Slimani

[shiv]

39 minutes ago, FLAN said:

I think he means how can you be amazed at what goes on in this forum having been here so long. He's not having a go

Haha oh right. My apologies then.

 

Surprisingly st albans fox, it still amazes me  

[Eagle10]

2 hours ago, Thracian said:

 

You make some good points in what was an enjoyable read. But you over-highlight Slimani strengths while seemingly ignoring Shinji's value.

Shinji reminds me of an old City warrior named Frank Large. He's such a lousy footballer it's laughable. Put Little Shinji and Large on the same pitch as Davie Gibson and you'd never believe they'd ever kicked a football compared with the little genius that was Gibbo.

 

Shinji's like a clockwork toy. You wind him up before the kick-off and he scurries round for 60 seemingly aimless minutes diving into tackles, bumping into the ball, tripping over his own feet and struggling to make up his mind what on earth to do even when presented with a tap in from two inches.

 

Videos abound featuring the many "Greatest Goals" of strikers like Matt Le Tissier and some are footballing works of art. Shinji could market "The game's Ugliest Goals" or his own personal advert for goal-line technology because he doesn't always get sufficient connection to see the ball actually goes far enough over the line to hit the net.

 

But I can understand his economy. No point wasting his strength shooting when he needs all his energy to give our team the terrier-like hustle it needs to make it successful. He and Vardy create such ferocious havoc among opposition defenders they force unlikely mistakes, put concern into every clearance and in so doing make space and opportunity for others.

 

With Shinji not knowing what he's going to do next there's no chance the opposition defenders will, and that too seems to add to the confusion that leads to goals and chances because while Shinji and Vardy are snapping at opponent's heels, others can reap the benefit. It also makes opponents wary because the combined pace of their challenging means so much of our counter-attacking is potentially dangerous.

 

Slimani is a totally different footballer...indeed he is a footballer for a start in that he manouevres and directs a football instead of wondering why it's between his feet encouraging him to fall over it.

 

But while Slim might add sublimity to our attacks - and all sorts of orthodox but effective contributions, both in the air and on the ground, he detracts from our pace and energy up front to the point where, against good defenders, he looks too easily stifled or, too often, a yard or two short to be useful.

 

That may be partly because he's never been at his sharpest at Leicester because he never plays enough because of injury, opportunity or other commitments. The reasons don't matter to me, only the impact on our performances.  

 

How long, I wonder, did his "groin strain" trouble him before AFCON. I don't suppose we'll ever know one way or the other but he certainly went our there supposedly fit enough to play, came back "injured" and dwe didn't see much of him for weeks. So AFCON didn't cost us for January - it cost us in February too and possibly in performances even back into December.     

 

You might accept that but it'd be no good to me. Shinji's been there with his energy most all the time. And a damned good time it's been too in the main and apart from the nonsense of Ranieri moving the goalposts when there was no need and no logic to it.

 

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for evolving a team. But a player at a time and not by taking away the essence of what makes us winners. Which is the energy, bravery and commitment to compete in every phase and the pace to hurt teams when we get the chance. If a fully-fit Slimani can fit in with that week-in, week out I'll be pleased. If not we might as ell sell him on to China or wherever and think again.   

    

 

 

 

 

 

 

I get all that, it is true that with Shinji you press higher and have more connection with the midfield, but Slimani while not being as good as Shinji can do it too. He pressed a lot in Portugal(sorry to bring Portugal again but it was where he was at his best), actually he could press very good and had a lot of link-up play. Saying this I think he should start because he the best striker on par with Vardy and the best should always be on the field. Just try Vardy-Slimani again, when they played together the team was performing bad, now that the team is playing good I think it is intelligent to try it.

[Thracian]

4 hours ago, Eagle10 said:

I get all that, it is true that with Shinji you press higher and have more connection with the midfield, but Slimani while not being as good as Shinji can do it too. He pressed a lot in Portugal(sorry to bring Portugal again but it was where he was at his best), actually he could press very good and had a lot of link-up play. Saying this I think he should start because he the best striker on par with Vardy and the best should always be on the field. Just try Vardy-Slimani again, when they played together the team was performing bad, now that the team is playing good I think it is intelligent to try it.

 

But the Portugal league isn't the English Premiership any more than the Scottish League and if, as you say and I quite accept, that Slimani "pressed high" in Portugal there can be only one of two reasons he doesn't do it here. A) Because he's been told not to and I wouldn't understand why that would be the case or B) He isn't fit/fast enough and can't keep it up because the Premiership, if nothing else, is demanding of anyone.

 

I think it's the latter because, quite independently, I referred to his being off the pace in my comment. And that's how I've viewed him. Capable in certain ways but not sharp enough for long enough. That won't merit him starting ahead of Shinji because your assessment of him being our "best striker" alongside Vardy, neglects to factor in what he costs us in terms of our early closing down.

 

What he costs us can't be proved, of course, but we've certainly suffered because our defence has suddenly looked exposed - and that's not entirely down to Kante - our creativity has disappeared and our "goals for" slumped alarmingly until the managerial change.

 

It went down to "nil" when Slimani was away and while you may not blame Slimani himself for that, if I were the manager I wouldn't put up with losing so many players mid season because, as the stats you're so fond of talking about show, he's no use to us at all when he's not here or if he returns unfit.

 

Slimani's back involved with the team now, but not as a starter, and why would you argue with that when we're winning, taking the lead in games and scoring regularly? Would you really change our line-up and start Slimani if you were manager of a team which had just recorded three successive wins, two of which seemed highly unlikely to many fans? Cos I'd say it was a totally unnecessary risk.

 

Not because I think Shinji's a wonderful player but because he's part of what makes us work best as a team. If Slimani ever gets the sharpness I believe he needs there may be a stronger argument in his favour but, right now, I just don't see it. and haven't seen it in any of the games I've watched him for any length of time.

 

Indeed one of the tap-ins he missed I doubt a junior schoolkid would have missed. Again, I suspect, that was about sharpness - the mental alertness that comes when you're confident and in peak condition. I don't think Slimani's ever been at his sharpest since he's been here and that's down to one person - himself.                .         

 

 

[David Hankey]

On 15/03/2017 at 10:22, teblin said:

What about the 3 vardy missed?

Vardy didn't cost £30M!!

[Eagle10]

49 minutes ago, Thracian said:

 

But the Portugal league isn't the English Premiership any more than the Scottish League and if, as you say and I quite accept, that Slimani "pressed high" in Portugal there can be only one of two reasons he doesn't do it here. A) Because he's been told not to and I wouldn't understand why that would be the case or B) He isn't fit/fast enough and can't keep it up because the Premiership, if nothing else, is demanding of anyone.

 

I think it's the latter because, quite independently, I referred to his being off the pace in my comment. And that's how I've viewed him. Capable in certain ways but not sharp enough for long enough. That won't merit him starting ahead of Shinji because your assessment of him being our "best striker" alongside Vardy, neglects to factor in what he costs us in terms of our early closing down.

 

What he costs us can't be proved, of course, but we've certainly suffered because our defence has suddenly looked exposed - and that's not entirely down to Kante - our creativity has disappeared and our "goals for" slumped alarmingly until the managerial change.

 

It went down to "nil" when Slimani was away and while you may not blame Slimani himself for that, if I were the manager I wouldn't put up with losing so many players mid season because, as the stats you're so fond of talking about show, he's no use to us at all when he's not here or if he returns unfit.

 

Slimani's back involved with the team now, but not as a starter, and why would you argue with that when we're winning, taking the lead in games and scoring regularly? Would you really change our line-up and start Slimani if you were manager of a team which had just recorded three successive wins, two of which seemed highly unlikely to many fans? Cos I'd say it was a totally unnecessary risk.

 

Not because I think Shinji's a wonderful player but because he's part of what makes us work best as a team. If Slimani ever gets the sharpness I believe he needs there may be a stronger argument in his favour but, right now, I just don't see it. and haven't seen it in any of the games I've watched him for any length of time.

 

Indeed one of the tap-ins he missed I doubt a junior schoolkid would have missed. Again, I suspect, that was about sharpness - the mental alertness that comes when you're confident and in peak condition. I don't think Slimani's ever been at his sharpest since he's been here and that's down to one person - himself.                .         

 

 

Himself and the price tag. It is clear that he Himself is pressured because of what he cost and he wants to show his worth no matter what and that shouldn't be happening. Against that tap in was a bad miss, but every striker fails tap ins don't judge him by that miss. I think he is sharp physically i saw him run all the way from defense to get the Ball in a dangerous position where he should have scored, about mental sharpness that is an other story, I know Slimani from his 3 years at Sporting and he never was mentally shot down, he has a strong mentality. Now he isn't showing it and i don't know why. Great post by the way, this is how posters should do it.

[MC Prussian]

I personally thought it was about one week too early to bring him back onto the pitch, nowhere near full fitness. Maybe a short cameo towards the end would've been better.

It was rather frustrating watching him being more of an obstacle than a help. Every time he got near the ball I was about to have palpitations because of the time it took for him to react.

 

He looked so slow and sluggish against Sevilla, the lack of match practice clearly showed.

[justfoxes]

Well let's hope he wakes up from his footballing Slumber and start banging in those goals again,Starting tomorrow's game v those hammers and pop a few goals to pay back Karen Brady's lame posts in that national Scumpaper where she slated us !!

[coolhandfox]

For me Shinji against the big teams, Slim against the weaker team were we need more options to break them down!

 

Horses for courses for me! 

[Col city fan]

1 minute ago, coolhandfox said:

For me Shinji against the big teams, Slim against the weaker team were we need more options to break them down!

 

Horses for courses for me! 

And this is exactly the point. A thirty million pound, star striker should not be involved in any 'horses for courses' type debate. It's ridiculous.

How many people said Ian Wright shouldn't be starting for Arsenal, or Kane for Spurs, or Rush for Liverpool? The list goes on.

To be warming the bench when Shinji is first choice is not indicative of the striker we thought we were buying. When he's fully fit, I expect Slim to start every game.

[UPinCarolina]

For me, the purchase of Silmani was always a bit of a head scratcher anyways, given that he just seems like an awkward fit. 

This isn't to say I didn't applaud his purchase (Lord knows I am a horrid judge of footballing tactics or grand strategy) - but I did not understand where his place was in the side. 

[coolhandfox]

36 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

And this is exactly the point. A thirty million pound, star striker should not be involved in any 'horses for courses' type debate. It's ridiculous.

How many people said Ian Wright shouldn't be starting for Arsenal, or Kane for Spurs, or Rush for Liverpool? The list goes on.

To be warming the bench when Shinji is first choice is not indicative of the striker we thought we were buying. When he's fully fit, I expect Slim to start every game.

 

I agree, he wasn't really what we need, we need a number ten, like gylfi sigurdsson, who we could have got for the similar price or maybe less! Vardy is our spearhead, I just can't see him and Slim working out as a pair! However we have him now, so hopefully he can come good, to be fair to the lad he's injuries and a break for AFCON.

 

 

[Col city fan]

1 minute ago, coolhandfox said:

 

I agree, he wasn't really what we need, we need a number ten, like gylfi sigurdsson, who we could have got for the similar price or maybe less! Vardy is our spearhead, I just can't see him and Slim working out as a pair! However we have him now, so hopefully he can come good, to be fair to the lad he's injuries and a break for AFCON.

 

 

The point I'm trying to make on here is that your top striker, the most expensive signing in your clubs history, plays football. They are your first choice. You bought them to play as your first choice striker. Not a player who flits in and out (when fit), or who you aren't sure about 'because he don't fit the system' etc etc. Thats all bollox and is indicative of the excuses that are made on this forum. Either play him (when fit) or admit that a mistake has been made, and sell him.

[coolhandfox]

14 hours ago, Col city fan said:

The point I'm trying to make on here is that your top striker, the most expensive signing in your clubs history, plays football. They are your first choice. You bought them to play as your first choice striker. Not a player who flits in and out (when fit), or who you aren't sure about 'because he don't fit the system' etc etc. Thats all bollox and is indicative of the excuses that are made on this forum. Either play him (when fit) or admit that a mistake has been made, and sell him.

 

He is a mistake, a result of a poorly planned summer recruitment program, were we failed to buy one player who strengthen the 11! 

 

He's a spearhead striker, we already had Vardy, how many clubs play with two strikers now days? We didn't need him, or Musa! 

 

However unless the club are willing to lose a massive amount of money, we are struck with him! 

 

When you consider Liverpool got Mane, Man City got Jesus for a similar price! 

Let be honest, we have had a scandalous season in the transfer market! 

[Eagle10]

20 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

The point I'm trying to make on here is that your top striker, the most expensive signing in your clubs history, plays football. They are your first choice. You bought them to play as your first choice striker. Not a player who flits in and out (when fit), or who you aren't sure about 'because he don't fit the system' etc etc. Thats all bollox and is indicative of the excuses that are made on this forum. Either play him (when fit) or admit that a mistake has been made, and sell him.

Agreed. That is actually my thinking, he was bought to be starter, obviously, Leicester isn't Real Madrid that buys for sport he was bought to be a starter. So play him or otherwise sell him, if he wasn't going to be used then they would sell him to China, since they didn't he will be a starter, i think he is just getting back to business after AFCON and injury.

[fuchsntf]

35 minutes ago, Col city fan said:

The point I'm trying to make on here is that your top striker, the most expensive signing in your clubs history, plays football. They are your first choice. You bought them to play as your first choice striker. Not a player who flits in and out (when fit), or who you aren't sure about 'because he don't fit the system' etc etc. Thats all bollox and is indicative of the excuses that are made on this forum. Either play him (when fit) or admit that a mistake has been made, and sell him.

Agree totally...

Hes been having those awkward type of injuries, so his returns could be see as cautionary measures.

If proven fit then, from now on should be 1st choice.

 

I will defend Okazaki when selected...but  with a fit Slimani next to Vardy and now an on form albrighton, we must be stronger....

I want to know in these last games , if Slimani can step up, by finishing a strong end to the season.

He could then go has an hero, or stay as a fully blooded quality striker. China is too early...

[Foxxed]

10 hours ago, David Hankey said:

Vardy didn't cost £30M!!

Please. If there's one point in our history where we can legitimately not care so much about the money, this is it. And considering how cheaply we got Vardy, Mahrez and N'Golo, among others, this doesn't have to be our main concern, not in this season, at least.

[volpeazzurro]

11 hours ago, Eagle10 said:

Himself and the price tag. It is clear that he Himself is pressured because of what he cost and he wants to show his worth no matter what and that shouldn't be happening. Against that tap in was a bad miss, but every striker fails tap ins don't judge him by that miss. I think he is sharp physically i saw him run all the way from defense to get the Ball in a dangerous position where he should have scored, about mental sharpness that is an other story, I know Slimani from his 3 years at Sporting and he never was mentally shot down, he has a strong mentality. Now he isn't showing it and i don't know why. Great post by the way, this is how posters should do it.

I've followed and enjoyed this discussion that you and Thracian have been having and it does make a refreshing change as it's a reasoned case for both views without anyone getting personal or demanding that they're right.

At the present I too agree with Thracians well put argument regarding Okazakis inclusion over Slimani.  His constant falling over irritates the hell out of me but his effort, awkwardness and general combativeness does, if we want to use this style of play, suit the team as a whole better.

Yet at the same time I can't be in the anti Slimani camp because I can definitely see something there but can't quite make out what it is yet if that makes any sense. The fee was over the top, but no more than others in a crazy price market but that's not his fault, it's just that traditionally, you expect something quite special and someone ready to go at  £30 million!

You can't knock his physical effort for me as I do think he's a trier but perhaps his languid loping style doesn't do him justice on the eye, but the effort is definitely not an issue for me.  I just can't  fit him in any particular box yet? He looks dangerous with his head in the box but he's not dominant in the air. He's no dribbling genius and doesn't get past a player with power and pace yet he's tough, has a decent touch and his eye for a pass can be good. So in theory, he should make a great number 10 but, given the opportunity and confidence, I see him as a more natural finisher than Vardy! He's puzzling the hell out of me.

Quite a few times in the last couple of games,  Vardy has pulled out wide to the left and put some cracking balls into the box and nobody has gambled to be there, particularly Okazaki, yet I feel that if Slimani had been on the field he would have been right in there?  Yet we needed Okazaki to get in that position in the first place. 

Different type of player I know but I remember a certain player named Drogba whose first season was pretty poor but then.....

Don't know how Slimani was played previously and whether our current style is alien to him, but you'd like to think there was a plan when he was bought.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

13 hours ago, Col city fan said:

The point I'm trying to make on here is that your top striker, the most expensive signing in your clubs history, plays football. They are your first choice. You bought them to play as your first choice striker. Not a player who flits in and out (when fit), or who you aren't sure about 'because he don't fit the system' etc etc. Thats all bollox and is indicative of the excuses that are made on this forum. Either play him (when fit) or admit that a mistake has been made, and sell him.

As far as I am concerned Vardy has been, is, and should continue to be our No.1 striker because when playing full throttle he is virtually unplayable. As well as the fact he obviously fits into our style of play, while the use of Slimani appears only to be the Plan B route.

 

From what I've seen he is not much of an improvement on Leo.

 

For £30m we've been seen coming with Slim, and therefore a mistake has been made in that respect.

[crsleicester]

2 minutes ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

As far as I am concerned Vardy has been, is, and should continue to be our No.1 striker because when playing full throttle he is virtually unplayable. As well as the fact he obviously fits into our style of play, while the use of Slimani appears only to be the Plan B route.

 

From what I've seen he is not much of an improvement on Leo.

 

For £30m we've been seen coming with Slim, and therefore a mistake has been made in that respect.

For me. I see exactly Ulloa in Slimani, capable of having a blinder and looking good but the next game, wondering if another sport was their preferred choice at school.

I feel that all football clubs have a stinker signing in them once in a while and bought because they thought they had to. Slimani fits this bracket perfectly.

The EPL is too fast for Slimani and Ulloa, their brains can't compute the options quick enough and the result is they fall down looking for a foul. Shinji is very similar ( when he hasn't tripped over his own feet of course!)

Vardy is the best we have. Sometimes his shot choice is a bit " non-league " but he knows where he needs to be to get the chance.

Had Vardy been picked up 5 years earlier and been part of a premier league set up, he would have been a £50m player.

 

[MarriedaLeicesterGirl]

I find it interesting that Slimani is the only summer signing in the squad (aside from Rob Z). After the sh't he pulled, Ulloa should be training with the U23's. I'd frankly put the cabbage on the bench, in that he offers something different.

There have been reports the league winners were upset that Albrighton and Okazaki were obviously marked for replacement (originally by Gray and Musa, then Musa and Slimani).

I wonder if Slimani is being utilised more to keep Mahrez happy? His stock has dropped this year, he does enjoy being at the club, and with the fact his national teammate is in the squad, Mahrez is more likely to stay.

 

[Guest CityFan 06]

He's going to play a part today.

[foxes21]

Slimani is good at scoring goals, so just leave him to compete with Vardy at CF. However he'll always be number 2 behind Vardy, making him a 30million plan b. Honestly I'm alright with that because it'll give us flexibility next season. We know Vardy is a pest, but he struggles against two banks of four. Being able to play Slimani CF instead of Vardy in that situation, would only be a benefit.

 

We can sign a better suited player than Slimani for the Okazaki role, in the summer.

[Vardinio'sCat]

On 3/16/2017 at 23:55, Foxxed said:

We're yet to see the best of Slim, and what we have seen is great, boobajab's videos going a long way to prove that. Shinji's pace for the high press and relationship with Vardy, however, make me place Shinji ahead of Slim. I can be persuaded Slim is technically better than Shinji in a fair few areas. But Shinji seems better for our pressing game - a manic Shinji running towards a defender or keeper, foot raised, is so iconic for our game and spirit.

 

I'd like to see more of Slim, see him working well with Vardy, see him pressing more, and hopefully see him for more than 30 minutes against West Ham. It's easy to imagine how much we'd be raving about his one-two with Mahrez if Vardy had hit the back of the net. We currently have a fantastic striker - much better than Ulloa - to bring on after Shinji's pressed the opposition to death.

 

 

Excellent this, saved me posting the same.

[AKCJ]

Everyone saying "Slimani should start because he's a 30m striker".

 

Vardy is a '30m' striker... Mahrez is probably a '50m' winger... Okazaki is probably a 20m striker... Drinkwater is a 25m midfielder... Schmeichel is a 25m keeper.... it goes on.

 

Forget the fees we paid for these players, they're totally irrelevant. Slimani is our top scorer and second top assister if I remember correctly. He's struggling to get back from this injury but lets not pretend he doesn't have a place in our team.

[Col city fan]

I'm still willing to give Slim the benefit of the doubt.

All bollox to one side, we just want to see him scoring. Frankly, to see that we have indeed signed a good striker, and not been caught with our pants down.

He needs to start showing something.