Shinji Okazaki

[funkyrobot]

Got to say I'm with the doubters at the moment but I keep telling myself it's early doors and he's still got time. The one attribute he has demonstrated is sadly one that a large proportion of us fans could at least do if we were asked to make up the numbers for city on match day. That is run ourselves into the ground chasing the ball like a headless chicken, but not actually contributing much else. I know kramaric is getting equal pelters at the moment but Shinji has had far more opportunity this season and as of yet he's not come up to scratch. Fingers crossed for the lad but if ulloa is fit if have him in the team as he's contributed more in the brief cameos he's played at the KP this season than Shinji has.

[ImBlue]

He scored a decent amount of goals in a decent league, so he clearly has something. Again, I stress the point I'm not sure he's being utilised in the way he was perhaps originally bought for. Until he is, then it's hard to judge fairly. I said the signing stunk of failure when it happened and got rounded on, but it's far to early to slate the bloke.

As for goals, 60% of goals have come with him on the pitch and he's played about 64% of minutes available. So there isn't much to show we score more without / without him on the pitch.

How many of vardy's 10 have come with him on the pitch? 2? I keep hearing he is great foil for Vardy, but hasn't set him up once, has scored one and Vardy scores considerably more when he's not on the pitch. Please, can the optimists answer that?

[fuchsntf]

You know what, speculation individual thoughts and opinions are all well and good, but Claudio selects the team, he sees something in him, even when he tinkers, he brings him on later.

We are 5th from top not bottom, so I'll ride with Mr Ranieri.If some posters would take time to breath before posting, nothing wrong in opinionating, but dont carry on being negative over single players.

Remember where we come from, and what in not 2 seasons, the club has c turned around, enjoy the ride, not be old

washer women, after every single movement, every single game, its what you blamed your grandads doing,

moan, moan, moan. !!!

[Guest ttfn]

Yes, we're fifth in the table but Okazaki is not one-eleventh of the reason for that. We've got a few attacking players who are in the form of their lives and that's helping the team to draw games we should lose and win games we should draw.

Having said that, I'm not sure it's as simple as introducing a different player into his position and expecting even the same results, let alone better ones.

It's a similar thing to Nugent - we looked better with him in the team because he played that position behind the strikers intelligently even if he wasn't up to it technically. He had the positional sense and workrate but not the touch and passing.

We need that player behind the front two because we don't have the players to retain possession, so you need someone pressing their midfielders out of possession and then acting as an out-ball on the counter-attack.

I'm not sure you can play Ulloa and still get the best out of Vardy. Ulloa is a focal point, he slows the play down and there's no way of fitting him and a number 10 into the team without altering the formation so much that it would either destroy us completely (e.g. a diamond 4-4-2) or be something Ranieri would never try anyway (3-5-2, seemingly).

I think he'll stick with Mahrez behind Vardy for our next few games and then revert to Okazaki for the tough run in December knowing that we'll need that pressing a lot more, hoping that his form improves.

Thank God for you Fez.

[Guest Col city fan]

Thank God for you Fez.

Yes, thank God for Fez?

[Arriba Los Zorros]

How many of vardy's 10 have come with him on the pitch? 2? I keep hearing he is great foil for Vardy, but hasn't set him up once, has scored one and Vardy scores considerably more when he's not on the pitch. Please, can the optimists answer that?

Been answered multiple times, stop being a drama queen

[Guest ttfn]

Yes, thank God for Fez?

Yes.

[STUHILL]

Love his work-rate and holds the ball up quite well for someone his size. Makes good runs into space which creates opportunities for others.

 

These are all great attributes, but he really needs to be scoring goals for us too. I can totally see why Claudio gives him a 45 min blast and then subs him. 

 

Unless he suddenly starts creating/taking chances himself, then I can see him being faded out and Ulloa or a new signing taking his place. 

 

Come on Shinj, start banging them in Vardy style!!

[inckley fox]

I'm finally struggling to see exactly what it is that Okazaki is contributing to the team?

It's not goals. He's no Vardy. It's not an aerial presence or a target man. And he's not a creative type player who will contribute with lots of assists.

It must be something...we're 5th in the table. But what exactly is it? It can't just be work - rate and running about a lot.

Bizarre..

 

Even good sides carry players. Under Little we had Phil Gee racing around, busy doing nothing. Likewise, we carried Lawrence and Robins under McGhee and O'Neill, both of which were supposed to make wonderful runs off the ball but were eventually, correctly, binned. And we topped the PL in October once with Akinbiyi in the side ahead of Collymore and Cottee.

 

I'm not sure either which of his attributes make him PL standard. When we signed him German pundits were surprised by the fee and he seems to lack physical presence, pace and even the capacity to put players under any sort of meaningful pressure. I'm dubious about the idea that he was exclusively a flagship signing to spread our name to the Far East but it's hard to argue with it because he's shown little to the contrary. When people sing his praises it has that air of 'we see something you don't see in him because our understanding of football is more sophisticated than yours', which usually precedes a player being dropped, forgotten and moved on.

 

But his goalscoring record is decent and even though plenty of those who saw him week in-week out seemed to be saying he was a 'number ten' sort when he arrived, not a 'nine', I tend to think that we must have signed him for that. It's true that success in the Bundesliga, especially in its lower reaches, is no guarantee of success in other top leagues, but you've got to believe that there's something to him which we haven't seen yet. I'm sure it's for that reason that CR has given him so much game time, not because of his fine displays in a City shirt to date.

[inckley fox]

Yes, we're fifth in the table but Okazaki is not one-eleventh of the reason for that. We've got a few attacking players who are in the form of their lives and that's helping the team to draw games we should lose and win games we should draw.

 

Having said that, I'm not sure it's as simple as introducing a different player into his position and expecting even the same results, let alone better ones.

 

It's a similar thing to Nugent - we looked better with him in the team because he played that position behind the strikers intelligently even if he wasn't up to it technically. He had the positional sense and workrate but not the touch and passing.

 

We need that player behind the front two because we don't have the players to retain possession, so you need someone pressing their midfielders out of possession and then acting as an out-ball on the counter-attack.

 

I'm not sure you can play Ulloa and still get the best out of Vardy. Ulloa is a focal point, he slows the play down and there's no way of fitting him and a number 10 into the team without altering the formation so much that it would either destroy us completely (e.g. a diamond 4-4-2) or be something Ranieri would never try anyway (3-5-2, seemingly).

 

I think he'll stick with Mahrez behind Vardy for our next few games and then revert to Okazaki for the tough run in December knowing that we'll need that pressing a lot more, hoping that his form improves.

 

That makes sense. But if he isn't pulling his weight, which your first paragraph (rightly, I think) indicates, and Ulloa isn't a good fit alongside Vardy (again, I think you might be right here, though it wasn't always the case during our end of season run-in) then that would suggest that a striker will, once again, be high on our list of priorities before long. For my part, I'd like to see whether Vardy and Ulloa could replicate, and build on what they achieved at the end of last season before playing the Okazaki card all over again.

[marbles]

I'm still new to following the sport - only my second season - so I know my opinion holds very little weight.

Why shouldn't the guy get to finish the year out here ? He's new to the league, and all I heard last year was that it takes time getting used to the style of play.

Besides - how many goals and assists did Vardy have at this point last year ?

 

To a newbie he just seemed like someone who just ran all over the field for the first half of last year.

During the second half of the season, I really started to appreciate what he brought to the team. 

 

Before anyone bashes me, I'm not saying that Okazaki is the next Vardy for us. What I am saying is that we gave Vardy time to fit into the league, and look at him now. All I am asking is, isn't it too early to call him a bust ?

 

If there's any starter who we should be questioning even being allowed in the stadium without buying a ticket - I'd say its Albrighton.

[Larry_LCFC]

Seriously mate its 10 games, how can you write a player off after 10 games??

Where did I say I had written him off? I said it's hard not to based on performance so far, not that I had. I also said he might just take a season to adjust. I'll give the guy a fair chance, don't worry.

[Dan LCFC]

It's typical football that after all the worrying about the midfield in the summer and all of the talking up of our forwards that most people think we've got one good forward and see the midfield as our ultimate strength.

 

Oh N'Golo you're magic.

[Guest MarshallForEngland]

I remember exactly this type of thread about Vardy every year since we bought him, including last season. Vardy only got better because he was given game time and lots of opportunities to improve. Loads of people (probably the same Negative Nancies slating Okazaki) wanted him gone and were adamant he didn't have the quality to play at this level.

[Thracian]

Yes, we're fifth in the table but Okazaki is not one-eleventh of the reason for that. We've got a few attacking players who are in the form of their lives and that's helping the team to draw games we should lose and win games we should draw.

 

Having said that, I'm not sure it's as simple as introducing a different player into his position and expecting even the same results, let alone better ones.

 

It's a similar thing to Nugent - we looked better with him in the team because he played that position behind the strikers intelligently even if he wasn't up to it technically. He had the positional sense and workrate but not the touch and passing.

 

We need that player behind the front two because we don't have the players to retain possession, so you need someone pressing their midfielders out of possession and then acting as an out-ball on the counter-attack.

 

I'm not sure you can play Ulloa and still get the best out of Vardy. Ulloa is a focal point, he slows the play down and there's no way of fitting him and a number 10 into the team without altering the formation so much that it would either destroy us completely (e.g. a diamond 4-4-2) or be something Ranieri would never try anyway (3-5-2, seemingly).

 

I think he'll stick with Mahrez behind Vardy for our next few games and then revert to Okazaki for the tough run in December knowing that we'll need that pressing a lot more, hoping that his form improves.

 

 

That's thoughtful analysis and I'd agree with it in the main. But it just emphasises how badly we need another striker/attacking midfield player - preferably someone with height and mobility.

From almost all I've seen of Shinji, he's not much of a goal threat, tackles mostly on his backside, isn't the most creative passer and is of little consequence in the air for all his sterling effort.

What he does have is energy in abundance. That makes a difference but we're going to need more than that. Vardy and Mahrez won't stay in their purple patches for ever...and I'm just as sure Schlupp's presence has as much effect on us taking those extra points as Shinji's for all that he has just as many faults.    

[Thracian]

I remember exactly this type of thread about Vardy every year since we bought him, including last season. Vardy only got better because he was given game time and lots of opportunities to improve. Loads of people (probably the same Negative Nancies slating Okazaki) wanted him gone and were adamant he didn't have the quality to play at this level.

 

I remember exactly this type of thread about Vardy every year since we bought him, including last season. Vardy only got better because he was given game time and lots of opportunities to improve. Loads of people (probably the same Negative Nancies slating Okazaki) wanted him gone and were adamant he didn't have the quality to play at this level.

 

 

 

As one who has always rated Vardy it will be interesting to see how it pans out for Shinji. Abe was often cited as having great potential if given chance but after endless chances he proved nothing more than a journeyman. Against Sunderland I thought Shinji looked pretty hot but since then it's like the power's been turned down til he's no more than simmering.   

[Babylon]

How many of vardy's 10 have come with him on the pitch? 2? I keep hearing he is great foil for Vardy, but hasn't set him up once, has scored one and Vardy scores considerably more when he's not on the pitch. Please, can the optimists answer that?

As I already stated, the goals as a total with him on / off the pitch aren't much different. So you could easily say he brings others in to it. You'll have to ask them your point, that's not one I just made.

[ImBlue]

The season will progress and more will start to agree, he isn't good enough to start for us.

We have had a blistering start, 5th in the table, and already he has a lot of doubters. I think by the time the tough run of games come in December, his CLEAR shortfalls will be highlighted more and we will be in the market for a new striker in January. Unless of course he is being forced to play him, which might explain in his continued inexplicable appearances despite turning in turd performances week after week.

[Gerard]

I don't believe for a second CR is forced to play him.

 

People are vastly overestimating the financial advantage of having an Asian player.

 

As strikers go he probably is our second best option after Vardy on how we play but the No 10 role has to be one of our first positions to improve id we can.

[The Railway Man]

He needs to adapt fairly quickly really, he's 30 in April.

[ImBlue]

He needs to adapt fairly quickly really, he's 30 in April.

Looks about 38

[MooseBreath]

Is claudio being forced to play Schlupp as well given how doggo his performances have been lately?

[ImBlue]

Is claudio being forced to play Schlupp as well given how doggo his performances have been lately?

Wow. Your suggesting schlupp has been as bad as Okazaki?

Edit: and that we signed Okazaki just for his talents alone and not his ethnicity?

[filbertstreet]

Is claudio being forced to play Schlupp as well given how doggo his performances have been lately?

schlupp isn't shit, he's so good he has to make mistakes every so often so the other footballers don't feel bad

[Fox92]

Wow. Your suggesting schlupp has been as bad as Okazaki?

Edit: and that we signed Okazaki just for his talents alone and not his ethnicity?

 

Okazaki hasn't done any worse than Schlupp.