Match Ratings : Leicester City 0-0 Arsenal - Results & Man of the Match

[UPinCarolina]

Given our ratings distribution over the season last year, I'd say those are pretty much in line with what we've come to expect from FoxesTalk. It seems, in general, that the numerical scores are less important than the order.

[Fox Ulike]

15 hours ago, NewEnglandFox said:

Albrighton and also Simpson are the two players that get their games compromised for the side to support Mahrez. Albrighton has to play on his offside and Simpson lacks protection. Yet seemingly every week those are the players that get slated, especially Albrighton, without giving them any sort of sympathy that their best attributes are compromised every match to support another player. I thought Albrighton was fine in the first half and in the second half he was great, especially the move he made to play in Vardy.

 

Good post.

 

You can add Okasaki to that list as well. it's his tireless running that allows the space that Vardy exploits.

 

It's just the nature of the game though I guess. Everybody notices Mahrez's brilliance, Vardy's goals, and Drinkwater's passing range - but it's harder to notice the off-the-ball run that created the space in the first place.

 

Albrighton was excellent on Saturday, probably our second best performer on the day behind Drinkwater. 

 

Players spend 95% of a game without the ball - so it's more important what you do when you don't have the ball as what you do with it!

[NewEnglandFox]

1 hour ago, Fox Ulike said:

 

 

You can add Okasaki to that list as well. it's his tireless running that allows the space that Vardy exploits.

 

 

 

Okazaki's game is all about helping Vardy. But when defenders can shut Vardy down, they get a 2-for-1 special of taking Okazaki out of the game. He doesn't offer any alternative threats if Vardy can't get it done. He might run hard but if the opposing defenders can stop his strike partner, how is he helping us win the game? Even when Okazaki has gotten on the score sheet, Vardy fed him the balls. 4 of his goals and the penalty he won can be traced back to Vardy which only leaves Newcastle and the Spurs cup goal. The Newcaslte goal anyone can put away leaving only the Spurs goal and when else has he ever shown himself capable being the difference maker?

[Fox Ulike]

16 hours ago, NewEnglandFox said:

 

Okazaki's game is all about helping Vardy. But when defenders can shut Vardy down, they get a 2-for-1 special of taking Okazaki out of the game. He doesn't offer any alternative threats if Vardy can't get it done. He might run hard but if the opposing defenders can stop his strike partner, how is he helping us win the game? Even when Okazaki has gotten on the score sheet, Vardy fed him the balls. 4 of his goals and the penalty he won can be traced back to Vardy which only leaves Newcastle and the Spurs cup goal. The Newcaslte goal anyone can put away leaving only the Spurs goal and when else has he ever shown himself capable being the difference maker?

I think you just need to get the idea out of your head that Okasaki's main role is to score lots of goals. It clearly isn't.

 

Okasaki has two main roles in the team. When we have the ball, he drops deep to pull defenders away from Vardy, and make it difficult for the opposition defence to know where the ball's going to go. He's not really going to score lots of goals when he's doing that. If he was pushing up alongside Vardy all the time looking for goal-scoring chances, then it's easier to defend against than having two strikers taking up different positions.

 

Secondly, when we don't have the ball he again drops deep to harass the opposition's defensive midfielder and makes sure that our 2-man midfield isn't constantly over-run by an opposing 3 man midfield. Again, he's not going to score many goals when he's asked to do that.

 

So criticising him for his goal-scoring record is a bit like criticising Mahrez for not winning enough headers. That's not his role in the team.

 

If Vardy was getting shut down then you might have a point.... but I think Vardy actually scored one or two goals last season, which suggests that the strike partnership was working quite well?

[NewEnglandFox]

3 hours ago, Fox Ulike said:

I think you just need to get the idea out of your head that Okasaki's main role is to score lots of goals. It clearly isn't.

 

Okasaki has two main roles in the team. When we have the ball, he drops deep to pull defenders away from Vardy, and make it difficult for the opposition defence to know where the ball's going to go. He's not really going to score lots of goals when he's doing that. If he was pushing up alongside Vardy all the time looking for goal-scoring chances, then it's easier to defend against than having two strikers taking up different positions.

 

Secondly, when we don't have the ball he again drops deep to harass the opposition's defensive midfielder and makes sure that our 2-man midfield isn't constantly over-run by an opposing 3 man midfield. Again, he's not going to score many goals when he's asked to do that.

 

So criticising him for his goal-scoring record is a bit like criticising Mahrez for not winning enough headers. That's not his role in the team.

 

If Vardy was getting shut down then you might have a point.... but I think Vardy actually scored one or two goals last season, which suggests that the strike partnership was working quite well?

 

What did I say in my first sentence? I said "Okazaki's game is all about helping Vardy." Did I say his main role is "main role is to score lots of goals." To quote you, "It clearly isn't."

 

I brought up his goal scoring records to talk about the alternative threats he poses if Vardy can't score which I think it very pertinent as it was much more difficult for Vardy to score in the 2nd half of last season. He scored 9 goals in the 2nd half after scoring 15 in the first. I don't think Vardy will get to 15 league goals this season with teams better prepared for him. The question is who makes up the difference and as we both know, it won't be Okazaki...

 

[Fox Ulike]

1 hour ago, NewEnglandFox said:

 

What did I say in my first sentence? I said "Okazaki's game is all about helping Vardy." Did I say his main role is "main role is to score lots of goals." To quote you, "It clearly isn't."

 

I brought up his goal scoring records to talk about the alternative threats he poses if Vardy can't score which I think it very pertinent as it was much more difficult for Vardy to score in the 2nd half of last season. He scored 9 goals in the 2nd half after scoring 15 in the first. I don't think Vardy will get to 15 league goals this season with teams better prepared for him. The question is who makes up the difference and as we both know, it won't be Okazaki...

 

So if Vardy stops scoring goals you think we should look at replacing Okasaki.

 

Makes sense.