Iheanacho

[Free Falling Foxes]

If he moves to a prem club and starts in most of their matches, I reckon he'll get 15 to 20 goals next season . 

I hope he succeeds wherever he goes, though it will just rubber stamp what many on here have said; he has been criminally underused and treated poorly during his time here.

[eleven points]

5 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I think the team has underperformed as a whole, no one is blameless. 

 

We only outperformed our goals for xg by 2.01, so not sure that's strictly true. 

 

However, we underperformed defensively by 8.21 for xg against.

 

Not sure any part of the team is blameless.

 

Maybe not as at fault as others, but not blameless as some have made out. 

 

I wouldn't say he performed at an incredibly high standard I think that is a real stretch, he's been inconsistent in games let alone the season. He had moments of magic and the odd good game. 

 

Do I feel he should have been used more, 100% 

 

 

His average rating from whoscored is 6.47

His average rating from sofascore is 6.77

 

I don't think you pick up those sorts of scores if you are performed to an incredibly high standard,

 

 

That Whoscored rating includes a lot of short substitute appearances. Fairer to judge him on his 11 starts where he averaged 6.92, which would put him as one of our higher rated players.

[fox_up_north]

For every brilliant bit of play, you get a daft fumble. That's why Man City sold him to us but shouldn't be the reason he's been used so poorly and infrequently. 

 

[majaco]

I think he is likely to move on.  We will need such a rebuild.  Aside from the out of contract players moving on, I can see us selling Justin, Castagne,   Ndidi, Maddison,  Barnes  and Iheanacho. 

[Nod.E]

While we'll need funds, that's not for debate, we could probably only fetch no more than £15m for him. 

 

By the time we've replaced him (£5m?), you're looking at a £10m saving plus wage savings. 

 

The value we'd get from a season of him in the Championship is worth more than that, and while I'm sure he'd consider a move, I don't think he'd push for one.

 

Let's recoup our losses elsewhere.

[Chelmofox]

Just now, Nod.E said:

While we'll need funds, that's not for debate, we could probably only fetch no more than £15m for him. 

 

By the time we've replaced him (£5m?), you're looking at a £10m saving plus wage savings. 

 

The value we'd get from a season of him in the Championship is worth more than that, and while I'm sure he'd consider a move, I don't think he'd push for one.

 

Let's recoup our losses elsewhere.

I don't get this though. In some cases its OK to run the contract down? All it takes is for him to get injured (or forget his shooting boots again) and it looks like a ludicrously expensive decision.  

[Finnegan]

31 minutes ago, Foxxed said:

For me he is often most useful as a creator. I'm not sure xG shows that. Beautiful assist for Barnes' last goal for the club...

 

Which is exactly why I think imperative we keep him and why I would be partnering him with Daka next year. 

 

18 minutes ago, coolhandfox said:

I hope we keep him too and wish we had played him more this year.

 

I think that's just Nacho.

 

But I feel some of the fan bases are a little over the top on how he performed this season. 

 

Tbf there's been few bright sparks and we've looked better when he's played. But this is foxestalk, hyperbole is a prime currency. 

[Finnegan]

4 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

While we'll need funds, that's not for debate, we could probably only fetch no more than £15m for him. 

 

By the time we've replaced him (£5m?), you're looking at a £10m saving plus wage savings. 

 

The value we'd get from a season of him in the Championship is worth more than that, and while I'm sure he'd consider a move, I don't think he'd push for one.

 

Let's recoup our losses elsewhere.

 

100% this. Don't think much more needs to be said really. 

[Nod.E]

1 minute ago, Chelmofox said:

I don't get this though. In some cases its OK to run the contract down? All it takes is for him to get injured (or forget his shooting boots again) and it looks like a ludicrously expensive decision.  

Always a gamble of course, one that if it was my choice I'd not take 9 times out of 10. 

 

I think it's a gamble worth taking with Kel, personally.

[Babylon]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

Which is exactly why I think imperative we keep him and why I would be partnering him with Daka next year. 

 

 

Tbf there's been few bright sparks and we've looked better when he's played. But this is foxestalk, hyperbole is a prime currency. 

I'd prioritise keeping him, Daka and Barnes. You've got guaranteed goals and assists in abundance there. 

[Chelmofox]

Just now, Nod.E said:

Always a gamble of course, one that if it was my choice I'd not take 9 times out of 10. 

 

I think it's a gamble worth taking with Kel, personally.

I wonder if the gamble is there to offer him a new deal. I'm firmly the believer that he could be our Madders replacement but going into next year with 1 year remaining scares me. If contract rumours are correct then he is getting reduced anyway, and i strongly doubt in Italy / Spain he is going to get much more than we would offer, and bottom tier PL aren't going to beat what we were paying. Offer him a new deal with a brucy bonus for promotion and a guaranteed salary in the PL.  New culture, new squad and put Rodgers behind him. Smith showed that he trusted Kels.

[Haywood_6]

We'll be offloading a lot of players but if the club have got any sense they should do everything in their power to keep Iheanacho.

 

I actually think he could fire us back to the Premier League like Mitrovic did for Fulham.

 

[TMELcfc]

3 minutes ago, Babylon said:

I'd prioritise keeping him, Daka and Barnes. You've got guaranteed goals and assists in abundance there. 

Surely we need to sell one of those three... Or are we not quite in such a mess financially as what some have claimed? Madders + one other I thought would be a minimum in terms of generating money, but we will also end up having a much lower wage bill once all the contracts have expired. 

[AjcW]

10 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Which is exactly why I think imperative we keep him and why I would be partnering him with Daka next year. 

 

Do you genuinely think this is possible? Not a dig by the way, honestly interested to see if you think it's a genuine possibility.

 

Someone like Ralf with his 4-4-2 would piss the league with those two up top  

[ARM1968]

Barnes is going. I’d keep itchy. A trio of Vardy, Daka and Itchy is good enough for Championship. other areas need a rebuild. Not that. 

[Guesty]

6 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

I don't get this though. In some cases its OK to run the contract down? All it takes is for him to get injured (or forget his shooting boots again) and it looks like a ludicrously expensive decision.  

There's a difference between running your contract down because you want to leave and get a much bigger signing on fee somewhere else. Than staying at a relegated club because you like being there and are prepared to play for one season at a level that is beneath you.

 

You are right, it's a risk vs reward. But ideally, we want to come up back up straight away. So probably worth the risk.

 

[Finnegan]

8 minutes ago, Babylon said:

I'd prioritise keeping him, Daka and Barnes. You've got guaranteed goals and assists in abundance there. 

 

Not only do I think it's an absolute fairytale to think we'll keep Barnes, I don't think we can really afford to. 

 

I'm normally one of the first to roll my eyes at people (including nationally renowned journalists) claiming to know the inside scoop on our finances because our owners are famous for keeping their cards close to their chest. 

 

But it seems fairly undeniable that we owe a decent amount of money to Macquire. Even though I imagine we'll restructure that loan and people acting like their isn't a relegation contingency for it are probably a bit naive, it's a fair bet we probably will lose most of the parachute payments. 

 

Given that Maddison and Barnes represent about a combined 100m even if you're being pessimistic, we probably can't afford to keep them given we need significant depth throughout the squad. 

[AKCJ]

Will be absolutely gutted if/when he goes. Wonder if Kompany will want him at Burnley.

[Finnegan]

3 minutes ago, AjcW said:

Do you genuinely think this is possible? Not a dig by the way, honestly interested to see if you think it's a genuine possibility.

 

Someone like Ralf with his 4-4-2 would piss the league with those two up top  

 

Daka is under a long term contract and as Nod.E said, the value of selling Iheanacho is probably less than the potential value of keeping him. 

 

I dont see either being the sort of personality to down tools and refuse to play and I don't think either are going to attract bids so silly we have to accept. 

 

Given how difficult it is to find goal scorers, I personally think we'd be insane to let either go and we absolutely, 100% definitely don't NEED to. 

 

I think they'll be quite low down the list of players we consider selling personally. But then we've made some honking decisions in the last eighteen odd months so idk.

[Chelmofox]

1 minute ago, Guesty said:

There's a difference between running your contract down because you want to leave and get a much bigger signing on fee somewhere else. Than staying at a relegated club because you like being there and are prepared to play for one season at a level that is beneath you.

 

You are right, it's a risk vs reward. But ideally, we want to come up back up straight away. So probably worth the risk.

 

Its a real fine line and im not sure its all conscious as well. By the time you get to Jan / Feb you have one eye on whats next, and not getting injured becomes a priority.  Then the fine margins come into play and performances drop.

 

Running contracts down has been identified as one of the biggest causes of our problems. No exceptions from here on, because once you start doing it you wont stop. Either sort some type of deal out or cash in.

[AjcW]

1 minute ago, Finnegan said:

 

Daka is under a long term contract and as Nod.E said, the value of selling Iheanacho is probably less than the potential value of keeping him. 

 

I dont see either being the sort of personality to down tools and refuse to play and I don't think either are going to attract bids so silly we have to accept. 

 

Given how difficult it is to find goal scorers, I personally think we'd be insane to let either go and we absolutely, 100% definitely don't NEED to. 

 

I think they'll be quite low down the list of players we consider selling personally. But then we've made some honking decisions in the last eighteen odd months so idk.

One thing to consider, not a massive issue, is that AFCON is back in its winter slot again in January next year. 

So if we kept both as our main strikers, and Zambia and Nigeria qualify, we'd need two able back ups as well. 

[AKCJ]

2 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

Daka is under a long term contract and as Nod.E said, the value of selling Iheanacho is probably less than the potential value of keeping him. 

 

I dont see either being the sort of personality to down tools and refuse to play and I don't think either are going to attract bids so silly we have to accept. 

 

Given how difficult it is to find goal scorers, I personally think we'd be insane to let either go and we absolutely, 100% definitely don't NEED to. 

 

I think they'll be quite low down the list of players we consider selling personally. But then we've made some honking decisions in the last eighteen odd months so idk.

I'd be pretty amazed if Daka isn't our number 9 next season.

 

Iheanacho is definitely off IMO. Too good to play at that level and at an age where he should be the starting striker for a mid-table to Europa League level club.

[Finnegan]

7 minutes ago, Chelmofox said:

Its a real fine line and im not sure its all conscious as well. By the time you get to Jan / Feb you have one eye on whats next, and not getting injured becomes a priority.  Then the fine margins come into play and performances drop.

 

Running contracts down has been identified as one of the biggest causes of our problems. No exceptions from here on, because once you start doing it you wont stop. Either sort some type of deal out or cash in.

 

If you mean in terms of attitude, this is plainly bollocks in my opinion. Look at Soyuncu, all this fuss about him not wanting to be here and the manager questioning his loyalty and then when Rodgers is sacked and he comes in, even with apparently nothing to play for, he plays like a lion. He's an absolute pro. 

 

Personally think the idiots claiming Youri or Madders downed tools are just chatting shit as well. 

 

Players running down contracts don't magically stop caring about their professional pride or their sense of competition. These guys are elite athletes, they nearly all want to win for the sakes of winning. 

 

It should have been straightforward for Rodgers to cultivate a culture at the club that said you were fine running your contract down and it isn't a problem but while you're here you live and die for the team. Rodgers wanted to make it political, he used the contract situations to try and get more money fir players, he was being a self promoting **** trying to arm wrestle Top in public over funding. Rodgers made it a big deal, it shouldn't ever have been. 

 

There's nothing wrong with players running out the clock and leaving for free. They're perfectly entitled to, they aren't doing it for nefarious reasons. It's just part of football. 

 

And if you mean it financially then, hey, look how many times we've benefited from it historically. Free transfers were a core part of the team that got us promoted, survived and then won the league. Nobody was calling Marc Albrighton out or questioning his attitude to Villa were they. He's a pro. They love Wasyl so much in Belgium they came to visit him. 

 

Edited 30 May 2023 by Finnegan

[The boy Linacre]

29 minutes ago, Nod.E said:

While we'll need funds, that's not for debate, we could probably only fetch no more than £15m for him. 

 

By the time we've replaced him (£5m?), you're looking at a £10m saving plus wage savings. 

 

The value we'd get from a season of him in the Championship is worth more than that, and while I'm sure he'd consider a move, I don't think he'd push for one.

 

Let's recoup our losses elsewhere.

With the right ammo in the Champs, he'd score a hatful.  We can look for another right winger

[Finnegan]

5 minutes ago, AKCJ said:

I'd be pretty amazed if Daka isn't our number 9 next season.

 

Iheanacho is definitely off IMO. Too good to play at that level and at an age where he should be the starting striker for a mid-table to Europa League level club.

 

There's no reason they can't both be here. 

 

The more players "far too good for that level" the better, we want to absolutely leave no doubt and walk to a 100+ point promotion if possible surely. 

 

He has no divine right to leave, we have him under contract and that goes both ways.

 

There's two questions - do we think he's unprofessional and dishonest enough to refuse to do his job? And do we think his value sold exceeds his value retained? 

 

Personally I think the answer to both is no. Whilst I don't doubt he'd be an asset to Brighton or Brentford, we have to be willing to sell and I personally think we'd be crazy to.