Kelechi Iheanacho

[BKLFox]

45 minutes ago, sacreblueits442 said:

....that only works if you have the square pegs in square holes!!!

Hence why he doesn’t start as often as the square pegs do 

[honeybradger]

31 minutes ago, Sampson said:

We all knew that was the case with Kramaric too who you could tell was talented but didn’t fit in our system. We didn’t regret selling him.

 

Sometimes you have a player who is clearly good but you neuter other more key, better players to get them playing well that it just doesn’t become worth it.

 

We’ve always been better as a team with 1 up top. I like Kelechi but I don’t understand why so many want us always to switch to a 2 solely for him as an individual.

What key players would we be neutering to get iheanacho in the side? Our go to XI at the moment is KDH and Tielemans in midfield and barnes and albrighton/lookman on the wings. Barnes has been good recently but was poor for a while before that, I wouldn't necessarily say he's any better than iheanacho. Lookman on the right hasn't been great and albrighton has been good but hasn't been a key player for years. If we switch to a diamond with two up top not only do we get iheanacho into the side but we get maddison in that 10 role with a 3 man midfield behind him which is where he is at his best. Personally if we weigh up barnes+lookman/albrighton vs iheanacho +  maddison I would say the latter pair are better, the main weakness would be that it leaves our flanks exposed which is most likely why Rodgers is focusing on playing wingers but it's not like barnes is good defensively either.

Edited 13 March 2022 by honeybradger

[daddylonglegs]

There’s probably 4 games a season where I’d pick Daka over Iheanacho. 
 

City h/a

Liverpool a

Arsenal a

 

In a game where we were crying out for an outball, Kelechi wasn’t the man for the job 

[Tielemans63]

Schroedingers striker. So effective and yet completely ineffective at the same time.

[Finnegan]

Just now, Tielemans63 said:

Schroedingers striker. So effective and yet completely ineffective at the same time.

 

It's not a fvcking mystery we created fvck all for him. 

[CosbehFox]

I see a lot making the point about him playing in a two upfront and its valid. But equally I see a lot of people when we playing 3 or 5 at the back bemoaning about that. 

 

If he plays with two upfront, it's most of the time three at the back which I think causes us great damage - not so bad if we play a low block. The other option is the diamond in midfield but you have to assess the oppositions full backs, if you think they are going to hurt you, then you are weary of playing it. It also affects Youri's game and takes Barnes out of the team. 

 

It's a quandary with no perfect answer. Our best performances under Rodgers have came with the 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 set up and the team looks more naturally balanced as a result of that. 

[Marshall Cockney Fox]

Can't criticise him for yesterday. Maybe not as mobile as we needed at times. But he still got no service and his better runs weren't picked out. Maddison & Barnes never got close enough to feed him. We have ample talent in our squad. But it means little if you don't get the right blend. 

[Stadt]

I'm starting to think if none of Vardy*, Daka or Iheanacho are that effective up front alone, it might the manager or the systems that are the problem rather than the players. I can't find it now but a few weeks ago I saw some data viz that showed we barely create anything centrally, it's all from the wide areas.

 

 

*Not touching the ball game and then scoring because he's one of the most effective strikers in world football isn't proof the system is effective.

[Finnegan]

11 minutes ago, Stadt said:

I'm starting to think if none of Vardy*, Daka or Iheanacho are that effective up front alone, it might the manager or the systems that are the problem rather than the players. I can't find it now but a few weeks ago I saw some data viz that showed we barely create anything centrally, it's all from the wide areas.

 

 

*Not touching the ball game and then scoring because he's one of the most effective strikers in world football isn't proof the system is effective.

 

We've been horrific at it for about 18 months if not more. 

 

Vardy's super human movement off the ball papers over a lot of cracks. 

 

We have like the lowest xG in the league, it's not a surprise. We really, really struggle to create. Daka and Iheanacho are permanently isolated. 

 

It's a complete nonsense that neither can play "on their own". Football is a team game, nobody is ever "on their own." No striker in the world needs a conventional strike "partner" in the form of another 9 but they all do need support and service from somewhere. 

 

It doesn't matter if we play twin 9s, a traditional 9&10 or if we have 8s getting high up the pitch or anarrow forward cutting in or whatever. It doesn't matter who or what. We just need more bodies getting forward and more passing opportunities to/from our strikers. 

 

Neither Daka or Nacho look like scoring for love nor money at the moment for most of a game. 

 

Nacho's against Rennes was the first time we've actually managed to get the ball to either of their feet in a decent shooting position in the box in about four or five games and even then it was only because Rennes had opened up a lot and the game had become stretched. With all due respect to Nacho (the finish was superb), he didn't exactly have to do a lot to get the chance. 

 

But yeah, I really am getting fvcking fed up of hearing people that clearly don't know what they're talking about keep parroting the same "Iheanacho/Daka needs a striker partner" myth. That's not how football works ffs. 

 

Edited 14 March 2022 by Finnegan

[coolhandfox]

2 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

We've been horrific at it for about 18 months if not more. 

 

Vardy's super human movement off the ball papers over a lot of cracks. 

 

We have like the lowest xG in the league, it's not a surprise. We really, really struggle to create. Daka and Iheanacho are permanently isolated. 

 

It's a complete nonsense that neither can play "on their own". Football is a team game, nobody is ever "on their own." No striker in the world needs a conventional strike "partner" in the form of another 9 but they all do need support and service from somewhere. 

 

It doesn't matter if we play twin 9s, a traditional 9&10 or if we have 8s getting high up the pitch or anarrow forward cutting in or whatever. It doesn't matter who or what. We just need more bodies getting forward and more passing opportunities to/from our strikers. 

 

Neither Daka or Nacho look like scoring for love nor money at the moment for most of a game. 

 

Nacho's against Rennes was the first time we've actually managed to get the ball to either of their feet in a decent shooting position in the box in about four or five games and even then it was only because Rennes had opened up a lot and the game had become stretched. With all due respect to Nacho (the finish was superb), he didn't exactly have to do a lot to get the chance. 

 

But yeah, I really am getting fvcking fed up of hearing people that clearly don't know what they're talking about keep parroting the same "Iheanacho/Daka needs a striker partner" myth. That's not how football works ffs. 

 

100% this......

 

Our 4-3-3 looked more like a 4-5-1 at times.

 

 

Edited 14 March 2022 by coolhandfox

[jerry]

3 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

We've been horrific at it for about 18 months if not more. 

 

Vardy's super human movement off the ball papers over a lot of cracks. 

 

We have like the lowest xG in the league, it's not a surprise. We really, really struggle to create. Daka and Iheanacho are permanently isolated. 

 

It's a complete nonsense that neither can play "on their own". Football is a team game, nobody is ever "on their own." No striker in the world needs a conventional strike "partner" in the form of another 9 but they all do need support and service from somewhere. 

 

It doesn't matter if we play twin 9s, a traditional 9&10 or if we have 8s getting high up the pitch or anarrow forward cutting in or whatever. It doesn't matter who or what. We just need more bodies getting forward and more passing opportunities to/from our strikers. 

 

Neither Daka or Nacho look like scoring for love nor money at the moment for most of a game. 

 

Nacho's against Rennes was the first time we've actually managed to get the ball to either of their feet in a decent shooting position in the box in about four or five games and even then it was only because Rennes had opened up a lot and the game had become stretched. With all due respect to Nacho (the finish was superb), he didn't exactly have to do a lot to get the chance. 

 

But yeah, I really am getting fvcking fed up of hearing people that clearly don't know what they're talking about keep parroting the same "Iheanacho/Daka needs a striker partner" myth. That's not how football works ffs. 

 

the Ihenacho / vardy tandem worked really well the previous season which somewhat disputed your analysis. But then again we are all good at managing from the sideline I suppose.😊

[Finnegan]

4 minutes ago, jerry said:

the Ihenacho / vardy tandem worked really well the previous season which somewhat disputed your analysis. But then again we are all good at managing from the sideline I suppose.😊

 

It doesn't dispute anything at all, I'm not sure what you mean by that.

 

I'm not suggesting for one moment that Iheanacho CAN'T play with a strike partner, I'm saying that he doesn't "need to play in a two." He just needs support around him. If we can't get support to him in any way OTHER than playing Vardy or Daka alongside him than that's a reflection of our tactics more than him.

 

[jerry]

Just now, Finnegan said:

 

It doesn't dispute anything at all, I'm not sure what you mean by that.

 

I'm not suggesting for one moment that Iheanacho CAN'T play with a strike partner, I'm saying that he doesn't "need to play in a two." He just needs support around him. If we can't get support to him in any way OTHER than playing Vardy or Daka alongside him than that's a reflection of our tactics more than him.

 

Iheanacho  is primarily a goal scorer, not good at holding up the ball and retaining possession but as a foil to Vardy it seems to work. Playing the ball up to him when he is isolated just doesn't seem to work. But as with conceeding regularly at corners you would hope a Manager on 10 mil a season would be able to find a solution.

[Wilfcho]

17 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

We've been horrific at it for about 18 months if not more. 

 

Vardy's super human movement off the ball papers over a lot of cracks. 

 

We have like the lowest xG in the league, it's not a surprise. We really, really struggle to create. Daka and Iheanacho are permanently isolated. 

 

It's a complete nonsense that neither can play "on their own". Football is a team game, nobody is ever "on their own." No striker in the world needs a conventional strike "partner" in the form of another 9 but they all do need support and service from somewhere. 

 

It doesn't matter if we play twin 9s, a traditional 9&10 or if we have 8s getting high up the pitch or anarrow forward cutting in or whatever. It doesn't matter who or what. We just need more bodies getting forward and more passing opportunities to/from our strikers. 

 

Neither Daka or Nacho look like scoring for love nor money at the moment for most of a game. 

 

Nacho's against Rennes was the first time we've actually managed to get the ball to either of their feet in a decent shooting position in the box in about four or five games and even then it was only because Rennes had opened up a lot and the game had become stretched. With all due respect to Nacho (the finish was superb), he didn't exactly have to do a lot to get the chance. 

 

But yeah, I really am getting fvcking fed up of hearing people that clearly don't know what they're talking about keep parroting the same "Iheanacho/Daka needs a striker partner" myth. That's not how football works ffs. 

 

God bless you

[Ric Flair]

18 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

We've been horrific at it for about 18 months if not more. 

 

Vardy's super human movement off the ball papers over a lot of cracks. 

 

We have like the lowest xG in the league, it's not a surprise. We really, really struggle to create. Daka and Iheanacho are permanently isolated. 

 

It's a complete nonsense that neither can play "on their own". Football is a team game, nobody is ever "on their own." No striker in the world needs a conventional strike "partner" in the form of another 9 but they all do need support and service from somewhere. 

 

It doesn't matter if we play twin 9s, a traditional 9&10 or if we have 8s getting high up the pitch or anarrow forward cutting in or whatever. It doesn't matter who or what. We just need more bodies getting forward and more passing opportunities to/from our strikers. 

 

Neither Daka or Nacho look like scoring for love nor money at the moment for most of a game. 

 

Nacho's against Rennes was the first time we've actually managed to get the ball to either of their feet in a decent shooting position in the box in about four or five games and even then it was only because Rennes had opened up a lot and the game had become stretched. With all due respect to Nacho (the finish was superb), he didn't exactly have to do a lot to get the chance. 

 

But yeah, I really am getting fvcking fed up of hearing people that clearly don't know what they're talking about keep parroting the same "Iheanacho/Daka needs a striker partner" myth. That's not how football works ffs. 

 

Some strikers need other strikers to help create space for them to be played in. You're right that it's about support in numbers and that doesn't simply have to be by playing two up top but there's often a difference in outcome. 

 

Iheanacho scores and assists quite frequently when he's in a structure just behind another striker who stretches the pitch and allows him space to attack the ball when it comes to him in and around the box. It helps hide his suspect 1st touch when the opposition aren't surrounded him in numbers.

 

Daka almost always played in a 4-1-3-2 / 4-2-2-2 at Salzburg and I'm inclined to agree that for him it's more just close proximity support that could come in the form of wingers or a #10 but there's definitely something in his movement right now and anticipation that sees him taken out of the game because he isn't afforded any time or space to do what he's good at which is finishes chance inside the 18 yard box. We've not got him in a 1 on 1 chance for months either.

[Finnegan]

7 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

Some strikers need other strikers to help create space for them to be played in. You're right that it's about support in numbers and that doesn't simply have to be by playing two up top but there's often a difference in outcome. 

 

Every footballer in the world (except maybe peak Messi ten years ago) needs people near him. Nobody is going to beat a set defence on their own consistently. 

 

But it just doesn't need to be another 9.

 

Iheanacho is better as a deeper lying forward who drops towards the ball and looks to link up. He's got a surprisingly good passing range and vision and actually turns provider quite nicely. 

 

All of that also describes both Harry Kane, who's won golden boots playing this way, and Roberto Firmino who's won the Premier and Champions Leagues playing that way. 

 

Now, both of those players are extremely different and operate in their respective systems in completely different ways but they're both "lone" central strikers. They both rely on overlapping runs from midfielders and wingers getting beyond them to either create space for them or utilise the space they leave. 

 

This is the problem for Iheanacho. When Leicester fans say "he can't play up front on his own" what they actually mean is he's not as good as Jamie Vardy at having us punt the ball down field and hopelessly pray that he can do something with it on his own. That's moronic, it's over reliance on a world class talisman and its holding everyone else up to his standard. Most strikers can't and don't play exactly like Jamie Vardy.

 

Nacho needs support but it doesn't need to be another striker in front of him. It just needs to be bodies but progressively over the last two years Rodgers has allowed fewer and fewer and fewer people to get forward in to attacking positions. 

 

Look at the team that beat Southampton 0-9 during the absolute peak of the best football we've played under Rodgers. 

 

The first goal is scored by our left back (who also got two assists.) We consistently had two full backs overlapping and running right to the byline to get attacking balls in, this pushed both wide forwards inside towards the box. Barnes began to get the knack for scoring, Perez' default starting position was always very narrow like a somewhat off centre 10. 

 

Then behind them, Rodgers was working hard to coach Madders' defensive side of the game (something he praised him openly on) so that he could have the confidence to play an "attacking" midfielder as one of two centre mids who both had licence to push right up high towards the opposition box. Both he and Tielemans scored that day. 

 

Compare that to now. I can't be arsed to go trawling for data but I absolutely guarantee if you look at an average position map from the first four months of 19/20 and you compare it to the time since, we've gotten progressively more negative as players all drop further and further back. Our full backs in particular have had less licence to attack, Youri has been pulled further and further back in to defensive roles, we've started relying on the like of Albrighton to play wide because he's "better defensively."

 

All because Rodgers has no idea how to coach an 11 man defensive unit. His answer to our defensive challenges has always been to just chuck numbers at it. It's why he's convinced that just putting an extra centre back on makes us more solid and I know @Mark will be along in a second to agree that's a complete myth.

 

These days we just get absolutely nowhere near the support around a striker that we need. Vardy hides the problem because he's so fvcking good but it's a problem that's been there for a while now and it's reached its peak this year. At no point did we ever look like getting anything out of Arsenal, I couldn't have seen us scoring all day. There was just no attacking threat anywhere. Not because Daka or Iheanacho were played as central strikers but because neither had any sufficient support from a solid attacking shape. 

 

But it's OK, because JJ and Wilf got a run out. 

 

[ian__marshall]

The irritating thing about our current predicament is that when Kel and Daka play together they seem to have a a superb natural understanding of each others game and look like they've played in a front two partnership for years. I'd love to see that combination with Tielemans and Maddison feeding balls to them pair it'd be absolutely lethal as both have that killer instinct in front of goal. 

Edited 15 March 2022 by ian__marshall
Correcting an autocorrect 😂

[Itsthejoeker]

19 hours ago, Stadt said:

I'm starting to think if none of Vardy*, Daka or Iheanacho are that effective up front alone, it might the manager or the systems that are the problem rather than the players. I can't find it now but a few weeks ago I saw some data viz that showed we barely create anything centrally, it's all from the wide areas.

 

 

*Not touching the ball game and then scoring because he's one of the most effective strikers in world football isn't proof the system is effective.

Precisely this, if you go back and look and Vardys goals over the years they’re all played over the top or through the middle and Daka seems to be the same type of player. 
 

Can’t remember the last time I saw one of our forwards 1 on 1 with the keeper. 

[messerschmitt]

8 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Every footballer in the world (except maybe peak Messi ten years ago) needs people near him. Nobody is going to beat a set defence on their own consistently. 

 

But it just doesn't need to be another 9.

 

Iheanacho is better as a deeper lying forward who drops towards the ball and looks to link up. He's got a surprisingly good passing range and vision and actually turns provider quite nicely. 

 

All of that also describes both Harry Kane, who's won golden boots playing this way, and Roberto Firmino who's won the Premier and Champions Leagues playing that way. 

 

Now, both of those players are extremely different and operate in their respective systems in completely different ways but they're both "lone" central strikers. They both rely on overlapping runs from midfielders and wingers getting beyond them to either create space for them or utilise the space they leave. 

 

This is the problem for Iheanacho. When Leicester fans say "he can't play up front on his own" what they actually mean is he's not as good as Jamie Vardy at having us punt the ball down field and hopelessly pray that he can do something with it on his own. That's moronic, it's over reliance on a world class talisman and its holding everyone else up to his standard. Most strikers can't and don't play exactly like Jamie Vardy.

 

Nacho needs support but it doesn't need to be another striker in front of him. It just needs to be bodies but progressively over the last two years Rodgers has allowed fewer and fewer and fewer people to get forward in to attacking positions. 

 

Look at the team that beat Southampton 0-9 during the absolute peak of the best football we've played under Rodgers. 

 

The first goal is scored by our left back (who also got two assists.) We consistently had two full backs overlapping and running right to the byline to get attacking balls in, this pushed both wide forwards inside towards the box. Barnes began to get the knack for scoring, Perez' default starting position was always very narrow like a somewhat off centre 10. 

 

Then behind them, Rodgers was working hard to coach Madders' defensive side of the game (something he praised him openly on) so that he could have the confidence to play an "attacking" midfielder as one of two centre mids who both had licence to push right up high towards the opposition box. Both he and Tielemans scored that day. 

 

Compare that to now. I can't be arsed to go trawling for data but I absolutely guarantee if you look at an average position map from the first four months of 19/20 and you compare it to the time since, we've gotten progressively more negative as players all drop further and further back. Our full backs in particular have had less licence to attack, Youri has been pulled further and further back in to defensive roles, we've started relying on the like of Albrighton to play wide because he's "better defensively."

 

All because Rodgers has no idea how to coach an 11 man defensive unit. His answer to our defensive challenges has always been to just chuck numbers at it. It's why he's convinced that just putting an extra centre back on makes us more solid and I know @Mark will be along in a second to agree that's a complete myth.

 

These days we just get absolutely nowhere near the support around a striker that we need. Vardy hides the problem because he's so fvcking good but it's a problem that's been there for a while now and it's reached its peak this year. At no point did we ever look like getting anything out of Arsenal, I couldn't have seen us scoring all day. There was just no attacking threat anywhere. Not because Daka or Iheanacho were played as central strikers but because neither had any sufficient support from a solid attacking shape. 

 

But it's OK, because JJ and Wilf got a run out. 

 

This is almost exactly what I've thought. I mentioned in another post if we were to play that Southampton game again after their sending off and us at 1 nil up we would have brought another defender and invited pressure on us to draw or lose 2.1

[StriderHiryu]

19 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

 

 

We have like the lowest xG in the league, it's not a surprise. We really, really struggle to create. Daka and Iheanacho are permanently isolated. 

 

 

 

This stat is accurate, and yet the crazy thing is we have scored a LOT of goals. It does make you wonder if at anytime the wheels will totally come off and we will stop scoring, but so far it hasn't happened. It is a big yikes!

 

But yeah our strikers are always isolated. I was at the Arsenal game and I think I counted Kelechi touching the ball maybe 6 times before he came off. I think he had one shot the entire match. You're not going to score with that kind of service, no matter who you are.

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

1 hour ago, ian__marshall said:

The irritating thing about our current predicament is that when Kel and Daka play together they seem to have a a superb natural understanding of each others game and look like they've played in a front two partnership for years. I'd love to see that combination with Tielemans and Maddison feeling balls to them pair it'd be absolutely lethal as both have that killer instinct in front of goal. 

[Oldblueyes]

7 minutes ago, Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot said:

Good point, however where do the likes of Barnes, Lookman etc fit into that type of system. Most big clubs now no longer play with traditional No 9's anyway.

[Ric Flair]

2 hours ago, Finnegan said:

 

Every footballer in the world (except maybe peak Messi ten years ago) needs people near him. Nobody is going to beat a set defence on their own consistently. 

 

But it just doesn't need to be another 9.

 

Iheanacho is better as a deeper lying forward who drops towards the ball and looks to link up. He's got a surprisingly good passing range and vision and actually turns provider quite nicely. 

 

All of that also describes both Harry Kane, who's won golden boots playing this way, and Roberto Firmino who's won the Premier and Champions Leagues playing that way. 

 

Now, both of those players are extremely different and operate in their respective systems in completely different ways but they're both "lone" central strikers. They both rely on overlapping runs from midfielders and wingers getting beyond them to either create space for them or utilise the space they leave. 

 

This is the problem for Iheanacho. When Leicester fans say "he can't play up front on his own" what they actually mean is he's not as good as Jamie Vardy at having us punt the ball down field and hopelessly pray that he can do something with it on his own. That's moronic, it's over reliance on a world class talisman and its holding everyone else up to his standard. Most strikers can't and don't play exactly like Jamie Vardy.

 

Nacho needs support but it doesn't need to be another striker in front of him. It just needs to be bodies but progressively over the last two years Rodgers has allowed fewer and fewer and fewer people to get forward in to attacking positions. 

 

Look at the team that beat Southampton 0-9 during the absolute peak of the best football we've played under Rodgers. 

 

The first goal is scored by our left back (who also got two assists.) We consistently had two full backs overlapping and running right to the byline to get attacking balls in, this pushed both wide forwards inside towards the box. Barnes began to get the knack for scoring, Perez' default starting position was always very narrow like a somewhat off centre 10. 

 

Then behind them, Rodgers was working hard to coach Madders' defensive side of the game (something he praised him openly on) so that he could have the confidence to play an "attacking" midfielder as one of two centre mids who both had licence to push right up high towards the opposition box. Both he and Tielemans scored that day. 

 

Compare that to now. I can't be arsed to go trawling for data but I absolutely guarantee if you look at an average position map from the first four months of 19/20 and you compare it to the time since, we've gotten progressively more negative as players all drop further and further back. Our full backs in particular have had less licence to attack, Youri has been pulled further and further back in to defensive roles, we've started relying on the like of Albrighton to play wide because he's "better defensively."

 

All because Rodgers has no idea how to coach an 11 man defensive unit. His answer to our defensive challenges has always been to just chuck numbers at it. It's why he's convinced that just putting an extra centre back on makes us more solid and I know @Mark will be along in a second to agree that's a complete myth.

 

These days we just get absolutely nowhere near the support around a striker that we need. Vardy hides the problem because he's so fvcking good but it's a problem that's been there for a while now and it's reached its peak this year. At no point did we ever look like getting anything out of Arsenal, I couldn't have seen us scoring all day. There was just no attacking threat anywhere. Not because Daka or Iheanacho were played as central strikers but because neither had any sufficient support from a solid attacking shape. 

 

But it's OK, because JJ and Wilf got a run out. 

 

This opens up the whole debate about formations vs players though doesn't it. I mean we could play 4-4-2 with Maddison up front or Barnes vs Iheanacho and Daka or Vardy. Would the end result be the same in output? Probably not.

 

Iheanacho playing in the Harry Kane role runs in to trouble as soon as he has to control the ball and link those running ahead of him. Watch him closely and he cannot control a ball that comes from distance or height, he can however get on the ball, turn and he's elite level at linking the play. But the moments are often snuffed out or lost if you cannot get the ball down and open the team up.

 

Does that mean he is better with a striker ahead of him vs having 2 runners to play in, we'll the reason why I'd say yes is because of the space another striker playing high up at all times gives is it drags players away from Iheanacho which is often all he needs to find space himself to get on the ball. His 1st touch is less exposed and he then wreaks havoc.

 

I didn't enjoy the 3-4-1-2 of last season except for one player and that was Seniorman. Watch some of the highlights back and although Vardy was a disaster in front of goal, he made the movement that allowed Iheanacho so many opportunities to get on the ball in and around the box. He simply doesn't get that this season. So would Iheanacho have got that simply from the support of other players rather than another striker? Only if those around him provided what that striker did and that's our issue.

 

You are absolutely right about the team as a whole not attacking and defending in unison compared to the peak 2019/20 stuff but I'm also now looking at it that it's more of a task for Rodgers to get us back to that (if he even can) than it is to utilise 2 of the 3 very good strikers he has. No other club in the league has the striking options we do, so why would you make the game harder for yourself by not using them and instead trying to build a system that makes you as dangerous as you are with 2 of them on the pitch because perhaps its more of a flexible and dynamic system. All well and good but we aren't doing that either.

 

I love wingers, but I also love old fashioned ruthless strikers and we're getting the worst of both worlds at times now under this regime.

[Big_Nige]

I think because of the injuries and patchwork defences we’ve had to put out this season Rodgers has, out of necessity in his mind, become conservative. Now I don’t mind that if you become hard to beat and win games with steely determination, but we don’t. We have a soft underbelly. As a team we’re caught in two minds, rarely have enough players in the box, and have become quite predictable with passing lanes and movement. So therefore we recycle the ball a lot, going back to the centrebacks and probing without really creating trouble for the opposition. The 10 minute spell late in the first half at the weekend where we had 80% possession is a prime example. 
 

We focus our attacks by creating triangles down either flank, predominantly the left, but 9 times out of 10 that results in Barnes either cutting in and getting crowded out, our putting a ball in the box for only 1 or 2 players. We rarely have the fullbacks overlapping anymore, or even tucking inside causing overloads. Ricardo when fit does it naturally, like against Burnley when Pope pulled off a worldie save after he was found inside the box, but without him, JJ or Castagne at peak fitness realistically we aren’t going to play like that. It’s not in Thomas’s skill set yet, and there’s clearly a pattern of play involved when it comes to how we currently try and attack, and it doesn’t involve rampaging fullbacks.

Big believer in players and not systems, but Im not a massive fan of how we are interpreting the 4-3-3, in possession our wingers are very wide and just leaves players isolated, but I think that’s just a natural knock on effect of playing with the handbrake on, like we have done for the best part of a year now. 
 

it just means that whoever we play up top are isolated. I hope that when, and if, the majority are back 100% fit, I’m talking Fofana, JJ, Ricardo, Castagne here, then the hand break will come off a bit, because that will naturally help whoever is up top

[Sharpe's Fox]

I see the Iheanacho thing with some sort of bafflement to be honest. I never bought into the hype last season when people were saying he was better than Vardy but then again I never pelted him with abuse before that because its easy to see what he is, a centre forward who is poor at leading the line but comes alive in the penalty box. It's easy to see as well that a 3-5-2 to facilitate him makes us a worse team in possession and we look better balanced with a more consistent threat with Barnes in a 4-3-3.