and Boye have played the full 90 minutes of every game. It will be wise to rest them completely or partially against Niger to ensure their freshness both physically and mentally going into the knock out stages.

   Derek could come in for Badu, Atsu could play the left half in place of K Asamoah, Akaminko could come in for Paintsil, Clottey could come in for Gyan if Boakye Yiadom is still injured. Jonathan could come in for Boye. These substitutions are good because these are all inter-changeable players that are playing at important Clubs and the team will not even miss a beat. Oh and Adomah has seen a lot of playing time and it is time to unleash Solomon Asante on the right wing. Against a team like Niger is when Coach Appiah should do what he does best go into the lab and experiment. This will be a bold experiment but one that would not cause a drop in the level of play. I can guarantee it. Sometimes when you are too close you do not see the total picture and the Coaching and Technical staff must consider this very carefully. Moving the players around because they are versatile i.e. moving K Asamoah from left half to left full back is not the same as resting him completely.

   This is a very long tournament be brave give your bench some playing time. it will help win the cup. Have confidence in your bench and they will deliver for you. Some of the Stars are not giving 100% because they are tired. Bring in some of the young hungry players and they will deliver for you. They also want the big European contracts and they are good enough to prove it on the field. Coach do not be afraid it will be all right. Trust me!

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   • CEREBRAL says:

     January 26, 2013 at 5:20 pm

     I hope your comments will be heard.

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2. GH FUO, THINK BIG!!! says:

   January 26, 2013 at 6:30 pm

   GH VS MALI!
   WE MUST BUILD MORE ON OUR 2 TOUCH AND PASSING ACCURACY. ESPECIALLY IN AND AROUND THE 18 YARD BOX.
   our PLAYERS LACK DISCIPLINE
   TOO MANY UNECESSARY TACKLES. TOO MANY YELLOW CARDS. IT WILL HAUNT US LATER OOOOO
   IN 2 GAMES, WE HAVE 6 YELLOW CARDS. IF WE BAG 3 YELLOW CARDS PER GAME IN THIS TOURNEY, WHERE WILL IT END US?
   AA IS TOO HARDHEADED. CONTINUING TO USE AFFUL AT LEFTBACK IS A BAD IDEA.
   IF AND WHEN WE MEET A BETTER OPPONENT, GH WILL PAY DEARLY
   PAINSTIL SHOULD NOT BE STARTED ON THE RIGHT. BOYE, BOYE…WAT WAS HE THINKING? I TOLD U AA, NOT
   TO START BOYE. DEFENDERS PROTECT THEIR GOALIES FROM HARM. THE BEST THING FOR BOYE TO DO IN THIS SCENARIO
   WAS CLEAR THE BALL TO HIS LEFT/RIGHT…CLEAR!
   WAT BOYE DID WAS VER VERY STUPID…
   USE AFFUL ON THE RIGHT. WAKASSO OR KISSI ON THE LEFT/3. KASA AT THE 11. KASA HAS BEEN INACTIVE AND
   USELESS IN MIDFIELD. USE HIM ON THE WING AT THE 11. LET HIM AND ATSU OVERLAP…
   THE TEAM SHOULDNT BE TOO EXCITED. WE COULDNT SCORE FROM OPEN PLAY BUT THRU A PENALTY
   GYAN WAS USELESS. EVEN THE WHITE COMMENTATORS SAID THEY WERENT IMPRESSED WITH GYAN THIS FAR.
   KASA IN MIDFIELD WAS ALSO USELSS. THE SOLUTION: START CLOTTEY AHEAD OF GYAN. use gyan as a SUPER SUB STRIKER LIKE GEDO OR ROGER MILLA.
   EVEN DROGBA WAS USED AS A SUB AGAINST ALGERIA, N LOOK? DEFENDERS PREPARE FOR GYAN, SO GYAN IS UNABLE TO BREATHE.
   PLUS, HE IS NOT AT HIS BEST NOR YOUTHFUL. IF HE COMES FROM THE BENCH, HE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT ON TIRED DEFENDERS.
   AA, USE KASA ON THE 11,
   ATSU ON THE 7 AS A SUB FOR ADOMAH
   AA MUST STRIVE FOR PERFECTION!. STRIVE FOR PERFECTION!
   GFA, CHAANGE THE SMALL LETTERED NAMES ON THE JERSEYS…….

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3. African Consciousness says:

   January 27, 2013 at 7:54 am

   Correction: “both of which” not ‘witch”.

   PS Drogba did not play at all and Yaya came in later in the game and Ivory Coast won 3-0 against Tunisia a higher ranked team than Niger. Please trust your bench I did not select them as cream of the great Ghana crop you did. Imagine if any of the players is injured or is in trouble with suspension then you are forced to use your bench (i.e. Wakaso), well my question to you is why wait till you are forced to take such action. They (the bench) are good enough. Do not wait for injury or suspension to use your bench, use your bench because it is expedient to do so in a tournament. Rest your stars and they will be fresh for you. Not using your bench enough is playing out of fear, playing not to lose instead of playing to win.

   Case in point Vorsah came in for Akaminko and the defense did not miss a beat. This can happen in every single position on the Black Stars. These players all breathed the Ghana air, they grew up playing colt or academy soccer. They are interchangeable, the difference is some are playing in bigger Clubs than others but they are all good Ghana players. Give them all a chance to shine they are Stars! Black Stars!

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