Okazaki - the most hot and cold, genius, infuriating player to ever play for Leicester?

[Stadt]

Sums him up, almost nothing in the final third but a hive of activity in midfield.

Edited 6 April 2017 by Wookie

[ajthefox]

33 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

Probably the only striker in the world who is able to play centre forward and attacking midfielder simultaneously.

 

But my god, can he be frustrating to watch. You take his workrate in the Sunderland game as an example and it's like you're looking at Shinji's evil twin as opposed to the player we witnessed against Stoke.

Wut?

 

Isn't a centre forward supposed to score goals?

[brucey]

43 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

Probably the only striker in the world who is able to play centre forward and attacking midfielder simultaneously.

 

But my god, can he be frustrating to watch. You take his workrate in the Sunderland game as an example and it's like you're looking at Shinji's evil twin as opposed to the player we witnessed against Stoke.

The evil twin forgot to take over immediately after the international break as is customary, but has now made up for it. How long does he usually stay for?

[murphy]

I simply don't understand why the OP has used words like genius in the title or compared him to Messi at times.  Are we watching the same player?  

 

A very ordinary but wholehearted player.
 

Edited 7 April 2017 by murphy

[UPinCarolina]

For me, he is the barometer of this Leicester side. 

 

When he's up, we're up. Simple as that. When he struggles, the rest often follow.

Edited 7 April 2017 by UPinCarolina

[EnglishOxide]

He's the link up man. So what if he doesn't get assists or many goals? That's not his job. We throw the wingers and full backs forward to create and score, Shinji looks to make space in the box but his job is to not leave the midfielders exposed. Therefore, you can't have him receiving the ball on the edge of the box, taking a few touches and looking for passes or to beat a man.

 

He is told to play one touch, hard and fast and not to wander too much and be caught in posession when we have bodies forward.

 

And we are not over reliant on Vardy, he is purposely the tip of the arrow. If Vardy is out someone else fills his role in the team to the best of their ability or to different tactical instructions.

 

That's not to say Okazaki is perfect, but for years we have played a very specific, unique, cutting, aggressive and articulate style and he fits in perfectly. Remember how we used to play well when Nugent did a similar role?

 

He's in there doing what's asked of him and doing it well. Sure he has the odd off day, who doesn't? But don't slag him off for trying to do what's asked of him.

 

Creating and taking on players is left to others in the team, and that's on purpose IMO.

[MC Prussian]

5 hours ago, ajthefox said:

Wut?

 

Isn't a centre forward supposed to score goals?

Ideally, yes.

 

But we all know what happens when reality and fantasy collide.

[wokinghamfox]

9 hours ago, Kitchandro said:

I agree in the sense that he either has a bad game or a good game. Either everything sticks to him and he puts himself about and links up brilliantly, or everything bounces off him as if he were an inanimate object.

 

However, and I don't mean this disrespectfully, but he's never really been at the 'hot' end of the scale for me. He's an effective player a lot of the time, and I like him, but I don't ever watch him and think he looks 'like Messi' or 'like Kante', he almost never does anything world class or particularly impressive.

 

I mean when does he skin players or score screamers? In fact has he ever scored a 'good' goal? Or complete a really clever, defence splitting pass? Ok occassionally he does a nice flick, or turns someone and wins a free kick. But for me he's just a very limited player who works hard and fits the team really well.

 

I'd say if 'hot and cold' described anyone in our team it would be Mahrez. As in he is truly world class when in form, but like a pub player when off his game, as we've seen for most of this season.

 

About sums it up really

[HighPeakFox]

Again, I'd form an opinion largely based on how his colleagues feel about his contribution, not stats. 

[mick47]

Runs his heart and I'd always play him for his nuisance factor but he falls over,more often than not, when in a threatening position.

[Guest Chocolate Teapot]

10 hours ago, Collymore said:

The guy is an enigma. 

 

One minute he's doing flicks and skills better than Messi and closing down better than Kante, the next you'd sub him in an under 12's game. The thing is it's easy to see most of the time when he's having a shocker and this is normally quite obvious after a few minutes. I know it would be harsh to sub a player before 45 mins but there are times if I was manager where I would have. Luckily he's knackered after 60 mins anyway but the guy is a complete mystery to me still.

 

I'm not slating him, there's been a lot of games where he's MOTM, but sometimes he's a complete liability and I feel we should have the balls to sub on 30 mins or something ridiculous because he never seems to recover when he's playing poorly. 

 

Thoughts?

 

 

You are completely spot on with this.....1000% agree.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

8 hours ago, foxes21 said:

okazaki made half our goals last season with the space he created for mahrez/vardy through his movement/running to drag defenders away.

i made a topic proving this but it got deleted 

I like Okazaki. 

 

However, I assume your assertion that he created half our goals last is season is not meant literally disputed you saying you had the stats to prove it? 

[ousefox]

Okazaki's role is so important to our team. He may not technically be anywhere near some other players but I would rather have him in that hole than Mahrez and Gray any day of the week. One of Claudio's biggest mistakes was not recognising how important he is to the team this season. It was no surprise that CS put him straight back in, and no surprise to me that we have gone on such a good run since.

 

 

[foxy boxing]

Whatever you say about Shinji skillwise and and not being a prolific threat in front of goal his workrate is exemplary and he always plays with a smile on his face and is a team player who always does his upmost for the club. I think the fans just want to see him score more regularly if he started doing that he would undoubtedly be everyones favourite player at the club

[Koke]

7 hours ago, EnglishOxide said:

He's the link up man. So what if he doesn't get assists or many goals? That's not his job. We throw the wingers and full backs forward to create and score, Shinji looks to make space in the box but his job is to not leave the midfielders exposed. Therefore, you can't have him receiving the ball on the edge of the box, taking a few touches and looking for passes or to beat a man.

 

He is told to play one touch, hard and fast and not to wander too much and be caught in posession when we have bodies forward.

 

And we are not over reliant on Vardy, he is purposely the tip of the arrow. If Vardy is out someone else fills his role in the team to the best of their ability or to different tactical instructions.

 

That's not to say Okazaki is perfect, but for years we have played a very specific, unique, cutting, aggressive and articulate style and he fits in perfectly. Remember how we used to play well when Nugent did a similar role?

 

He's in there doing what's asked of him and doing it well. Sure he has the odd off day, who doesn't? But don't slag him off for trying to do what's asked of him.

 

Creating and taking on players is left to others in the team, and that's on purpose IMO.

 

Nugent also contributed with goals and assists on top of his hard work. 

 

He's a good player for us but he has many flaws. I'm sure we can find a #10 in the summer who works just as hard as Shinji and is also capable of passing and assisting.

[foxile5]

In line with this type of player would be Arnaur Gunlaugsson (sp).

 

I remember watching him at Filbo, albeit in very small, short cameos. He used to have an excellent first touch and look every inch the genius, then belt the ball out of play or pass it to the opposition. He was incredibly frustrating to watch as I was certain there was a great player somewhere in there. Scored a couple of belters too.

[foxes21]

3 hours ago, NotTheMarketLeader said:

I like Okazaki. 

 

However, I assume your assertion that he created half our goals last is season is not meant literally disputed you saying you had the stats to prove it? 

there are no stats on movement and creating space. go back and watch our goals from last season, watch okazaki and the space he creates for our players to get a shot off.

[LCCFox96]

I love Okazaki, thinks he's class in a number of areas of his game. but he is undoubtedly infuriating. For every ninja bicycle kick and lovely one touch pass you'll get a Shinji style error. My two pet hates with Okazaki are:

 

1) He slips a lot in the final 3rd when he's about to play a killer pass or take a shot

2) He's regularly on his arse when he's in a shooting position 

 

Still, gotta love him. Brings so much to the team and the club.

 

 

Edited 7 April 2017 by LCCFox96

[Guest CityFan 06]

Classy player and his technical ability on the ball is excellent. His link up play is very good. I appreciate a few areas where he could improve but certainly important to the side.

 

There is this myth that he isn't technically good on the ball. The only reason people think this, is because he goes down fairly often. When he actually stays on his feet with the ball as I said he's excellent. 

[ajthefox]

I think Shinji is an important part of our team but I don't think that totally excuses the lack of tangible output. A better player would do what he does and manage a greater statistical output. 

[Bugg]

15 minutes ago, CityFan 06 said:

Classy player and his technical ability on the ball is excellent. His link up play is very good. I appreciate a few areas where he could improve but certainly important to the side.

 

There is this myth that he isn't technically good on the ball. The only reason people think this, is because he goes down fairly often. When he actually stays on his feet with the ball as I said he's excellent. 

[Nick]

60 mins - just when the defence are knackered and finding their passing ability we sub him for a different kind of beast that they can't keep tabs on in Slimani - lovely.

[Vocey]

The only player I've ever seen with a better touch with his chest than his feet.

 

Been a superb signing though, can't think of another attacking midfielder/second striker that puts in as much effort. 

[EnglishOxide]

4 hours ago, Koke said:

 

Nugent also contributed with goals and assists on top of his hard work. 

 

He's a good player for us but he has many flaws. I'm sure we can find a #10 in the summer who works just as hard as Shinji and is also capable of passing and assisting.

 

Nugent wasn't an integral part of a team winning the league though. Okazaki is clearly the better player.

 

I just can't believe that after Shinjis contribution to us last season, and his vital role in our current 6 game winning streak people are looking for an excuse to criticise.

 

And you call yourselves fans? Some of you need to remember where we came from.

[NotTheMarketLeader]

3 hours ago, foxes21 said:

there are no stats on movement and creating space. go back and watch our goals from last season, watch okazaki and the space he creates for our players to get a shot off.

I don't need to do that. 

 

Hes an important player who I really like, but 50% of the time he exasperates me. 

 

To be clear, my point is that your assertion that he created 50% of our goals last season is not true. 

 

What you you can say is his presence and work rate helped, as part of team play, in games where goals were scored by someone else. 

Edited 7 April 2017 by NotTheMarketLeader