Good morning All,
For years, I proudly flaunted myself as an Enyimba fan and one who clearly understood and could easily analyze his team. I felt I could easily watch the team in series of games and predict what it was capable of. In fact, I could look at forthcoming fixtures and judge where the team was heading to due to the “character” of the team.
Unfortunately, for the first time in living memory, I can admit that I have no definite clues about this Enyimba team. A team that would lose to relegation bound Abakaliki FC in the “easier” route to the Continent, only to walk into the Rangers Den and come out alive and with three points.
“..But Rangers have been shit this season”, ill hear you say and how true that may be but honestly, Sunday’s result had more to do with how good Enyimba was on the day than how awful Rangers were. Again, clearly Rangers have their challenges especially in the recent past but teams like Akwa United and Sunshine Stars, did, despite their current fortunes, give us a whopping when we came knocking.
We have blown hot and cold this season, but in a reverse mode. Hot when coldness was expected and cold when being hot was the easier expectation. We played out so many home draws but in the same manner, have picked as many as 4 away wins and a couple of draws away.
What that tells me is that more is possible with this team with just a little bit more attention. For instance, the Yema iterations meant once Clinton got injured, Ihemekwele suddenly got saddled with the striking mantle. That transition cost us because while Ihemekwele wasnt quite ready, we had no decent replacement. Everyone knew clearly that Enyimba needed strikers. It put us in a horrible bargaining position and ultimately we got our men, albeit at a steep price.
The lingering question for me as per the Kanu-Ekwueme led management is if they have even learnt anything at all of the errors and gaffes of the season. Clearly, they are round pegs in square holes but if you opt to replace them – and they do need replacing. Question is, who is the better replacement?
Unless you have a candidate waiting in the wings with proven football club administration credentials, it does feel (and I could be wrong) that you’ll only push the club from one sinking ship to a worse one. Am I suddenly campaigning for them to remain? A thousand times, No. I’m only saying, find a competent replacement first.
Same thing with the players- some of which have been below par this season. Ekwueme cannot at the stage, not have a dossier on the players he has and who should stay or leave. For instance a certain Michael Nelson has been just a name on the teamsheets – perhaps he has even left the club, who knows?
This club has such a pedigree coming from years of continued success. However success is not an accident. You plan and prepare for the results you want. The trial and error managerial style plus the lack of absorption of responsibility has to stop – if we must get back on the traditional winning pathway.
What happens between now and the rest of the season rests on the club but only a strong finish should be the target. There is a slim chance of gatecrashing the Continental party – either way, the lessons of these past 2 seasons should only inspire us to better.
