Iheanacho

[eblair]

System we play doesn’t give strikers chances to score. They’re so pivotal to linking in the wingers and attacking mids, they drop deep

 

We don’t play anything in front of the strikers. If we played a system for Kel to score goals he will at this level

[Chelmofox]

7 minutes ago, AjcW said:

The amount of rubbish you hear about him you’d think he was a club legend who could do no wrong.

 

”he just needs a run of games”

 

Has run of games…

 

”oh he’s not really a 9”

 

Scored tap ins for fun before we signed him

 

”oh it’s the system that doesn’t suit him”

 

Has played under several managers, several systems and several styles of play! 
 

What’s next? “Oh it’s a tough league, you watch when we play against a similar side” 🙈🙈

There is an excuse lined up for every problem. 

 

Literally, there are fans who could come home to find Nacho shagging their other half, but doing it really, really, really badly. Instead of being annoyed that he is shagging their missus, they would excuse how crap he is because 'he hasn't had enough goes at it' or 'he was holding her b00bs quite well and just needed a bit of luck'.

 

1 hour ago, Bert said:

Yeah I was leaving as he was leaving too. Gave a little wave whilst he was in his car. Got straight in his car after Cov at home as well. 

 

How can someone so universally loved by the fans give such little back and get away with it?

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Chelmofox said:

There is an excuse lined up for every problem. 

 

Literally, there are fans who could come home to find Nacho shagging their other half, but doing it really, really, really badly. Instead of being annoyed that he is shagging their missus, they would excuse how crap he is because 'he hasn't had enough goes at it' or 'he was holding her b00bs quite well and just needed a bit of luck'.

 

 

How can someone so universally loved by the fans give such little back and get away with it?

Yeah and there are also fans who could come home to find him cooking their tea before handing them a cheque for a million pounds and complain that he'd laid out the cutlery wrong when he set the table or his handwriting was a bit untidy on the cheque

[Dan LCFC]

I'm prepared to get absolutely mauled for this but I think in this system I'd sooner have him where KDH is than as a striker. He doesn't get on the ball or get any chances and it's wasting him.

[Neutral]

I am not going to come here and defend any players for how they perform, but there's quite obviously an issue with the system Leicester are using in terms of involving the strikers and producing chances for them. Say what you want about Kelechi or even Vardy, but the two of them have proven to be goal threats and creators at a higher level throughout their careers, and it is not like they are missing a bunch of chances with poor finishes or touches.

 

It seems like Maresca is playing a system very similar to Pep's, with technical central players and the wingers very wide. It works for Manchester City because their central players are extremely creative and good finishers/shooters who take advantage of the wingers pulling the opposition wide, and their wingers can also beat their man 1 v. 1 and put in service if it gets switched wide with all the focus centrally. The benefit of having infinite funds to curate your squad.

 

LCFC's midfield is not anywhere near that level creatively, even relative to the lower competition. KDH and Casadei will are good at breaking late into the box and scoring, but are not great passers or technical players. Winks is not creative or forward thinking at all. Ndidi is a great athlete and tackler who has been willing to throw himself forward in this system, but he's never going to breaking sides down with passing. The wide players are talented, but they are shunted so far wide, that it's difficult to create from the position. Iheanacho is isolated as a result (Vardy as well) and that doesn't play to his strengths at all. You have seen that he is a big threat when he has players close to him that can link with and especially with players willing to run ahead of him. In this system, the only players near him are mostly non-threatening midfielders, while the forwards he would prefer to link with are on the touch line. I watched the match today, and he did not play very well, but he wasn't set up for success at all, tbh.

 

Your team will likely be fine due to the general high level of talent, but it's hard to see this team scoring a ton of goals. Your system contradicts the strikers you have (Vardy and Daka looking to run in behind which won't happen with the slow passing and low blocks, Iheanacho looking to interchange, I don't know the boy you just signed or if he's suited) and the team is not creative overall. They really needed  a quality central creator or a striker stylistically similar to Haaland who could feeds off scraps/low involvement and threaten with physicality. Honestly seems like adjustments are needed.

[KFS]

3 hours ago, eblair said:

System we play doesn’t give strikers chances to score. They’re so pivotal to linking in the wingers and attacking mids, they drop deep

 

We don’t play anything in front of the strikers. If we played a system for Kel to score goals he will at this level

Disagree - Vardy keeps doing that stupid flicked finish into the defender. Happened last two league games in a row. Hopefully with Cannon’s technical ability he might be able to do more than what we’ve seen out of the two we’ve had playing. 

[Guest BlueBrett]

8 hours ago, eblair said:

System we play doesn’t give strikers chances to score. They’re so pivotal to linking in the wingers and attacking mids, they drop deep

 

We don’t play anything in front of the strikers. If we played a system for Kel to score goals he will at this level

I agree. Can't blame Kel for not scoring when we aren't really creating anything. He's playing with his back to goal more often than not and sometimes having to come back so deep to provide the option of playing it into his feet because when we have sustained possession we just play in front of the opposition.

 

For what it's worth, I think his hold up play is actually pretty good. I trust Kelechi to receive and retain the ball under pressure probably more than anyone else. He has far and away the best first touch in the squad for starters.

[Fazzer 7]

Is Nacho going to find his scoring boots again. He was supposed to set this league on fire. 

[Pliskin]

I’m not going to blame the system. But there’s a couple of personnel issues. 
 

Firstly the high 8’s. We’re only playing with one, and he isn’t playing well….. N’didi is NOT an AM…. He can’t play that role because his movement off the ball, and ability with it is not good enough, he completely hinders the attack because he is incapable of being creative with it.

 

Number 2…. Kelechi keeps dropping too deep, he keeps going roaming for the ball, and when he does he ends up leaving a hole in the central position. He also is making poor decisions in terms of his runs, he isn’t timing them well at all, and it causes the attack to essentially slow down. 
 

People are desperate to say “it’s the system” when it is in fact some poor decisions from both Enzo and the players. 
 

Firstly, as I’ve mentioned and lots of other have, Wilf, he just has to be dropped…… we looked a million times better when Casadei came on, there was actually movement in those areas of the pitch, secondly, KDH is not playing well at the moment, he keeps getting caught on the ball and is making poor decisions with it…. Again, this causes problems and nullifies the attack. 
 

The wide options aren’t too bad, and I think they will eventually be a real asset. The whole point of this style and system is to overload the top and of the pitch, but you have to be able to create opportunities in tight spaces, there some lovely little passes made by Fatuwa and Casadei when they came on, but Kalechi simply failed to react to any of them. The idea is the two 8’s and the 9 create a mini diamond, and the wingers should stretch the defence leaving some gaps, quick interchanges will create spaces and allow the 9 or either 8 to advance. Eventually this is what will happen, I think Cannon will end up being the man for this, as looking at his goals he is very good at timing his run off the shoulder, and if this works we should start to score a lot more goals.

 

The system is a work in progress, yesterday wasn’t too bad at all, one mistake and some poor decisions in attack cost us. It’s a learning opportunity not a disaster….. let’s see what the next two weeks produce, and go from there. 

[Number 6]

7 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

I'm prepared to get absolutely mauled for this but I think in this system I'd sooner have him where KDH is than as a striker. He doesn't get on the ball or get any chances and it's wasting him.

Had a similar thought yesterday and thought it was pointless as we'd never play two strikers in this system, but then realised Man City are currently operating with two strikers. Lot of our edge of the box shots fell to KDH and he dragged them or pea rolled them.

[Claudio Fannieri]

It’s not the system,  if it was then nobody would be scoring or getting chances, yesterday was very much poor decision making, but we still had lots of opportunities to get the ball into the box from our wide players. 
 

What I have noticed more and more is Iheanacho isn’t a clever footballer he is actually quite laboured in his running style and it’s a lottery as to whether his touch will be any good. There is no doubt that his finishing can be excellent but so often his positioning is poor and he just doesn’t give us that presence in the penalty area, he doesn’t anticipate situations enough so quite often when he does score it’s because he has created space himself rather than making a great run into the area and losing a marker. So often yesterday when the wide players had the ball and looking to get it into the box he was either nowhere to be seen or very static and marked. 

His pressing was awful yesterday, Hull played around him with ease, he just kept making the same laboured run, he never changed what he did to try and force an error. 

 

You could see the difference when Vardy came on, we actually had someone getting into those areas and whilst we couldn’t find him with a good enough quality cross we looked much more dangerous. Unfortunately I don’t think Vardy at his age can play 90 minutes week in week out, I will make a prediction that Cannon will come in and will score goals in this system. 
 

Apart from that half season spell in the FA Cup year, Kels has always been a player who has a good little cameo run and then gets as soon as he gets a run of games where he starts he flatters to deceive. 
 

There is always an excuse, it’s the system, he needs a run of games etc etc and yet a string of managers have never trusted him enough. Maybe just maybe it’s Kel who just isn’t as good as people like to make out he is. 
 

There is no hiding place in Enzo’s system and like some other players, it’s highlighting technical and tactical weaknesses, if our number 8’s are scoring goals and getting the opportunities then clearly we are creating chances for players in central areas. 

[AjcW]

10 hours ago, Chelmofox said:

There is an excuse lined up for every problem. 

 

Literally, there are fans who could come home to find Nacho shagging their other half, but doing it really, really, really badly. Instead of being annoyed that he is shagging their missus, they would excuse how crap he is because 'he hasn't had enough goes at it' or 'he was holding her b00bs quite well and just needed a bit of luck'.

 

 

How can someone so universally loved by the fans give such little back and get away with it?

Well you’ve put that better than I did  

[splinterdream]

7 hours ago, Dan LCFC said:

I'm prepared to get absolutely mauled for this but I think in this system I'd sooner have him where KDH is than as a striker. He doesn't get on the ball or get any chances and it's wasting him.

We need creativity in midfield, I'm afraid KDH offered nothing again yesterday, Ndidi isn't going to do that either, the only chance we had was from out wide. I don't know whether Nacho is the best choice for enzos system, I would have thought he doesn't work hard enough defensively to play in KDH role either. Casadei should have started yesterday and that midfield playmaker seems to be where we've left ourselves a little short, perhaps Alves will be an option or one of the wingers would be capable 

[splinterdream]

35 minutes ago, Claudio Fannieri said:

It’s not the system,  if it was then nobody would be scoring or getting chances, yesterday was very much poor decision making, but we still had lots of opportunities to get the ball into the box from our wide players. 
 

What I have noticed more and more is Iheanacho isn’t a clever footballer he is actually quite laboured in his running style and it’s a lottery as to whether his touch will be any good. There is no doubt that his finishing can be excellent but so often his positioning is poor and he just doesn’t give us that presence in the penalty area, he doesn’t anticipate situations enough so quite often when he does score it’s because he has created space himself rather than making a great run into the area and losing a marker. So often yesterday when the wide players had the ball and looking to get it into the box he was either nowhere to be seen or very static and marked. 

His pressing was awful yesterday, Hull played around him with ease, he just kept making the same laboured run, he never changed what he did to try and force an error. 

 

You could see the difference when Vardy came on, we actually had someone getting into those areas and whilst we couldn’t find him with a good enough quality cross we looked much more dangerous. Unfortunately I don’t think Vardy at his age can play 90 minutes week in week out, I will make a prediction that Cannon will come in and will score goals in this system. 
 

Apart from that half season spell in the FA Cup year, Kels has always been a player who has a good little cameo run and then gets as soon as he gets a run of games where he starts he flatters to deceive. 
 

There is always an excuse, it’s the system, he needs a run of games etc etc and yet a string of managers have never trusted him enough. Maybe just maybe it’s Kel who just isn’t as good as people like to make out he is. 
 

There is no hiding place in Enzo’s system and like some other players, it’s highlighting technical and tactical weaknesses, if our number 8’s are scoring goals and getting the opportunities then clearly we are creating chances for players in central areas. 

Did we look more dangerous because of Fatwu and Casadei though? 

[Tielemans63]

7 hours ago, Neutral said:

I am not going to come here and defend any players for how they perform, but there's quite obviously an issue with the system Leicester are using in terms of involving the strikers and producing chances for them. Say what you want about Kelechi or even Vardy, but the two of them have proven to be goal threats and creators at a higher level throughout their careers, and it is not like they are missing a bunch of chances with poor finishes or touches.

 

It seems like Maresca is playing a system very similar to Pep's, with technical central players and the wingers very wide. It works for Manchester City because their central players are extremely creative and good finishers/shooters who take advantage of the wingers pulling the opposition wide, and their wingers can also beat their man 1 v. 1 and put in service if it gets switched wide with all the focus centrally. The benefit of having infinite funds to curate your squad.

 

LCFC's midfield is not anywhere near that level creatively, even relative to the lower competition. KDH and Casadei will are good at breaking late into the box and scoring, but are not great passers or technical players. Winks is not creative or forward thinking at all. Ndidi is a great athlete and tackler who has been willing to throw himself forward in this system, but he's never going to breaking sides down with passing. The wide players are talented, but they are shunted so far wide, that it's difficult to create from the position. Iheanacho is isolated as a result (Vardy as well) and that doesn't play to his strengths at all. You have seen that he is a big threat when he has players close to him that can link with and especially with players willing to run ahead of him. In this system, the only players near him are mostly non-threatening midfielders, while the forwards he would prefer to link with are on the touch line. I watched the match today, and he did not play very well, but he wasn't set up for success at all, tbh.

 

Your team will likely be fine due to the general high level of talent, but it's hard to see this team scoring a ton of goals. Your system contradicts the strikers you have (Vardy and Daka looking to run in behind which won't happen with the slow passing and low blocks, Iheanacho looking to interchange, I don't know the boy you just signed or if he's suited) and the team is not creative overall. They really needed  a quality central creator or a striker stylistically similar to Haaland who could feeds off scraps/low involvement and threaten with physicality. Honestly seems like adjustments are needed.

This is how I see it too. I'm just hoping that Enzo is willing to make the necessary tweaks. I think this debate about whether the issue is the players or the system is quite interesting. In my opinion, it's a bit of both but I also don't think we're far off. I think Enzo will sort it, he's clearly a smart guy.

[Claudio Fannieri]

12 minutes ago, splinterdream said:

Did we look more dangerous because of Fatwu and Casadei though? 

Yes we did Casadei linked up so much better with Fatawu than the other 8’s and wingers did and it was no coincidence that Fatawu looked arguably our best and most dangerous player. 

[ithuriel]

Said it before, Vardy is a club legend but is pretty much finished, Nacho blows hot and cold, more often cold and Daka is not even worth discussing.

Will be interesting to see what the new striker looks like once he gets a chance.

As for our wingers, thought 3 of the 4 that played yesterday did well, those 3 getting fouled and yellows for the opposition, tormenting their defence and the woodwork being hit.

The fourth winger seemed a bit lost to me, early days though and  they have to learn how to play together.

[Fox92]

11 hours ago, eblair said:

System we play doesn’t give strikers chances to score. They’re so pivotal to linking in the wingers and attacking mids, they drop deep

 

We don’t play anything in front of the strikers. If we played a system for Kel to score goals he will at this level

Never heard so much talk about “system” just to defend players who don’t do the basics right. Forwards rely on movement, regardless of formation or system, and Iheanacho spends half his time being static. 
 

If a better striker plays in the exact same system then he will score goals.

 

Iheanacho has absolutely no effort or doesn’t even seem interested a lot of the time. Vardy came on and did more in 10 mins, he put a header just wide. That alone was more of a chance than Inheacho had all game. Strikers make chances for themselves as much as others making chances for them.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

He's not doing it is he. We best hope Cannon hits the ground running

[Danno]

Thought he’d score 30 this season but he’s really not very good is he, that mini-run alongside Vardy has people fooled 

[Happy Fox]

35 minutes ago, Danno said:

Thought he’d score 30 this season but he’s really not very good is he, that mini-run alongside Vardy has people fooled 

Why not try and play both of them together again?

[v6rat]

Can't see him getting anywhere near 20 goals this season which in this division should be the absolute minimum to expect from our so called number 1 striker.

Edited 3 September 2023 by v6rat

[Dickov22]

Our strikers have had 14 shots between them this season. 
System or players? 

[Chelmofox]

8 minutes ago, Happy Fox said:

Why not try and play both of them together again?

Do you see Enzo going 2 up top ???

[Happy Fox]

Just now, Chelmofox said:

Do you see Enzo going 2 up top ???

It doesn’t have to be two up top, it could be where Nacho drops into that false 9 position and Vardy as the most advanced forward. We need creativity in the centre of the park and Nacho can provide that imo.