Kelechi Iheanacho

[coolhandfox]

Got to love Kel.

 

Only player who can go from Sunday League to elite striker mode in the space of 10 seconds 

[Royston.]

Let Daka run himself into the ground and bring on Nacho to close the deal

[Kevin Russell]

Best thing about Nacho is he comes on and holds the ball - allows us to get players around him deep in the attacking half. 
 

His contribution for us has been fantastic for a good while now - Keep it up Kel 👍 

[Tuna]

That goal was vintage Nacho, terrible first touch and then a sublime curled finish with his left foot!

[Ric Flair]

The dilemma is if you set up in a 4-3-3 to press high, defend high and constrict the pitch then you need your front 3 to press like mad, or at least drop it in to a 4-4-2 with 2 pressing and keeping position in banks of 4 to prevent teams feeling like they can play through it.

 

Iheanacho is dreadful at pressing, Daka is better but then his movement when we have the ball seems to have vanished off a cliff. I thought at first it was those around him but it's no coincidence that when Iheanacho or Vardy are on in recent weeks that we seem to get balls to them that we deem perfect for Daka, maybe that's because of their instinct at predicting where our tea will look to play. Daka will hopefully get there on that, the big issue is both Daka and Iheanacho are most dangerous in a front 2.

[RowlattsFox]

It's seems Daka does all the running and Iheanacho comes on to have the impact. 

[sm1]

Kel is a 15-20 goal PL striker. He may not look good, ball bouncing all over the place, first touch could be awful, but he delivers where it matters, in front of goal. I don't think any team in the PL has a better 3rd choice striker, he could literally walk into 2/3 of the teams.

[honeybradger]

2 hours ago, StanSP said:

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

 

I thought he played quite well on the ball even if you take his goal out of consideration. Had some very strong holdup play.

[Leicester_Loyal]

Problem is with playing 2 upfront is that they are the only 2 strikers we have with Vardy being out for 3-4 weeks again. Both can't play every game, otherwise we'll end up with more injuries or using Perez/Barnes upfront, which is not what we want. I think both Daka and Iheanacho are better as a 2, but don't think we can give them that luxury at the minute. I think I'd carry on doing what he's doing atm, start Daka upfront, then swap to Kelechi, or use them both in the last 20 if we're desperate for a goal.

 

Also, Albrighton, Barnes and even Lookman seem to be in decent form atm, changing to 2 uptop will mean they have to sit deeper and probably make our attacks worse as a result.

 

I'm the first to bash Rodgers, but think he's doing the right thing atm, it's been working well for the past 4 games, so think we should continue.

[Ric Flair]

2 minutes ago, Leicester_Loyal said:

Problem is with playing 2 upfront is that they are the only 2 strikers we have with Vardy being out for 3-4 weeks again. Both can't play every game, otherwise we'll end up with more injuries or using Perez/Barnes upfront, which is not what we want. I think both Daka and Iheanacho are better as a 2, but don't think we can give them that luxury at the minute. I think I'd carry on doing what he's doing atm, start Daka upfront, then swap to Kelechi, or use them both in the last 20 if we're desperate for a goal.

 

Also, Albrighton, Barnes and even Lookman seem to be in decent form atm, changing to 2 uptop will mean they have to sit deeper and probably make our attacks worse as a result.

 

I'm the first to bash Rodgers, but think he's doing the right thing atm, it's been working well for the past 4 games, so think we should continue.

Both have them have done well in a midfield diamond with Barnes or Lookman up there too, so there is some variation to playing 2 up top.

[Leicester_Loyal]

6 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Both have them have done well in a midfield diamond with Barnes or Lookman up there too, so there is some variation to playing 2 up top.

The diamond is probably the only one we could do and it'd be decent, just don't think Rodgers will try it when we've got back into a good run.

 

Sticking 2 strikers on the pitch would no doubt end up in an injury within the first 30 minutes as well knowing this club

 

Still, at least we're finding minor things to moan about now, rather than the defending, the set pieces, the silly substitutions or the playing unfit or just returned players, long may it continue.

[BKLFox]

Typical FT this trying to squeeze Nacho in because he scored a goal

If i go on most post match threads over the past 6 games the 1 thing that comes up time & time again is the link up play on the left between LT, KDH & HB (This will be mirrored on the right once JJ & Ricky up to speed) but if you want to shoehorn Nacho in to a 2 upfront you realise you can't have that link up right as you end up robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Why can't FT see the bench for what it is & maybe go down the route of Eddie Jones & instead of calling the bench 'substitutes' call them 'finishers' Nacho & Madders coming on last night we had to change shape but it then gives opposition something different to think about & it swung back in our favour with them doing what they were drilled & understood of their role on the night.

If anyone should be unhappy recently its Madders not Nacho he was hitting form but the 433 doesn't cater for him to start & the past 6 games have shown a change in fortunes so do you change it?
 

[Wolfox]

He knows where the onion bag is, doesn’t he?

[Clever Fox]

Someone with such a poor first touch shouldn't be playing at that level. Yet when he gets near goal his touch is so assured.

I'm just wondering is it a concentration issue with him .?

It's like he's half asleep when the Ball comes to him in the middle of the pitch. But when it's in the box 

he's alive to everything.

That was such a great finish last night when he didn't have time or space. Yet his first touch set him up for the finish, which gave the keeper no chance.

Long may it continue.

 

 

 

[The whole world smiles]

21 minutes ago, Clever Fox said:

Someone with such a poor first touch shouldn't be playing at that level. Yet when he gets near goal his touch is so assured.

I'm just wondering is it a concentration issue with him .?

It's like he's half asleep when the Ball comes to him in the middle of the pitch. But when it's in the box 

he's alive to everything.

That was such a great finish last night when he didn't have time or space. Yet his first touch set him up for the finish, which gave the keeper no chance.

Long may it continue.

 

 

 

It's a game time issue. With a run of games his touch awareness etc improves dramatically. 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

He's the greatest footballer what ever lived and anyone that disagrees is a know-nothing flub.

[An Sionnach]

Neither Rodgers nor us will ever turn Iheanacho into a smooth operator. He is a great stalemate breaker though so perhaps the super sub role suits him. As long as he is a potential weapon in every match and he knows he remains a key player, he should be happy.

[Rain King]

[StanSP]

 

 

[smudgerfox]

2 hours ago, BKLFox said:

Typical FT this trying to squeeze Nacho in because he scored a goal

 

Sorry to disappoint you but I think there’s a whole lot more to it than that. Ihenacho’s goal and assist ratio to game time are world class. Despite the wide range of shortcomings and inadequacies regularly identified by his critics, he routinely scores important goals in big games. He scores plenty, he assists plenty. There is no FA Cup win without his goals. 
 

This stuff about him not playing up top on his own is just a tactical failure to adapt to the characteristics of the players available. So what he comes short to receive the ball instead of playing on the shoulder of the last defender? You have runners who receive from him and carry the ball past him and he arrives slightly later in the box - probably near the penalty spot where he scored from last night. If there’s no one further forward the wide runners don’t play the ball across the 6 yard box as they would for Vardy, they pull it back to the advancing Kelechi. 4-2-3-1 is perfect for this with three men in behind the main striker. 
 

How the clubs top scorer of one season can get so little game time the next , will forever be one of the puzzles of Brendan’s time in charge. 

[Stadt]

83 nineties, 45 goals and 25 assists. He’s only started 79 games for us.

[Jabfox]

Just now, Stadt said:

83 nineties, 45 goals and 25 assists. He’s only started 79 games for us.

Not a bad return is it, arguably the best finisher at the club? inside the box he is lethal. 

[RonnieTodger]

Love him

[daddylonglegs]

2 hours ago, BKLFox said:

Typical FT this trying to squeeze Nacho in because he scored a goal

If i go on most post match threads over the past 6 games the 1 thing that comes up time & time again is the link up play on the left between LT, KDH & HB (This will be mirrored on the right once JJ & Ricky up to speed) but if you want to shoehorn Nacho in to a 2 upfront you realise you can't have that link up right as you end up robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Why can't FT see the bench for what it is & maybe go down the route of Eddie Jones & instead of calling the bench 'substitutes' call them 'finishers' Nacho & Madders coming on last night we had to change shape but it then gives opposition something different to think about & it swung back in our favour with them doing what they were drilled & understood of their role on the night.

If anyone should be unhappy recently its Madders not Nacho he was hitting form but the 433 doesn't cater for him to start & the past 6 games have shown a change in fortunes so do you change it?
 

Brendan had no issue shoehorning horribly out of form Ayoze Perez/James Maddison for the best part of 2 years between them. 

 

We have a striker with a basically unmatched minutes per goal contribution record and we don't give him a fair run. Simple as that. 

[SouthStandUpperTier]

27 minutes ago, StanSP said:

 

 

Kel to Youri: "I'll only give it back if you sign a new contract."