Wilfred Ndidi

[HankMarvin]

10 minutes ago, Sampson said:

From fbref:
 

Points per Game with Ndidi playing: 1.32

Points per Game for the club over the whole season: 1.37

 

It simply hasn’t been true for about 18 months now that “we are a better side when Ndidi plays”. And his personal performances have been pretty poor in that period as well.

 

Not that he doesn’t have the quality or ability to come back and be a great and really important player for us again, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near as important to us right now as he was 2 seasons ago.
 

Be interesting to see what happens to him really as I question whether we can really play Ndidi and Dewsbury-Hall in the same side without having to neuter Maddison. Neither Ndidi or KDH has really good enough vision or passing range to be the linkman and other than bringing Maddison back and neutering him into doing more dirty work or wasting him out on the wing, I don’t really know how you fit Ndidi and KDH into the same side.

Wouldn’t it be vs points without him playing as opposed for the total of the season?

[Stadt]

13 minutes ago, Sampson said:

From fbref:
 

Points per Game with Ndidi playing: 1.32

Points per Game for the club over the whole season: 1.37

 

It simply hasn’t been true for about 18 months now that “we are a better side when Ndidi plays”. And his personal performances have been pretty poor in that period as well.

 

Not that he doesn’t have the quality or ability to come back and be a great and really important player for us again, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near as important to us right now as he was 2 seasons ago and I definitely don’t think you can say “we were a better side when Ndidi played” this season.
 

Be interesting to see what happens to him really as I question whether we can really play Ndidi and Dewsbury-Hall in the same side without having to neuter Maddison. Neither Ndidi or KDH has really good enough vision or passing range to be the linkman and other than bringing Maddison back and neutering him into doing more dirty work or wasting him out on the wing, I don’t really know how you fit Ndidi and KDH into the same side.

I don't really like comparisons with vs without comparisons, there's far too many other factors. Form, playing XI, luck, the ref etc. Is 0.05 ppg statistically significant enough, it's 1.9 points a season?

[st albans fox]

3 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Wouldn’t it be vs points without him playing as opposed for the total of the season?

True but surely it’s going to be more ppg without him playing 

 

however, the stats are skewed by the fact he was generally playing through the period where we had our worst injury list 

 

and he sometimes played CB rather than CDM 

[coolhandfox]

18 minutes ago, Sampson said:

From fbref:
 

Points per Game with Ndidi playing: 1.32

Points per Game for the club over the whole season: 1.37

 

It simply hasn’t been true for about 18 months now that “we are a better side when Ndidi plays”. And his personal performances have been pretty poor in that period as well.

 

Not that he doesn’t have the quality or ability to come back and be a great and really important player for us again, but I don’t think he’s anywhere near as important to us right now as he was 2 seasons ago and I definitely don’t think you can say “we were a better side when Ndidi played” this season.
 

Be interesting to see what happens to him really as I question whether we can really play Ndidi and Dewsbury-Hall in the same side without having to neuter Maddison. Neither Ndidi or KDH has really good enough vision or passing range to be the linkman and other than bringing Maddison back and neutering him into doing more dirty work or wasting him out on the wing, I don’t really know how you fit Ndidi and KDH into the same side.

Who was he playing with at that time, he can't do it all on his own. 

 

Sorry but I'd take him over Mendy 75% fit.

 

 

Edited 23 May 2022 by coolhandfox

[Sampson]

15 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Wouldn’t it be vs points without him playing as opposed for the total of the season?

Well yeah, but I couldn’t be bothered to work it out. Points without him would obviously be more than the points total. 1.4something depending on how many minutes he played.

[Sampson]

20 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

Who was he playing with at that time, he can't do it all on his own. 

 

Sorry but I'd take him over Mendy 75% fit.

 

 

Sure but that hadn’t been the either-or option most of the time and we’ve had to stick Maddison out on the wing when it has. It’s been KDH and Tielemans behind Maddison much more often than Mendy. KDH has been Ndidi’s replacement mostly and I’m not convinced we’ll be able to fit both KDH and Ndidi both in the same side so easily.

Edited 23 May 2022 by Sampson

[moore_94]

21 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Wouldn’t it be vs points without him playing as opposed for the total of the season?

We took 25 points from the 18 games he started

 

We took 27 points from the 20 games he didn’t start

 

Wilf starting = 1.38 ppg

Wilf not starting = 1.35 ppg

 

2 of the games he started were also him at centre back - both against Liverpool

Edited 23 May 2022 by moore_94

[HankMarvin]

19 minutes ago, st albans fox said:

True but surely it’s going to be more ppg without him playing 

 

however, the stats are skewed by the fact he was generally playing through the period where we had our worst injury list 

 

and he sometimes played CB rather than CDM 

Also the 19 games played were against some teams twice and others not at all, so many variables including the run at the end of the season, for the difference to be 2 points over the 19 games given the variables ( form, opposition, squad strength,) I’d say it’s pretty inconclusive to say we are a better team with out him.

[Sampson]

6 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Also the 19 games played were against some teams twice and others not at all, so many variables including the run at the end of the season, for the difference to be 2 points over the 19 games given the variables ( form, opposition, squad strength,) I’d say it’s pretty inconclusive to say we are a better team with out him.

No one has said we are a better team without him. I was arguing against those who said “we are a better team with him”, my point was that we weren’t and that it hadn’t really made a difference whether he’d been in the side or not and I don’t see him as one of the first names on the teamsheet anymore like I absolutely did 2 years ago.

Edited 23 May 2022 by Sampson

[RumbleFox]

“We play better with Wilf”

”statistically we’ve earned fewer point with him in the team this season”

”stats are boolllllooooocks”

 

Obviously it’s a nuanced thing but it’s funny the mental gymnastics people do. I think Wilf is top class and would hate to lose him but it’s mad to bot even consider the stats. 

[Bptiger]

4 minutes ago, Sampson said:

No one has said we are a better team without him. I was arguing against those who said “we are a better team with him”, my point was that we weren’t and that it hadn’t really made a difference whether he’d been in the side or not and I don’t see him as one of the first names on the teamsheet anymore like I absolutely did 2 years ago.

Are u going on this year , because u can’t use this year as a guide, our defence was undermanned due to injuries and I don’t care who u had doing ndidi job , the results would have been the same 

[coolhandfox]

1 hour ago, Sampson said:

Sure but that hadn’t been the either-or option most of the time and we’ve had to stick Maddison out on the wing when it has. It’s been KDH and Tielemans behind Maddison much more often than Mendy. KDH has been Ndidi’s replacement mostly and I’m not convinced we’ll be able to fit both KDH and Ndidi both in the same side so easily.

Are you sure?

 

In the 12 PL games since Ndidi injury Mendy has played in all of them.

 

In fact Mendy has played in the last PL 14 games (Starting 12 and sub 2)

 

 

Edited 23 May 2022 by coolhandfox

[Bourbon Fox]

Can we factor in those times when he receives the ball in a golden position 20 yards out, and even my long-dead pet rabbit would hit the target?

[Dames]

3 minutes ago, Bourbon Fox said:

Can we factor in those times when he receives the ball in a golden position 20 yards out, and even my long-dead pet rabbit would hit the target?

He shouldn't be receiving the ball 20 yards out from goal. He should be 15-20 yards further back than that looking to either be a safe option to go back too or looking to cover full backs that have gone forward incase there's a counter.

[st albans fox]

11 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

Are you sure?

 

In the 12 PL games since Ndidi injury Mendy has played in all of them.

 

In fact Mendy has played in the last PL 14 games (Starting 12 and sub 2)

 

 

The non cdm approach was in europe when we didn’t have mendy available (psv and Roma)

 

it didn’t work too well - we were exposed but because it was two legged games, the opposition didn’t really go for it. psv did create a lot of opportunities but Jose was much more reserved re their approach. 
 

in the PL, we have used mendy to shield the back four. 

[moore_94]

4 hours ago, StanSP said:

Someone took a pic on Instagram and captioned it 'final season', to which Ndidi reposted on his own Insta story... 

I asked them haha

 

[Jabfox]

9 minutes ago, moore_94 said:

I asked them haha

 

legend aha 

[weller54]

1 hour ago, Bourbon Fox said:

Can we factor in those times when he receives the ball in a golden position 20 yards out, and even my long-dead pet rabbit would hit the target?

Yeah, he's paw at shooting.

[Bourbon Fox]

2 hours ago, Dames said:

He shouldn't be receiving the ball 20 yards out from goal. He should be 15-20 yards further back than that looking to either be a safe option to go back too or looking to cover full backs that have gone forward incase there's a counter.

And yet there have been several injuries in row z over the last few years

[Wilfcho]

16 hours ago, Sampson said:

Sure but that hadn’t been the either-or option most of the time and we’ve had to stick Maddison out on the wing when it has. It’s been KDH and Tielemans behind Maddison much more often than Mendy. KDH has been Ndidi’s replacement mostly and I’m not convinced we’ll be able to fit both KDH and Ndidi both in the same side so easily.

are we watching the same games?

[Sampson]

3 hours ago, Wilfcho said:

are we watching the same games?

I have no idea. When  have you seen us play with Mendy, KDH, Maddison and Tielemans all in the side and Maddison in the centre? And if so, who was on the right wing? KDH? Tielemans?

Edited 24 May 2022 by Sampson

[Supergray22]

Good to see Wilf on the pitch on Sunday albeit at the charity run. Looked like his normal cheerful self. 👍🏻

[foxinsocks]

Anyone know how lings wilf's current contract is?

[Bert]

2 minutes ago, foxinsocks said:

Anyone know how lings wilf's current contract is?

2025 

[davieG]

https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/wilfred-ndidi-injury-leicester-city-7202078

 

Leicester City star follows Brendan Rodgers plan to get pre-season head start
The defensive midfielder has been working hard in Dubai to improve his fitness following a serious knee injury that saw him the club's final 16 matches of the season

ByJordan Blackwell
16:38, 13 JUN 2022
 

Wilfred Ndidi has been stepping up his comeback from injury as he looks to get a head start ahead of Leicester City players’ return to pre-season.

The defensive midfielder missed the final two-and-a-half months of the campaign with a knee injury and in a bid to be fit for the new season, he has been putting in the hard work in Dubai while the rest of his team-mates are on holiday. Ndidi hurt himself in a 50-50 challenge in the Europa Conference League fixture at Rennes and was forced to undergo knee surgery that saw him miss 16 matches in total at the end of the season.

Manager Brendan Rodgers said before City broke up that Ndidi and fellow long-term injury absentee Ryan Bertrand would be working through the summer in preparation for the squad’s return to Seagrave on June 27. And the Nigerian has been putting in hard yards in the heat of Dubai, where temperatures are getting up to the high 30s.

 

After working alongside Ndidi, fitness coach Chris Bowman of Elite Sports Performance in the United Arab Emirates said: “Pleasure to assist Wilf with his rehab whilst here in Dubai this last week. Thanks to LCFC becoming the latest club to trust our service Elite Sports Performance with their player and wishing Wilfred the best of luck with the comeback.”

Ndidi’s absence was notable at the end of the season because of the extra workload it placed on others. With Rodgers unwilling to place faith in some of his back-up midfielders, and with Papy Mendy not registered in Europe, there were very few rests for Youri Tielemans and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall as City played twice a week every week throughout April and May, the influential duo visibly tiring towards the end of the campaign.

Albeit, City’s long-standing poor record of results without Ndidi did not continue. In the 19 games he played in the Premier League last season, City picked up 25 points. In the 19 he missed, City earned 27. However, for most of those he was injured, Rodgers did have Wesley Fofana and Jonny Evans available.