Good morning Guys,
The dust settles on our sad midweek result and attention switches to what lies ahead. And as I pondered on what I could write today, I wondered to myself- Have we set unrealistic expectations of ourselves? Are we expecting to harvest oranges from an apple tree?
All season long, we had berated the quality of our recruitment. It was even on record that we had 43 players on our books. But In football, as with many important facets of life, quality is more important than quantity. So clearly, alot of these players are not good enough for us.
In the light of this, one would argue that perhaps our expectations have been wrongly placed. Like expecting world beaters from a poorly assembled squad. But that is the issue with Enyimba, the demands for success is more about the clubs pedigree than the quality of the names on our books. All over the Continent, at the mention of Enyimba, there are unspoken expectations.
Those in charge of the team know what is expected. This isn’t Wikki Tourists or Niger Tornadoes, (no disrespect to those teams). This is a team that regularly competes in the Continent and the quality of the playing personnel must reflect that.
I get it, players always leave, especially at the end of the season, but isnt this where people who are saddled with running things have to earn their money? The best players in the country should be at Enyimba, and right now, I can tell you for free, I don’t think we currently have the best legs in the land.
And that is a very sharp contrast – back in the day we would recruit from Ghana and Benin Republic and Cameroon and wherever else the quality exists. We cannot have a team that when changes are needed, is unable to call up reinforcements from the bench.
So the talk of 43 players on our books is ridiculous especially when most of those players cannot walk into any of the other teams. We have to do more and be more intentional with our recruitment – it will save us alot of money and produce good results. This is a hallmark of the great teams.
No doubt players will leave at some point to further their careers or at the termination of their contracts. Again, the club has to ready, having quality recruitment waiting on the wings to step in. This is why, the Sporting Director and Technical Departmart should have a list of players they have earmarked as likely replacements. A working document that is reversed time and again depending on the needs of the team. People need to be versed with their responsibilities.
So No, we’re not expecting miracles; we’re expecting excellence from a team that has consistently delivered. If you think our standards are unrealistic, then perhaps it’s time to reevaluate your role.
Back tomorrow
‘EnyimbaEnyi
