Segun Oluwaniyi

They have had MRI testing in the u-17 tournaments since 2008 or so and since then Nigeria has won both the 2013 and 2015 u-17 titles. In fact, I believe they are tested before both the African and World level events so that players like Wilfried Ndidi who passed once can still be barred from competing. Maybe your hypothesis is that the NFF, which recently was unable to find funds to fly the players to the Olympics or provide match balls for a senior-level international, is using new age technological advances to defeat these measures, I don't know. Fwiw, they have also have had plenty of success at u-20, Olympic, and senior level since the mid-90's, with good players worldwide. This is not Sri Lanka winning youth tournaments. Well success in U-20 can be achieved using age cheating too. There is a clear and obvious disparity between the dominance of Nigerian U17 sides and the failures of the senior side in comparison. Now, maybe the 2013 and 2015 winning sides are going to lead onto a new golden generation for the Super Eagles. However I'd argue that what is more likely is that the vast majority of the players will disappear off the face of the earth and Nigeria will continue the recent joy of failing to qualify for the 2015 and 2017 major international tournaments. http://www.eurosport.com/football/nigerian-u17-team-wiped-out-as-all-but-two-players-fail-age-test_sto5707677/story.shtml Failures for 2015 and 2017 are irrelevant when compared with a victory in 2013 and consistent success in the tournaments previous to this. Nigeria has underachieved of course, but they have been at five of the past six World Cups and to the second round thrice, so the idea that they are a disaster at world level is laughable. Our players also do quite well abroad. Nigerian football is extractive (no serious local league or infrastructure) and corrupt and will probably fail until this not the case, but what does that have to do with Kelechi Iheanacho? He is clearly the age he states, and you are talking rubbish. Fwiw, the boys from 2013 are already doing quite well abroad, probably better than their Mexican or Swiss counterparts before them.

At the moment, Man U are a disjointed side that needs goals. Outside of Kane and maybe Aguero, there is not another player in the England that more assuredly will provide them. I can't shake the feeling that I heard this last year. For all that they have spent since Ferguson left, I still find their squad very underwhelming outside of the superstars. Most of their players are purely functional.

They have had MRI testing in the u-17 tournaments since 2008 or so and since then Nigeria has won both the 2013 and 2015 u-17 titles. In fact, I believe they are tested before both the African and World level events so that players like Wilfried Ndidi who passed once can still be barred from competing. Maybe your hypothesis is that the NFF, which recently was unable to find funds to fly the players to the Olympics or provide match balls for a senior-level international, is using new age technological advances to defeat these measures, I don't know. Fwiw, they have also have had plenty of success at u-20, Olympic, and senior level since the mid-90's, with good players worldwide. This is not Sri Lanka winning youth tournaments. He is a risk. I think it is a good risk to take, but maybe not for a team in our position. 25 million in England might fail to bring you Troy Deeney and while he has proven more, there is very little room for improvement or an increase in value. It is a brilliant deal for Leicester, assuming there is not a buyback clause at a low price.

Amateur defending from Diaz.

I am of this opinion. It worries me how much creative burden he will have to carry next season. Signing a capable attacking midfielder should be an imperative in this window.

VAR has been everything I feared it would be thus far. I understand that it is essentially inevitable at this point, and that the tide is against my opinion, but I really dislike it. I wish it was not part of the game.

It is incredible that the club transfer record is still below twenty million pound. Most first team quality Premier League players are worthy of that fee in the current climate. I know they have generally hunted for players out of contract and bargains from abroad, but it is still hard to believe.

I understand many of these have to do with sickle-cell trait, which I also have. As an athlete with this, I have learned that it is imperative to stay extremely hydrated at all times, and generally avoid playing at altitude entirely. I believe deaths due to this are largely attributed to a lack of education on the symptoms and ways to prevent these issues, especially in those punishing football camps in late summer that players are made to go through. Though, if any heart issue disproportionately affects West Africans, it will generally do the same for African Americans, at the end of things, we descend from the same groups.

There definitely seems to be a disproportionate amount of African players dying young. Is it genetic, or if is it something that might be caught here but goes undiagnosed in Africa (or both)? I have heard that the genetic predispositions for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and other similar ailments that can cause cardiac death in athletes do seem more concentrated among Africans and those of African descent. As someone mentioned earlier though, players at top clubs are going through advanced tests, it would be different if we were discussing local African players. We may be at an impasse until the science improves, I suppose.

Onomah, he's one of our youngsters. Played a one-two, then did a little stepover and sent a Mexican guy the wrong way. The Mexican guy stuck out a foot to try to stop him as he went past. As he was changing direction it looks like he accidentally trod on the guy's foot who screamed and writhed in agony...so the ref decided to give him a second yellow. PM for details. I assumed it was a foul on the Mexican when the whistle blew. He actually stuck his foot under Onomah's in an attempt to foul him as he dribbled past. One of the worst decisions I've ever seen. It is ludicrous how many Nigerians are on England's u-20 as well, five of the fourteen that played last match. I enjoyed seeing Woodman and Armstrong in extended action for what is reaally the first time. It has been a decent tournament thus far, judging from the little that has been available to me. Fashion Sakala was wonderful for Zambia and the keeper Zaccagno for Italy has saved them on numerous occasions. I'm definitely looking forward to the last few matches.

Yeah, was just thinking it's great for them. They should get a pile of money, and for someone that isn't really that vital to them. Trippier did great stepping in for him. Walker can be quite error prone defensively too. Yeah, those who follow Spurs seem quite comfortable with Trippier taking his position. They can now allocate those funds towards making improvements in other areas. Neither Bertrand nor Walker are great players imo (or worth the high prices they will inevitably demand), but this is still great business for City. Their fullbacks were entirely rubbish last season, especially given how Pep prefers his teams to play. They have quickly and definitely improved the weakest part of the side very early in the window. I know they have been heavily linked to Benjamin Mendy as well, I wonder if that is still likely to happen.

Devastating news that has genuinely affected me. A warrior has been taken from us far too soon. The various tweet, statements, and tributes have been affecting. Given how short his time in this world was, the number of people he has impacted is great, greater than most could ever imagine. My thoughts are with his young family. As a father, my greatest fear is not being able to raise my son. I cannot imagine the pain. He loss will be felt by so many. Rest in eternal paradise, Cheick Tioté. I will say, the preponderance of African footballers simply slumping and succumbing to heart failure in football is shocking. Something must change. From Okwaraji to Foe to Cheick with far to many in between, and close calls for the likes of Fadiga, Kanu, and Muamba, one must wonder if there is not more that can be done to prevent these tragedies.

Are you allowed to smoke there? Was wondering the same s***. They came to the game from the past. Fortunately, I've actually had the chance to go to Italy and learn otherwise, but I always imagined every Italian over the age of ten smoking heavily.

Juve look like they fed their players tranqualisers at half. The intensity from the first half has completely disappeared.

I think it is. Both are perfect finishes, but the buildup to Mandzukic's is more interesting.

Sissoko is and was a good footballer with limitations. I don't understand the need to diminish former players because they have left, especially someone like Sissoko, who had no logical reason to remain. The Spurs move seemed haphazard from the beginning. There never seemed a place for him in the squad, and I'm not sure what player Pochettino thought he was purchasing, though I will say it is surprising how quickly Moussa regressed in this environment. Those funds would have been better spent elsewhere, especially if they went towards acquiring a better alternative to Kane than Janssen. Fwiw, I'd welcome him back here. He put in quite a few outstanding performances for broken sides in his time here and I'd like to see as part of a functioning one.

I only heard of Onyekuru a couple of months ago, through the Youtube clips of him rampaging through the Belgian league like Black Messi playing FIFA 06 on amateur level. He really has come from nowhere in a very short space of time, so congratulatons to him. If nothing else, his pace and dribbling abilities are very exciting.

I have to be honest, if someone won a top level club competition and ran around with the GWG flag, it would give me a small bit of pride, despite the fact I am a cynical, bitter, and jaded old man. It means something to someone and for this reason, I fully support it.

I'd prefer a play off for the 4th Champions League spot One playoff is enough in my opinion. At what point is this just lowering value of the 38-match season? I enjoy the novelty of the one for the third playoff spot, but less is more in this circumstance.

He came to England at 17, essentially right after winning the World Cup, so I would presume so.

Good signing if they get him. Reckon they'll go for Sturridge too. £20m seems a snip. In regards to Iheanacho, I much preferred the links to Dortmund and Hoffenheim. West Ham are the doldrums of top-level football. A stagnant club in a soulless stadium. If the fee is just twenty million, we should definitely be involved, Connor Wickham may cost this most this much in the wildly distorted British market. I've heard City are looking to insert a Barcelona-esque buyback clause which complicates the issue. If that's all it'd take, we should be all over it. Fully agreed. There has to be a proven goal-scorer to compete with and complement Gayle. Getting this for less than 25 million pound is a bargain. Chicarito is like Defoe in the sense that he just consistently finds the bal in the net, despite his other faults.

I highly enjoy and support Wenger, but he has full control at Arsenal and has overseen a continual regression that has lasted more than a decade. He has to answer for this. Arsenal are a huge club in one of the world's premier cities with an incredible worldwide following. There is no reason they cannot expect more.

I don't remember Victor Moses pulling up many trees at Stoke, Liverpool & West Ham either. Lot more than this fella did though and you could see from Wigan he had some quallity - just think the money can be used towards a better player and boy do we need them or we will be in the same position in 12 months time going the other way. I agree that the two of them cannot really be compared. Moses has actually had a fairly accomplished career outside of Liverpool. He's generally played and contributed when fit, even at Rafa's Chelsea. Atsu has only ever shown flashes, but there is talent there, and to me that talent is more than enough to warrant a six million pound investment. Outside of a beneficial contractual situation, it is unlikely to even acquire a decent Championship winger at that price, one who would then have to acclimatise to the squad NUFC has now. The player has found long-needed stability, it may bring out the best in him. A starting calibre left-sided player should remain a priority for Rafa, Carr, and co.

This kit is good, I like this.

I have seen many rumours linking him to Germany, principally Hoffenheim and Dortmund, the issue being that these clubs wanted an option to buy. Though, given the time of year and the quality of the sources, these could very well be outright lies. Obviously, it would be delightful to see him in NUFC colours. I wonder if Wylan Cyprien from Nice could be more available and attainable, now that he has torn his knee. That is a player I rate extremely highly. Generally, a creative midfield player is imperative for the return to the Premiership. I have zero trust in Shelvey to perform at that level, and though I have seen very little of this season, I cannot imagine his lay was revelatory to the point this opinion should change.