Former Chelsea and Super Eagles defender Celestine Babayaro says coach of the senior national team of Nigeria Gernot Rohr should forget about a natural number ten for the Super Eagles.
Rohr has struggled to get a playmaker for the senior national team of Nigeria but according to Babayaro the old fashioned number ten which was Austin Okocha role in the Super Eagles is a dying breed that most teams are no longer using.
Speaking to Owngoalnigeria.com in an exclusive chat, the soft spoken Babayaro said the whole talk about getting a natural number ten for the Super Eagles is from those who are not really in tune with the demands of modern day football.
” I think we are wasting too much time on talks about a natural number ten for the Super Eagles. Most teams don’t play that system anymore. It’s a dying role. Who is the number ten of Liverpool, Barcelona and even Real Madrid?. It’s no longer a must to have one”, Babayaro told Owngoalnigeria.com.
” When you have wingers with pace like Moses Simon, Samuel Kalu, Samuel Chukwueze and Victor Osimhen in attack you really don’t need a number ten. All the players have to do is to ensure that the ball get to them on time particularly when they are in space.
” The clamour for a number ten in the Super Eagles is coming from people who are not in tune with what football is all about these days. Hopefully Rohr will set out his team to play to their strength rather than dwell so much on an area where they are limited in options”, he concluded.
Ade Emmanuel
