Kelechi Iheanacho

[StriderHiryu]

58 minutes ago, NaijaFox said:

Here's a harebrained idea - start BOTH Nacho and Daka! 

To be fair to Rodgers, I can see why he doesn't do this. We've struggled for form all season long, but now have a good run including clean sheets and game control. Rennes are honestly a good team, but we restricted them to just one shot on target. The middle 3 do the dirty work, Cags and Amartey rock solid, the full backs and wide forwards combined really well.

 

All season long if you look at the stats, the number of chances we give the opposition has been insane. Over the last few games we've controlled the game for long passages of play. At this best for the club, Rodgers had us dominating possession, out running the opposition, running a high press and dominating the game. I'd argue that first 20 apart, that's exactly what we did today. Team structure out of possession is not sexy, but it wins games. Rennes by the way were very well setup, their wide forwards caused a lot of problems, but then we dominated them. This was a seriously good performance from us!

 

With Nacho and Daka we might score more goals, but I think we'd look more open, as we have done whenever we've gone 2 up front, e.g. Napoli at home, Palace away, etc.

 

 

 

 

Edited 10 March 2022 by StriderHiryu

[Grebfromgrebland]

He looked good because Madison came on too 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

The bloke's the most underrated player at the club by Brendan and it makes my piss boil.

[jayfox26]

His goal tonight pretty much sums him up. Took a hideous touch and gave the ball away, looking like our attack was ended and then 15 seconds later, scores with a majestic finish. Mad! 

[StanSP]

Lovely finish. 

[sacreblueits442]

1 hour ago, StriderHiryu said:

We looked more threatening with him on that Daka IMO.

 

Daka is a hard worker and we know he can finish, but he doesn't connect the dots as well as Vardy or Nacho does.

 

In current form I'd start Nacho over Daka, but I can see the argument for using a season like this to get Daka used to our style as he is the heir to Vardy.

.....as heir to Vardy, do you not think his natural inclination would be to threaten the backline!!!

There does not appear to be a natural feel for the way we need him to play, we do not play balls to him that we play to Vardy, it is not going to work unless the services is as you would for Vardy. It is not his natural inclination to play that way, he maybe a very good striker and we should be delighted to have him here, just that the idea of the heir to Vardy needs to be viewed as Patson Daka and not a manufactured clone of someone else.

[Bert]

It was quite obvious he was brought on to hold the ball up and make space for the runners. He did that ok. He just doesn’t press enough at times and often flat footed…. But what a wonderful finish. 

[Webbo]

He was absolutely shit until he scored. He gave the ball away in that attack until Maddison won it back. Good finish though. 

[Foxes96]

I can see why Rodgers started with Daka. Seems to press better and is a lot quicker which although didn’t result in any chances with balls over the top does stretch the defence more and keep them on their toes. Whereas Iheanacho as a 9, doesn’t have that burst of pace, and often comes deeper looking for the ball which means defenders know they can squeeze up restricting our space in midfield. 
 

I think Kelechi up front on his own can work, but it would need to quick wingers high and wide, which would only be Barnes and Lookman (who isn’t as effective on the right). Therefore, I think will probably be a fair amount of rotation between the 2 of them whilst Vardy is out to keep both fresh, and both offer something slightly different anyway.

[funkyrobot]

2 minutes ago, Webbo said:

He was absolutely shit until he scored. He gave the ball away in that attack until Maddison won it back. Good finish though. 

Still better than Daka tonight (even before the goal.)

[sacreblueits442]

7 minutes ago, Foxes96 said:

I can see why Rodgers started with Daka. Seems to press better and is a lot quicker which although didn’t result in any chances with balls over the top does stretch the defence more and keep them on their toes. Whereas Iheanacho as a 9, doesn’t have that burst of pace, and often comes deeper looking for the ball which means defenders know they can squeeze up restricting our space in midfield. 
 

I think Kelechi up front on his own can work, but it would need to quick wingers high and wide, which would only be Barnes and Lookman (who isn’t as effective on the right). Therefore, I think will probably be a fair amount of rotation between the 2 of them whilst Vardy is out to keep both fresh, and both offer something slightly different anyway.

....it seems the consensus was that Daka was ineffective bringing little to the game!!!

Nacho in a front three is so much a better option, as he comes short and link the play with the wide forwards infront of him. Let us not do the rotations, it doesn't work.

[NasPb]

45 minutes ago, Webbo said:

He was absolutely shit until he scored. He gave the ball away in that attack until Maddison won it back. Good finish though. 

It's the kelechi way hahahaha thr guy is just built different he's am eccentric lad on and kgf the pitch. 

[enmac]

Daka did well in that he persuaded the Renne defence to stay further back. He'd be more of a goal threat in a 2. I would have liked him and Kel playing as a 9 1/2 starting as Madders wasn't playing initially. 

[Big_Nige]

Nacho, even when the ball is bouncing off him like a beachball, makes things happen.

 

I don’t like him up top on his own, but I don’t like Daka up top by himself either. 4-3-3 with very wide forwards doesn’t really wotk for either of them. Neither can occupy a defence like Vardy does (but part of why he does is because of his reputation nowadays) Even when below par Nacho influences the game though, whereas Daka, at the moment, doesn’t. Nacho against Leeds was heinous but gave a lovely little lay off for the Barnes goal. Today, equally bad, but what a finish.
 

I think Rodgers persists with Daka in that lone role because there is hope he’ll adapt, learn and thrive. Nacho is a lost cause in that respect, but his numbers since this time last season are ridiculous. He can’t do any more in that respect, and he’s firmly established himself as a cult hero along with our f*ing centreback Daniel Amartey 

 

Love Nacho, I want him succeed so badly 

Edited 11 March 2022 by Big_Nige

[CosbehFox]

31 minutes ago, enmac said:

Daka did well in that he persuaded the Renne defence to stay further back. He'd be more of a goal threat in a 2. I would have liked him and Kel playing as a 9 1/2 starting as Madders wasn't playing initially. 

He’s a bit more attacking aware when it comes to pressing and defensive shape. I think that’s why Brendan picks him over Kelechi. 

[Jimmy]

showed why he doesn't start but also showed why he needs to get more time

[Shinji]

Daka just needs to hold the ball up better. Ian nacho did that straight away

[Nicolo Barella]

If Maddison and Vardy aren't fit to start, I really don't see why we can't start both Iheanacho and Daka. Not exactly like Tielemans is a huge defensive presence that would be missed if we dropped him. Would love to see a front six of

 

Daka Iheanacho

Barnes Dewsbury-Hall Ndidi Albrighton

 

Against Arsenal.

[Lambert09]

I love nacho but if it’s him or daka I think I’d still prefer to start daka and bring kel off the bench.  

 

Both are are better in a 2, but I think you get a little more industry from daka. 

 

A lot  bounces off kel and breaks down but when it doesn’t, he’s deadly. He is a bit of a mystery. 

 

His is goal today just sums it up, Brendan was half way to his note pad to write boll*ck Kel before he smashed it in 

[Tom12345]

6 hours ago, Grebfromgrebland said:

He looked good because Madison came on too 

He looked good on his own. He needs to play with players around him (so having Maddison and Barnes there was good). Also, did you see that long pass from our own third to Barnes? That was Maddison like. Did you also see how he can hold up the ball with control and to bring other players into play? This bloke is good and he is very much underrated.

[turkish14]

I’m torn with nacho 

 

Great finisher, possibly the best at the club, holds the ball up well, great at finding space in the box.

 

however he cannot tackle, clumsy and often offside.

 

could be that we don’t play to his strengths, I.e balls into the box like his goal yesterday. 

[NaijaFox]

7 hours ago, Webbo said:

He was absolutely shit until he scored. He gave the ball away in that attack until Maddison won it back. Good finish though. 

He wasn't. He held the ball up quite well on a number of occasions and enabled us to get up the pitch, when it seemed as if we were defending deeper with each Rennes possession. In fact, the possession that ended with KDH taking a shot instead of passing to Youri, started with a great outlet pass from deep in our territory by Nacho that immediately placed Barnes in a dangerous position. He's not as good at pressing the opposition as Daka (or Vardy), but he certainly added positives to our game - even before scoring.

 

Edited 11 March 2022 by NaijaFox

[Plastik Man]

If we're going to stick with 433 in Vardy's absence, I'd like to try Iheanacho in the middle with pace either side of him.

 

Allow him to come deeper with his ability to hold the ball up to play in Barnes on the left and Daka on the right, both with pace and able to cut in onto their favoured foot.

[roblcfc84]

That goal sums him up perfectly lol. Awful touch in the build-up where he trips over the ball, ending in a sublime finish. Still, I’d like to see him start more. 

[StanSP]

In the box he's so good. Outside of it not so much