Iheanacho

[Finnegan]

2 hours ago, coolhandfox said:

The excuses people come up to defend Nacho.

 

Wrong formation

Only good in a two

Needs to be playing with X player

Needs a run of games 

Teams not creating enough.

 

Sometimes you have to accept his simply not playing well.

 

Let's hope he come good.

 

 

 

He's been poor. The assumption was that Enzoball would bring the best out of him. I actually think it's exposing his biggest weakness. His first touch is absolutely awful. 

 

Yes, he's our best play making forward when he's got the ball under control but that's a really significant caveat. 

 

The players that are thriving the most in this system are all players that can kill a ball near instantly. Winks, Vestergaard, Ricardo, Hermansen, these guys all have peerless first touch. Even guys like Choudhury have always had a pretty surprisingly good first touch. We move the ball so quickly and deliberately play it in to such tight spaces that that it's compulsory receivers can handle that. 

 

KDH, Casadei, Iheanacho, etc who were all expected to do well are all having a fair bit of frustration because the ball gets pinged in to them and they can't control it. 

 

I personally hope we're not too far off Daka becoming Vardy's #2 if I'm honest. It's not that I think Daka has a much better first touch than Iheanacho but I just think the way he'll play in this system will be a little different, he won't drop as deep as Kel and it won't be as necessary. 

 

Plus, frankly, he'll be way more effective in the press. 

 

Edited 29 September 2023 by Finnegan

[Dahnsouff]

Me and @Chelmofox discussing Nacho

 

 

 

[Dahnsouff]

Let me be clear, little would make me happier than see Nacho become a key part of this promotion attempt, I just don`t believe for whatever reason he has it in him

[coolhandfox]

15 minutes ago, Finnegan said:

 

He's been poor. The assumption was that Enzoball would bring the best out of him. I actually think it's exposing his biggest weakness. His first touch is absolutely awful. 

 

Yes, he's our best play making forward when he's got the ball under control but that's a really significant caveat. 

 

The players that are thriving the most in this system are all players that can kill a ball near instantly. Winks, Vestergaard, Ricardo, Hermansen, these guys all have peerless first touch. Even guys like Choudhury have always had a pretty surprisingly good first touch. We move the ball so quickly and deliberately play it in to such tight spaces that that it's compulsory receivers can handle that. 

 

KDH, Casadei, Iheanacho, etc who were all expected to do well are all having a fair bit of frustration because the ball gets pinged in to them and they can't control it. 

 

I personally hope we're not too far off Daka becoming Vardy's #2 if I'm honest. It's not that I think Daka has a much better first touch than Iheanacho but I just think the way he'll play in this system will be a little different, he won't drop as deep as Kel and it won't be as necessary. 

 

Plus, frankly, he'll be way more effective in the press. 

 

Inconsistency is the biggest issue with Nacho, he can go from the subline to Sunday league one moment to the next, I think that will frustrate Enzo as much as the fans. 

 

He also looks laboured, and you can question his work rate. 

 

Some talk of Brentford lining up Daka if Toney goes in January.

 

I think the club would be happy to move them both on for the right price and start again. 

[Stadt]

Watch him closely in this, he’s so good at holding up the ball when there’s space to attack. 
 

I’ve been disappointed this season, maybe his heart isn’t totally in it but he has the ability to score 10+ PL goals a season plus a similar amount of assists.

 

We’re obviously winning and playing well so it’s not a huge issue but we have a fantastic asset here, proven at a level above this one so the fact he isn’t tearing it up is curious.

[Guest Sideshow Faes]

He's not that good a footballer. That's the reality. He scores some really good goals but his touch and control aren't good enough for the top level. Obviously we aren't at the top level but even in the championship he isn't ripping up any trees. He's a bottom end of the prem footballer and probably not a starter even then. 

[coolhandfox]

1 hour ago, Stadt said:

Watch him closely in this, he’s so good at holding up the ball when there’s space to attack. 
 

I’ve been disappointed this season, maybe his heart isn’t totally in it but he has the ability to score 10+ PL goals a season plus a similar amount of assists.

 

We’re obviously winning and playing well so it’s not a huge issue but we have a fantastic asset here, proven at a level above this one so the fact he isn’t tearing it up is curious.

I don't think that is a question about his ability, it is whether he has the mentality to be a really top player. 

 

He wouldn't be the first player not to hit the height he should have done.  

 

I do wonder if he has the selfishness and desire to be the main man, he has been content to be seen as the backup man behind Vardy for 6 seasons, not sure many players of his talent would have accepted that and not looked to move on. 

 

Ps thanks for sharing the video, got to love some of our slick passages of play. 

Edited 29 September 2023 by coolhandfox

[lcfc043]

Offload him to some desperate Prem/Saudi club in Jan. I like his character but strip that away and he’s been a disappointing failure here really 

Edited 29 September 2023 by lcfc043

[lcfc043]

1 hour ago, Fox92 said:

I will never understand the love in Iheanacho gets. He's had one decent season here out of 6 seasons.

 

His lack of end product is horrific. Scores one wonder goal but the other nine end up in row Z.

 

If he was at a club like Palace I'd be up in arms if we were linked with him.

True. Premier League record below, double figures once as a striker in 8 seasons, you can argue the game time but again has remained consistent under numerous managers. 

 

 

 

[lcfcsnow]

10 minutes ago, lcfc043 said:

True. Premier League record below, double figures once as a striker in 8 seasons, you can argue the game time but again has remained consistent under numerous managers. 

That being the empty stadium covid era, where even Calvert-Lewin looked a world beater.

[sacreblueits442]

...just looking at the above clip, McAteer seems uncomfortable taking the ball on his left!!!

There are two instances where the ball gets away from him because he takes the ball with his right foot and the only time he tries to take it on his left the ball runs away from goal. It seems he is better on the right where it is natural to receive the ball on his better foot. He gets the control right and the ball is pushed into his path directly on goal. Too many touches and the chance goes begging.

[dmayne7]

2 hours ago, lcfc043 said:

True. Premier League record below, double figures once as a striker in 8 seasons, you can argue the game time but again has remained consistent under numerous managers. 

 

 

 

Look at those minutes though. Pathetic. Equating to 3 full seasons at best. And that's not including assists so you can't use that as a stick to beat him with (not that per 90 is a perfect measure).

 

Somebody else said it, but it's mentality and concentration with Iheanacho. It's all there but does he have the desire to fulfill his potential or just happy with his in and out role? With the game time, I think that was fair earlier on in his career but after he bailed Rodgers out, he was then quickly back on the bench the next season. Doesn't matter if he'd been crap in training because he should have been completely undroppable.

 

Love the guy but there's no debate he's been a massive disappointment so far this season. Fingers crossed it changes.

[RumbleFox]

On 28/09/2023 at 16:30, pmcla26 said:

He hasn't got the athleticism to be one of the 8s in this system, unfortunately. 

Aye you may be right. I just really want to see him come good. He’s a very talented striker used in the right system. But obviously we cannot tailor our whole set up towards him. Hopefully he improves in his current role. 

[foxfanazer]

I must admit he's been the biggest disappointment for me so far this season. I really thought he'd storm this league as he undoubtedly has the talent but the ball just bounces off him and his intelligence at times is nom existent. He's still had moments but I expected much more

[Dahnsouff]

In Nacho’s case the tired cliche of “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard” has never been so true 

[sacreblueits442]

20 hours ago, lcfcsnow said:

That being the empty stadium covid era, where even Calvert-Lewin looked a world beater.

...it would have been the same players playing the game, however it would have meant  there were no outside pressures that would impact him performing!!!

  Sufficient proof that he is a player who needs to be confident, not too long to think, as he does play on instincts but the system that we play is very structured and requires certain things from his game, that does not allow going too far off script. 

Edited 30 September 2023 by sacreblueits442
Update.

[lcfc sheff]

Everyone always seems to forget he’s a confidence player. When he’s on a run he looks incredible and everything comes off for him, but when he’s off the pace he plays like utter crap. 

[Chelmofox]

15 minutes ago, lcfc sheff said:

Everyone always seems to forget he’s a confidence player. When he’s on a run he looks incredible and everything comes off for him, but when he’s off the pace he plays like utter crap. 

When was the last time that happened?

[whoareyaaa]

On 29/09/2023 at 11:22, Stadt said:

Watch him closely in this, he’s so good at holding up the ball when there’s space to attack. 
 

I’ve been disappointed this season, maybe his heart isn’t totally in it but he has the ability to score 10+ PL goals a season plus a similar amount of assists.

 

We’re obviously winning and playing well so it’s not a huge issue but we have a fantastic asset here, proven at a level above this one so the fact he isn’t tearing it up is curious.

clearly can hold the ball and link up play well, along with being able to assist and score.. people are expecting to much just to prove there own point.

Edited 30 September 2023 by whoareyaaa

[Richmondfox]

On 29/09/2023 at 11:39, Sideshow Faes said:

He's not that good a footballer. That's the reality. He scores some really good goals but his touch and control aren't good enough for the top level. Obviously we aren't at the top level but even in the championship he isn't ripping up any trees. He's a bottom end of the prem footballer and probably not a starter even then. 

I’ve came around to this way of thinking.  He has scored some great goals but that now seems to be in the past.  
 

He has terrible control for a footballer at any level, when he actually gets hold of it he will slow down and try and run through 3 defenders and lose the ball.  His press is half hearted at best, he will stop running 2 metres away and let them play.

 

Then out of nowhere he will do a back heel flick to set someone up and the hope resets.

 

 

[waddadamadda]

Nacho has always struck me as a player who thinks too much about the game what he’s doing. That thinking time he has seems to send conflicting messages to his brain and then utter confusion appears to set in changing what should’ve been a moment of greatness into something rather ‘meh’.

 

i can’t figure out if he just doesn’t have a good footballing brain or genuinely has no self belief.

 

I’m still hoping that he becomes ‘that’ striker that we all rave about for years but I can’t see it happening.

[volpeazzurro]

On 29/09/2023 at 11:39, Sideshow Faes said:

He's not that good a footballer. That's the reality. He scores some really good goals but his touch and control aren't good enough for the top level. Obviously we aren't at the top level but even in the championship he isn't ripping up any trees. He's a bottom end of the prem footballer and probably not a starter even then. 

Sometimes goalscorers aren't the best footballers but, it's goals in the net that counts and some players just seem to have the knack. Nacho has proved that and it's early days yet.

[sacreblueits442]

11 minutes ago, waddadamadda said:

Nacho has always struck me as a player who thinks too much about the game what he’s doing. That thinking time he has seems to send conflicting messages to his brain and then utter confusion appears to set in changing what should’ve been a moment of greatness into something rather ‘meh’.

 

i can’t figure out if he just doesn’t have a good footballing brain or genuinely has no self belief.

 

I’m still hoping that he becomes ‘that’ striker that we all rave about for years but I can’t see it happening.

...no self-belief!!!

[HarryDee8]

Can't we do a straight swap for Ollie Watkins 😀

[splinterdream]

13 minutes ago, HarryDee8 said:

Can't we do a straight swap for Ollie Watkins 😀

Took Watkins out my dream team last week