Six Nigerian Internationals At Risk Of Relegation In England

Six Nigerian Internationals At Risk Of Relegation In England

By Gbenga Gboyega 

Nottingham Forest in 18th, Leicester City 19th, and Southampton 20th complete the bottom three in the English Premier League log after 31 matchdays, spelling doom for the clubs.

The Super Eagle players who ply their trades for these clubs respectively also stand the risk of not playing in the top tier of the English league which further dampens career progress and market value, writes BSNSports.com.ng.

Starting from the bottom, Southampton has had three coaches so far this season, after sacking Ralph Hassenhüttl in November, to promoting Ruben Sellés as caretaker, before hiring Nathan Jones who lasted just four months, then back to Ruben Sellés in February as interim till the end of the season.

The Saints have avoided relegation battle the last five seasons finishing sixteenth in 2018-19, then eleventh the following season, before consecutive fifteenth-place finishes last season and the one before.

Nigerian duo Joseph Ayodele Aribo who signed in the summer from Rangers and Paul Onuachu who arrived in the winter from KAA Gent would be hoping their respective moves were not a case of "cooking gas to firewood".

Southampton travels to the Emirates Stadium to face league leaders Arsenal on Friday night, with an impossible task at hand, knowing a loss further nails their coffin floating in the relegation waters.

Meanwhile, a masterclass nightmare awaits the Foxes who sit 19th on the English Premier League table after 31 games, winning seven and losing twenty of those thus far.

Like Southampton, Leicester City also has a share of shuffling managers this season, from letting Brendan Rogers go in February this year, to having Mike Stowell and Adam Sadler as interim, before appointing former Norwich coach Dean Smith on a permanent basis.

Smith's mission is to save the club's blushes by avoiding relegation this season, which could further preserve the club's prestige during the summer transfer window in preparation for next term.

However, Nigeria's duo Wilfred Onyinye Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho have not influenced the team in any positive light this season, with Kelechi netting seven goals in 27 games, while Ndidi struggles to make Rodgers' starting eleven consistently.

in 18th position is Nottingham Forest who continue to stick with Steve Cooper through thick and thin since his appointment in September 2021, despite a horrendous season so far in the English top-flight.

Forest was one of the three teams to gain promotion from the championship coming into the season, but Fulham in 10th and Bournemouth in 14th look safer than the Tricky Trees.

Taiwo Awoniyi, 25 years, has struggled in front of goal this season for Forest bagging only four goals in 20 appearances, although one of those came against Saturday's opponent, Liverpool, recalling a shocking 1-0 win in the reverse fixture in October last year. 

Emmanuel Dennis would hope to start for Cooper on Saturday at Anfield when the team travel to face Liverpool, in a bid to repeat the first leg league encounter. 

A win for Forest takes them above Everton on the same point (27) and Leeds two points above (29) to 16th, which would cause a sigh of relief to Cooper and his team.