Greetings Fellas
There are days when I get on this blog and I want to just tell you things going on in my life. I feel like I can exhaust 7 days worth of blogposts. I could talk family, work, friendships and all that stuff. I feel those will be more interesting amebo compared to the predominant conversations we have had on this blog lately.
So we won at Tornadoes on Sunday. And just like Lobi before it, it was the case of a club playing home games away from their traditional homes. Besides Heartland, who we stuck on the first day of the season, Lobi and now Tornadoes, every other away joy for us has been a solitary point. 3SC in Ibadan, Abia Warriors, Bayelsa United. This forms the basis of my thoughts this morning.
The Nigerian Premier League is a very unique League. On paper, the formula to win the League is very simple – keep your home front formidable – get all 3 points possible and then get what you can away from home. Similarly, this is how teams get relegated – when they are absymal at home and get spanked every time on their travels.
Take a look at Ikorodu United this season. They started the season without an identity. A team of decent footballers but with a coach seemingly out of his depth. After a stuttering home run, the management swapped their head coach.
What followed was a team that won’t lose at home and has become impregnable away. They were less than 7 mins away from a point in Aba. Same set of players. Just under new tutelage and their fortunes are totally turned on it’s head. They won’t get relegated this season- that’s for sure.
The home front is extremely crucial if you seek to remain in the top flight. Take a look at the serious teams. They protect their home turf. Back in FAA’s days, Enyimba went thru the 2013 season without even conceding a goal at home. And when your opponents can’t score, you have a decent platform to win. This is the Enyimba of old.
What cost us this season was our home front. We have matched and bettered record numbers in away points this season. But our home draws are most likely the reason why we aren’t 2 or 3 points ahead of Remo Stars. Question is – Has the management realized this and what will they do to ensure a No Repeat in the future?
At the end of the season, there would be an inquest but empty stadiums and an invisible club chairman and management are pointers to how badly things need to change. The away points are a bonus but maximum points at home is not negotiable..
Back tomorrow,
‘EnyimbaEnyi
