Is Slimani of premier league quality

[SheppyFox]

One bad performance and he's awful, one good performance  and he's good enough  

[Eagle10]

Just now, SheppyFox said:

One bad performance and he's awful, one good performance  and he's good enough  

This forum is the most bipolar thing I have ever seen no doubt.

[Mendi]

What a goal from him. He has to play from the off now.

[Eagle10]

3 minutes ago, MC Prussian said:

His goal tonight was certainly Premier League quality.

Let's not forget that Ulloa in the first half was a near-catastrophe, never really linked up well with Slimani.

The introduction of Okazaki brought some much-needed energy, vitality and creativity going forward. He opened spaces for Slimani to nestle in.

As the match progressed in the second half, you could tell how much more confident Islam became.

 

I'm glad for him. Hopefully, he can take that experience into the league and bag a few until January.

That was what I was trying to say in the match thread when they say Slimani can't hold the ball up.

[the fox]

Funny enough, all of his goals this season are with his feet.

And look at this, last season's numbers weren't far off benzima's

Edited 19 September 2017 by the fox

[Ian Nacho]

It's taken me well over a year but I've finally found out what Slimani is about. You probably won't get preformces out of him but you'll get goals. His goals to starts ratio isn't too bad at all and I recon if he started all 38 games in a season he'd score at least 15+ goals which I think isn't a bad return. 

[Dan]

Not changed my opinion based on one goal at all but that was some strike.

[waylander]

1 hour ago, Eagle10 said:

That was what I was trying to say in the match thread when they say Slimani can't hold the ball up.

Keep smiling eagle 10. Love your positivity . Actually rate him myself but think there has been lack of service and quality to all strikers. 

[waylander]

1 hour ago, the fox said:

Funny enough, all of his goals this season are with his feet.

And look at this, last season's numbers weren't far off benzima's

Interesting 

[Struwwelpeter60]

Get Silva on the pitch and we will see a new/better  Slimani.

He needs the right service and Silva can provide it.

Those two were a great team at Sporting and I think they

can become one at LCFC.

[Jimmy]

He just can't seem to mesh with Vardy

[Vardinio'sCat]

 

 Makes interesting reading. Vardy-4 (107m/goal), Shinji-3 (89), Slim-3 (60)

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/teams/leicester-city/top-scorers

 

 

Say what you like about Slim, he will score goals at a decent rate. 20 goal a season forwards (like Slim) never have come cheap, and we have always struggled to bring that kind of player to the club. Now we have 3 strikers (if we count Nacho man, and I do) who can do the business.

 

Happy days, imho.

[the fox]

24 minutes ago, Jimmy said:

He just can't seem to mesh with Vardy

Its hard to play with vardy as another natural striker, it really is.

Not blaming vards, but he doesn't help when another striker is playing with him. He goes after every ball and usually stays central, look at last years games, slimani only looks good when vardy drifts wide, slimani isn't the fasts nor the best with his feet, one of them has to stay outside to make space and usually its slimani.

 

A natural number 9 usual has an alpha mentality, this is no knock on shinji, but he is a beta (footballing wise), he knows who's the big dog is so he only gets what vardy gives.

 

Slimani, even though shakey is trying to mold him in that shape, an alpha is always an alpha, people say that you can know if a lion was captured or  lived his whole life in a zoo by the look on their eyes, and in this case, by their movement in the opponents half. just pay attention to when the ball goes wide for a cross and see the deference between how shinji moves and slim moves, slim is looking to get it while shinji offers support for vardy. (Yes, slimani is the better header of the ball, but its not about that, its about the desire to get the ball)

 

I think slim and shinji should play together, okazaki knows where he sits on the pyramid and that's allows the main striker to obtain the lion's share.

Edited 20 September 2017 by the fox

[the fox]

Would really, really like to see slimani get a 4-5 game run in the league as the main striker (won't happen because vardy is the undisputed starter)

[vanity]

Slimani is in a very difficult spot. That is not an excuse for not producing, but it is silly to ignore the reality of the situation. He plays sparingly, and very clearly presses in an effort to make an impact, and it has thrown off his game. And we don't have the time to hold his hand until his psyche is better.

 

Personally, I think he could score 15-20+ goals with regular playing time, despite us featuring Vardy. However, Shinji and Nacho bring too much to the team for this to happen. I had fervently hoped at the beginning of the season that we would see some 3-4-3 with a Vardy/Nacho/Slim frontline, but it now seems Shinji is more indispensable than I realized. The team seems to feed off his energy. Perhaps if we get Silva, who similarly goes very hard on both sides of the ball, maybe we can move beyond our Shinji reliance. 

 

But until then, yes, I think he is Prem League quality, but I don't believe we'll see that at Leicester any time soon. He needs regular playing time to show his quality, as many players do, but he isn't going to get it so long as he is blocked by Vardy. But he could start for a number of other Prem sides, and likely do quite well. He's the quintessential candidate for a fresh start someplace else.

[Ricey]

Great goal, but I thought he was very very poor last night.

 

First touch was woeful and he refused to jump for any headers. With Ulloa doing the same, the ball was just coming straight back at us.

 

He is a threat in the box (and outside of it, uncharacteristically last night) but he isn't very quick, his first touch is poor, he doesn't win many headers from direct balls and often wastes chances that present themselves with his feet. He is also a moaner on the pitch, which I don't see many other of our players do.

 

He is a better version of Ulloa, but I just don't think he suits us. We need someone that can link up play and he most certainly isn't that man.

[RumbleFox]

Of course he is good enough, definitely.  His goal record already proves he can hack it.  Whether or not he fits our system is a different matter and maybe we will never see the best of him but, potentially, he is more than good enough for any mid-table Premier League side.

 

X

[Happy Fox]

3 minutes ago, Ricey said:

Great goal, but I thought he was very very poor last night.

 

First touch was woeful and he refused to jump for any headers. With Ulloa doing the same, the ball was just coming straight back at us.

 

He is a threat in the box (and outside of it, uncharacteristically last night) but he isn't very quick, his first touch is poor, he doesn't win many headers from direct balls and often wastes chances that present themselves with his feet. He is also a moaner on the pitch, which I don't see many other of our players do.

 

He is a better version of Ulloa, but I just don't think he suits us. We need someone that can link up play and he most certainly isn't that man.

 

Okazaki and Iheanacho?

 

With Vardy and Slimani as the main striker.

 

That's pretty bloody good options to have imo, it's pretty clear Slimani and Vardy don't work well together but if one of Okazaki and Iheanacho links up with either we will get goals.

 

I am more worried about midfield which is our Achilles heel atm.

[STUHILL]

Start with Vardy no.9/Iheanacho no.10 role.

 

Slimani to replace Vardy if injured/banned/for cups in that role, as well as appearances from the bench each week. 

 

Okazaki to share no.10 role with Iheanacho in similar vein. 

 

Obviously Slimani will want to be starting in the League, but for 6-12 months, this is a really decent strike force for us and Vardy will miss games and need to come off earlier in some.

 

Maybe people should stop being concerned about Slimani and Vardy not being able to play together, or Slimani not being happy at being on the bench, and just be thankful we finally have players to come off the bench or start our cup games, that can have a real impact. We haven't had that for years! 

 

Hopefully with Silva situation being sorted, our starting 11 and bench will be full of quality. 

 

 

[Ricey]

1 hour ago, Happy Fox said:

 

Okazaki and Iheanacho?

 

With Vardy and Slimani as the main striker.

 

That's pretty bloody good options to have imo, it's pretty clear Slimani and Vardy don't work well together but if one of Okazaki and Iheanacho links up with either we will get goals.

 

I am more worried about midfield which is our Achilles heel atm.

Slimani wants to start. The only way he is going to do that is as a support striker.

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

I have always defended him.  For the first time last night I was starting to tip the other way, then he went and scored that goal

So he can score well with his feet too.  Aside from that, his performance last night was not indikative of how he usually plays.  Usually plays a lot better han that, I will remember only the goal from this game and add it to my hitherto positive opinion of him

[Buce]

10 hours ago, the fox said:

Its hard to play with vardy as another natural striker, it really is.

Not blaming vards, but he doesn't help when another striker is playing with him. He goes after every ball and usually stays central, look at last years games, slimani only looks good when vardy drifts wide, slimani isn't the fasts nor the best with his feet, one of them has to stay outside to make space and usually its slimani.

 

A natural number 9 usual has an alpha mentality, this is no knock on shinji, but he is a beta (footballing wise), he knows who's the big dog is so he only gets what vardy gives.

 

Slimani, even though shakey is trying to mold him in that shape, an alpha is always an alpha, people say that you can know if a lion was captured or  lived his whole life in a zoo by the look on their eyes, and in this case, by their movement in the opponents half. just pay attention to when the ball goes wide for a cross and see the deference between how shinji moves and slim moves, slim is looking to get it while shinji offers support for vardy. (Yes, slimani is the better header of the ball, but its not about that, its about the desire to get the ball)

 

I think slim and shinji should play together, okazaki knows where he sits on the pyramid and that's allows the main striker to obtain the lion's share.

 

[hornyhollthefox123]

11 hours ago, Ian Nacho said:

It's taken me well over a year but I've finally found out what Slimani is about. You probably won't get preformces out of him but you'll get goals. His goals to starts ratio isn't too bad at all and I recon if he started all 38 games in a season he'd score at least 15+ goals which I think isn't a bad return. 

 

This is bang on and is the easiest way for people to understand him whether they love or hate him.

 

I still think the positives outweigh the negatives with him. And as much as i rate him i still find it odd that we signed him as he most definitely doesn't suit our style of play.

 

He's not the sort that in his late 20s will start changing his style of play so we can't expect anything other than the performances he's given us and for me that's fine. Yes he has limitations and sometimes will frustrate you but he will score goals consistently and nothing suggests otherwise. 

 

May as well support him and what he's good at. We all know he isn't no.1 and will never start over Vardy so just accept he's a very effective 2nd choice striker 

[foxfanazer]

10 hours ago, the fox said:

Would really, really like to see slimani get a 4-5 game run in the league as the main striker (won't happen because vardy is the undisputed starter)

And rightly so

[Guest Col city fan]

I honestly see Slim like a bit of a Yakubu. His all round game ain't strong. But he scores goals.

Last night, I honestly thought he was pants  (though again...he had NO service) and then he comes up with a wonder goal.

He's like marmite I reckon.