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

[MrSpaM]

I don't think he's ever been "a complete liability" tbh

 

He's had poor games, but he's not really cost us points 

[s11nny]

He falls over a lot and he often looses the ball under his own feet with no pressure on him. But he is class just for the amount of pressing he does.

[ZeGuy]

First defensive midfielder playing almost exclusively in the last third.

 

Phenomenal work rate, always give 200% but technically extremely limited and almost 0 direct contribution forward.

[AyewJoking]

I never think of him as a striker. Just someone behind vardy who puts an honest graft in and does a lot of good things and a lot of poor things

 

Whatever your opinion of him. You can't deny he has been instrumental in our success. 

 

Defies footballing logic but then again, we are Leicester city

[murphy]

5 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.

So no evidence to support your wild claim that Shinji was responsible for half our goals last year.

 

If they gave out awards for the most ridiculous post of the week, you get my vote.

 

I once handed the ball back to a player who took a throw in from which we eventually scored by the way.  I'm claiming an assist for that too.

[murphy]

20 minutes ago, Royston. said:

I never think of him as a striker. Just someone behind vardy who puts an honest graft in and does a lot of good things and a lot of poor things

 

Whatever your opinion of him. You can't deny he has been instrumental in our success. 

 

Defies footballing logic but then again, we are Leicester city

Spot on.  Shinji in a nutshell.

[Clever Fox]

Like many others on here it's hard not to like him. But in order to keep moving upwards we really need to look at someone more talented like Sigurosson who can contribute to our attacking force with both Goals and Assists.

[foxes21]

1 hour ago, murphy said:

So no evidence to support your wild claim that Shinji was responsible for half our goals last year.

 

If they gave out awards for the most ridiculous post of the week, you get my vote.

 

I once handed the ball back to a player who took a throw in from which we eventually scored by the way.  I'm claiming an assist for that too.

huh? I said you can watch all our goals from last season to see the evidence

[Hammo]

I guess the reason Okazaki frustrates us so much is that we all want him to succeed because of the monumental effort he puts in, but in terms of tangible output (goals and assists) he very rarely does. 

 

But please take the word 'genius' out of the thread title. He is a limited footballer who fits into our style of play. That's all.

 

(Having said that, I'd love him to shove those words down my throat with a couple of vital goals in the next few weeks. How about one in Madrid, Shinji?)

[murphy]

5 minutes ago, foxes21 said:

huh? I said you can watch all our goals from last season to see the evidence

I did.   And I saw something very different to you.

 

So where's the evidence?

[TheSomersetFox]

If Shinji was employed in the main striker role I think we'd see a completely different player. As it is, he puts his pride to one side, drops back and does a brilliant job purely for the team. Never complains about being played out of position does he. Sigurdsson would likely be an upgrade but he wouldn't press or harry with the same intensity as Shinji

[foxtillidrop]

All said and done..we tend to have more success when Shinji starts..part of the premiership winning formula..Claudio tried to replace him and it clearly didn't work. A vital player to our high press game

[Collymore]

Can i just mention my mentality (and frustation)  when posting this thread.. 

 

Loads of people have been saying ".......But Shinji is so much more than goals and assists" 

 

I disagree

 

 

 

 

 

[UPinCarolina]

Shinji is the water-carrier from midfield to the attack during transition. That's a valuable and thankless job.

[HighPeakFox]

I repeat - ask his team mates how highly they regard him.

[STUHILL]

7 minutes ago, HighPeakFox said:

I repeat - ask his team mates how highly they regard him.

They all hate him and his attitude stinks. Clearly thinks he is better than he is.. Shinji is a billy big bollocks if ever I saw one

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, STUHILL said:

They all hate him and his attitude stinks. Clearly thinks he is better than he is.. Shinji is a billy big bollocks if ever I saw one

Thank you for helping

[kushiro]

On ‎2017‎年‎4‎月‎7‎日 at 07:45, 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 

 

It didn't. I've pasted your original post below. OK, so 'nearly a third' somehow became 'half', but still, it's a good analysis:

 

Whilst Mahrez & others have been fantastic for us ON THE BALL, Okazaki's work OFF THE BALL has been just as important. Now go watch our 68 goals on youtube, Okazaki is involved in nearly a third of them, either through running to create space, movement, positioning, assisting or scoring:

• Vardys 1^st Vs Sunderland - Shinji's run in the box takes the defender away

• Albrighton Vs Sunderland - Shinji's movement creates havoc in Sunderland's defence allowing Albrighton to score

• okazaki goal vs west ham

• Mahrez goal vs west ham - played in marc Albrighton to assist Mahrez

• Mahrez goal vs Tottenham - Shinji's run takes the a defender away, creating more space for Mahrez

• vardy vs arsenal - his run, means the defender can’t move towards vardy to block his shot

• schlupp vs Norwich - won the ball back to set up the counter

• okazaki goal vs Newcastle

• okazaki wins penalty vs everton

• okazaki goal vs everton

• everton, vardy wins penalty, okazaki’s run pulls defender away for vardy giving him space to run behind

• okazaki goal vs aston villa

• okazaki shot assists vardy for 2^nd goal vs Liverpool

• huth 1^st goal vs man city, okazaki holds off the defender at front post giving huth space to run into

• Mahrez goal vs man city, Okazaki's runs to the left allows Mahrez to cut in to score on his right foot

• okazaki goal vs Newcastle

• Mahrez goal vs palace, okazaki’s run take one defender away, creating space for Mahrez to run into

• morgan goal vs Southampton, okazaki’s run makes two defenders follow him, giving Morgan space to head the cross in

• king goal vs west brom, okazaki’s run down the left wing means Albrighton has room to cut in on his right foot & cross to Mahrez who assists king

• morgan goal vs man united, okazaki’s run at the last second distracts de gea & stops him from getting close to the ball

• andy king goal vs everton, okazaki’s run occupys the main center back who can’t get out in time to block king’s shot

So 21/68 goals, Okazaki is involved in & helped create and to be honest I probably even missed some out. So for those underestimating Okazaki's influence in our attacking play just take a look at that list. ON THE BALL he can be improved on, no doubt. But his work OFF THE BALL will be much harder to replace. 

 

 

I rarely post an opinion on Shinji myself because, you know, I'm totally biased, but here goes - just one observation:

 

Think back to the dark days of January. It wasn't just that we were losing, it wasn't just that we weren't scoring goals. It was much worse that that. We couldn't even pass the ball to each other. There was absolutely no fluidity in our play, and it looked like we'd never create another chance, let alone score (anyone remember the 50% passing accuracy stat for the first half at Burnley?) This is where Shinji is so important. He always wants the ball - he always looks to give the player in possession an option. He often just plays a simple return pass, or turns and knocks it to someone else. It looks like a very small contribution, but by the time this has happened, the position of all the other players has changed. Mahrez has now found half a yard of space, Vardy has started to make a run or Albrighton has moved inside calling for a pass. We're passing it around and getting our fluidity back, and from that the chances come.

 

Plus, of course, he has an equal but opposite impact on the fluidity of the oppostion. 

 

[Vacamion]

 

My 2017 "LCFC Champions" wall calendar features Shinji more than anyone else.

 

The calendar manufacturers knew what they were doing.

 

 

His weird goals are already part of Leicester City folklore and, more importantly for how City play when we are successful, I think he's brilliant for the team by (as others have illustrated) making space, linking with teammates and working back.

 

Mahrez and Slimani often noticeably struggle to pass to Vardy.  Shinji doesn't.

 

It would be nice if Shinji scores a long range screamer against Athletico and thus silences his critics in here, but for me, it would be even sweeter if he scores one from a yard out, whilst upside down, that goes in off his backside.

 

 

 

 

[Guest Col city fan]

What a bizarre thread? Neither is he a technical genius nor a complete liability.

Hes just a solid, give it his all, type player. Great signing for the club.

[Guest Col city fan]

1 hour ago, Vacamion said:

 

My 2017 "LCFC Champions" wall calendar features Shinji more than anyone else.

 

The calendar manufacturers knew what they were doing.

 

 

His weird goals are already part of Leicester City folklore and, more importantly for how City play when we are successful, I think he's brilliant for the team by (as others have illustrated) making space, linking with teammates and working back.

 

Mahrez and Slimani often noticeably struggle to pass to Vardy.  Shinji doesn't.

 

It would be nice if Shinji scores a long range screamer against Athletico and thus silences his critics in here, but for me, it would be even sweeter if he scores one from a yard out, whilst upside down, that goes in off his backside.

 

 

 

 

This

[ozvaldo]

?

IMG_3626.mp4

Edited 8 April 2017 by ozvaldo

[Deano79]

Great player. So understated. If could get 12/13 goals a season, could be our greatest ever player. 

[Koke]

7 hours ago, kushiro said:

 

It didn't. I've pasted your original post below. OK, so 'nearly a third' somehow became 'half', but still, it's a good analysis:

 

Whilst Mahrez & others have been fantastic for us ON THE BALL, Okazaki's work OFF THE BALL has been just as important. Now go watch our 68 goals on youtube, Okazaki is involved in nearly a third of them, either through running to create space, movement, positioning, assisting or scoring:

• Vardys 1^st Vs Sunderland - Shinji's run in the box takes the defender away

• Albrighton Vs Sunderland - Shinji's movement creates havoc in Sunderland's defence allowing Albrighton to score

• okazaki goal vs west ham

• Mahrez goal vs west ham - played in marc Albrighton to assist Mahrez

• Mahrez goal vs Tottenham - Shinji's run takes the a defender away, creating more space for Mahrez

• vardy vs arsenal - his run, means the defender can’t move towards vardy to block his shot

• schlupp vs Norwich - won the ball back to set up the counter

• okazaki goal vs Newcastle

• okazaki wins penalty vs everton

• okazaki goal vs everton

• everton, vardy wins penalty, okazaki’s run pulls defender away for vardy giving him space to run behind

• okazaki goal vs aston villa

• okazaki shot assists vardy for 2^nd goal vs Liverpool

• huth 1^st goal vs man city, okazaki holds off the defender at front post giving huth space to run into

• Mahrez goal vs man city, Okazaki's runs to the left allows Mahrez to cut in to score on his right foot

• okazaki goal vs Newcastle

• Mahrez goal vs palace, okazaki’s run take one defender away, creating space for Mahrez to run into

• morgan goal vs Southampton, okazaki’s run makes two defenders follow him, giving Morgan space to head the cross in

• king goal vs west brom, okazaki’s run down the left wing means Albrighton has room to cut in on his right foot & cross to Mahrez who assists king

• morgan goal vs man united, okazaki’s run at the last second distracts de gea & stops him from getting close to the ball

• andy king goal vs everton, okazaki’s run occupys the main center back who can’t get out in time to block king’s shot

So 21/68 goals, Okazaki is involved in & helped create and to be honest I probably even missed some out. So for those underestimating Okazaki's influence in our attacking play just take a look at that list. ON THE BALL he can be improved on, no doubt. But his work OFF THE BALL will be much harder to replace. 

 

 

I rarely post an opinion on Shinji myself because, you know, I'm totally biased, but here goes - just one observation:

 

Think back to the dark days of January. It wasn't just that we were losing, it wasn't just that we weren't scoring goals. It was much worse that that. We couldn't even pass the ball to each other. There was absolutely no fluidity in our play, and it looked like we'd never create another chance, let alone score (anyone remember the 50% passing accuracy stat for the first half at Burnley?) This is where Shinji is so important. He always wants the ball - he always looks to give the player in possession an option. He often just plays a simple return pass, or turns and knocks it to someone else. It looks like a very small contribution, but by the time this has happened, the position of all the other players has changed. Mahrez has now found half a yard of space, Vardy has started to make a run or Albrighton has moved inside calling for a pass. We're passing it around and getting our fluidity back, and from that the chances come.

 

Plus, of course, he has an equal but opposite impact on the fluidity of the oppostion. 

 

 

Not sure if that list is satire or serious. I like Okazaki but you can't credit him for the Morgan goals v Southampton and Man Utd. That's ludicrous. The guy runs around so naturally he will occupy a defender. Just like every other Leicester player will occupy an opposition player simply by being on the pitch.

 

Morgan's goal v United was from a set piece mate, there were 6 other Leicester players in the box

 

 

[lgfualol]

Surely we can get another player that can make those runs but also kick a ball