We need to talk about Wilfred Ndidi

[Countryfox]

42 minutes ago, Babylon said:

 WhY YUo cHaNgE TeAm iDiOt, wHy NoT pICk bEsT PLaYeR.

New keyboard for Christmas Babs ...   

[Stoopid]

Wilf's a bit hit and miss. 

He hits it. It misses.

[turtmcfly]

21 hours ago, FoxNotFox said:

He was poor (by his standards) last night but every player's entitled to an off-game. Generally, he needs to be a little more careful with his passing but that'll come with age. I think he tends to get a little too keen and rush things. He ought watch Iborra. Iborra has worked out his pass before he receives the ball - he can seem to make time stand still. A touch of that zen would help Ndidi no end. 

He certainly can. And when time starts again *poof* - there's an opposition player nicking the ball off him.

 

The guy is either innately slow, or so desperate to look composed and unruffled he refuses to get a fecking wiggle on. I think it's the former, compounded by the latter. 

[FoxNotFox]

Ah, uncle Turt from the Bush I presume.... droll as ever! 

 

I think you've sussed it here...

 

2 minutes ago, turtmcfly said:

so desperate to look composed and unruffled he refuses to get a fecking wiggle on

Looks are important, gotta look good. 

[turtmcfly]

2 minutes ago, FoxNotFox said:

Ah, uncle Turt from the Bush I presume.... droll as ever! 

 

I think you've sussed it here...

 

Looks are important, gotta look good. 

 

They are indeed. But he's the equivalent of a matador gazing insouciantly into the mid distance while a bull gores his ballsack.

 

 

It's Uncle Turt from Leicester living in Aldgate, actually. C'mon - I'm none the wiser after reading your profile. Who the Yahoo are you?

[Foxxed]

11 hours ago, Stadt said:

Ndidi is 22 next week, still young but he’s quite experienced for his age and players often don’t improve on the glaring weaknesses in their game, unfortunately. I’m not saying he won’t improve all but right now if we had a 22 year old Danny Simpson on our books half of foxestalk would be saying he’s young and will improve going forwards, sometime players just don’t overcome weaknesses.

 

Chilwell’s development has been exceptional and not the norm so I think generally people using him as barometer of much players can improve by is flawed. Especially as he admitted he put in a lot of “minging running” off his own back in the summer. I desperately want each player at the club to improve but there will be a point where we have to realise that Gray for example is playing at his potential.

Gray has improved. And there are signs Ndidi is doing so. I'd rather give them a chance than buy another Silva. Players will have ceilings but it's difficult it to say Ndidi has reached his. Not sure what we're arguing about now tbh!

[FoxNotFox]

 

9 minutes ago, turtmcfly said:

Who the Yahoo are you?

...a forum floater, I do the rounds under different names.

 

It was a guess; something vaguely recalled from majordomo list server days, back whenever they were.

[leicesterlad1989]

19 hours ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

I always feel like Wilf gets a harsh kicking on here for not being Kante.

 

11 hours ago, SouthStandUpperTier said:

I understand that the misplaced passes are not good, and he needs to improve in this regard. However, I think all the good work he does, because it's off the ball, is too easily overlooked by some. I think we'd miss him terribly if he weren't there. Pair him with someone like Shelvey and we'd have a boss midfield.

I think in general, fans have been quite positive and complimentary towards Ndidi since he's been at the club. He still is a young albeit relatively experienced player. I don't think anybody has criticised him for not being Kante. That was actually Mendy.

 

Ndidi, like any other player performing badly, deserves criticism. His tackling stats are probably so high due to the fact he gives it away far too often. We all know his strengths are off the ball and I think the vast majority know what his weaknesses are. The frustrating thing is that he hasn't seemed to improve in those weak areas. 12 to 18 months ago it felt like he was destined for big things but he seems to have stalled a little. I honestly believed and still do believe that he has the qualities to be a Viera type midfielder.

[Babylon]

Wilf has played a stupid amount of football for someone his age, he probably needs a good summer off.

[RumbleFox]

1 minute ago, Babylon said:

Wilf has played a stupid amount of football for someone his age, he probably needs a good summer off.

Aye, I think he might be a little burnt out.  I have confidence in his ability but he hasn't been great lately.  I think a rest might do him the world of good. 

[RutlanderFox]

It’s rare that I agree with the co-commentators on the streams but the guy on my stream the other night said that Kante and Drinkwater always looked to where there next pass will be as soon as they got the ball and got it forward quickly but that Mendy and Ndidi don’t do this and slow the game down despite working just as hard which I think sums it up well. 

[Gevans_97]

In honesty, I have been much more impressed with Mendy this season. Wilf is a good player but needs to improve on his passing and composure, and we need someone in there that can drive forward and pick a pass better. I understand the persistence with Wilf because he has potential to be a superb player, but he's not quite fulfilling that. Frustrating when players like Chilwell have improved vastly in a short space of time.

 

It's unlikely, but imagine a Loftus-Cheek alongside either Wilf or Papy. Would just add that drive from midfield that we're missing.

[KingsX]

From the moment he became a regular starter, he was in the conversation with Kante, Gueye and Milivojevic as “the” tackling machine in the League.  Some pundit estimated the value of his contract at £50M or £60M.  So we got very excited about a 19 year old.  But lately, we seem to be focusing on his passing woes.

 

According to whoscored, he is not regressing.  He has improved in success %, key passes and through balls in each of his PL seasons.

 

 

Not that his numbers are good by the standards of his position.  And CM is an area where wayward passing does not go unpunished.

 

Are his ball-winning numbers holding up?   I toted up Tackles + Interceptions to find the most prolific PL ball winners.   Wilf remains elite at the thing he does best, despite being in a more possession-based side.

 

1.	Gueye	96
2.	Bissaka	90
3.	Ndidi	83
4.	Capoue	81
5.	Billing	78
6.	Boly	75
7.	Lemina	74
8.	Sol Bamba	70
9.	Milivojevic	68
9.	Zanka	68
9.	Luka	68
12.	Ricardo Pereira	65
12.	Ecuele Manga	65

 

(Yes, Sarri has played Kante straight off the list.)  I find it of interest that Ricardo “can’t defend” Pereira is also among the leaders.  The other, more eye-pleasing half of our CM duo is not a ball-winner, though.  Mendy has just 13 interceptions and 19 tackles.   He also has the ball less than Ndidi (49 passes/game v 54), but passes much more accurately (90%).  FT does value a safe hand.

 

Anyway, I came away from this thinking (news flash) we are focusing too much on the negatives.  Ndidi remains a highly rated player, and is improving his main weakness, albeit gradually.

[StriderHiryu]

Claude Puel was asked about the form of Wilfried Ndidi and Papy Mendy.

Ndidi is a player who wins the ball. He can improve under pressure, but his physical game and recovery game is fantastic.

He and Papy give their best. There’s solidity for our team to have these players. They can run a lot. They give the team a good start . They have a smile and a good attitude. They’re fantastic to manage.

 

 

Hopefully Puel can improve them both!

[Sampson]

3 hours ago, KingsX said:

From the moment he became a regular starter, he was in the conversation with Kante, Gueye and Milivojevic as “the” tackling machine in the League.  Some pundit estimated the value of his contract at £50M or £60M.  So we got very excited about a 19 year old.  But lately, we seem to be focusing on his passing woes.

 

According to whoscored, he is not regressing.  He has improved in success %, key passes and through balls in each of his PL seasons.

 

 

Not that his numbers are good by the standards of his position.  And CM is an area where wayward passing does not go unpunished.

 

Are his ball-winning numbers holding up?   I toted up Tackles + Interceptions to find the most prolific PL ball winners.   Wilf remains elite at the thing he does best, despite being in a more possession-based side.

 

1.	Gueye	96
2.	Bissaka	90
3.	Ndidi	83
4.	Capoue	81
5.	Billing	78
6.	Boly	75
7.	Lemina	74
8.	Sol Bamba	70
9.	Milivojevic	68
9.	Zanka	68
9.	Luka	68
12.	Ricardo Pereira	65
12.	Ecuele Manga	65

 

(Yes, Sarri has played Kante straight off the list.)  I find it of interest that Ricardo “can’t defend” Pereira is also among the leaders.  The other, more eye-pleasing half of our CM duo is not a ball-winner, though.  Mendy has just 13 interceptions and 19 tackles.   He also has the ball less than Ndidi (49 passes/game v 54), but passes much more accurately (90%).  FT does value a safe hand.

 

Anyway, I came away from this thinking (news flash) we are focusing too much on the negatives.  Ndidi remains a highly rated player, and is improving his main weakness, albeit gradually.

I've said it before and I'll say it again but the Kante comparisons need to stop.

 

Kante is the best defensive midfielder in the world and  Ndidi will never be that.

 

A better compwrison for Ndidi is Robbie Savage, not Kante. (And I mean that very positively before anyone says it). Savage was excellent for us at winning the ball back and giving it to better players in Izzet and Lennon who created. We need a more creative player to play alongside him in the middle if anything.

[Tom12345]

6 hours ago, leicesterlad1989 said:

 

I think in general, fans have been quite positive and complimentary towards Ndidi since he's been at the club. He still is a young albeit relatively experienced player. I don't think anybody has criticised him for not being Kante. That was actually Mendy.

 

Ndidi, like any other player performing badly, deserves criticism. His tackling stats are probably so high due to the fact he gives it away far too often. We all know his strengths are off the ball and I think the vast majority know what his weaknesses are. The frustrating thing is that he hasn't seemed to improve in those weak areas. 12 to 18 months ago it felt like he was destined for big things but he seems to have stalled a little. I honestly believed and still do believe that he has the qualities to be a Viera type midfielder.

The frustrating thing for me is actually that, unlike other players, he never gets dropped when he deserved to me. This is why he gets so much criticism of late. It is a bit unfair on him to be honest, but that comes with being selected week in week out regardless of how he performs when there are many who does not get the same chance: Iborra, Silva, King (gosh he is not even registered), Choudbury, Mendy (he does get dropped and he did wait for 1 full year), etc.

[l444ry]

2 minutes ago, Tom12345 said:

The frustrating thing for me is actually that, unlike other players, he never gets dropped when he deserved to me. This is why he gets so much criticism of late. It is a bit unfair on him to be honest, but that comes with being selected week in week out regardless of how he performs when there are many who does not get the same chance: Iborra, Silva, King (gosh he is not even registered), Choudbury, Mendy (he does get dropped and he did wait for 1 full year), etc.

Wilf is picked because of his work off the ball. Expecting him to be another Maddison, for example, is unrealistic, just as Maddison can’t do the job Wilf does. Horses for courses. It takes all types to make a *team*.

[Tom12345]

4 minutes ago, Sampson said:

I've said it before and I'll say it again but the Kante comparisons need to stop.

 

Kante is the best defensive midfielder in the world and  Ndidi will never be that.

 

A better compwrison for Ndidi is Robbie Savage, not Kante. (And I mean that very positively before anyone says it). Savage was excellent for us at winning the ball back and giving it to better players in Izzet and Lennon who created. We need a more creative player to play alongside him in the middle if anything.

 I and many other have made the same point many times over. Making him play alongside a creative player does not help. He drags down those around him. This is why Maddison could not play at his best. It is really a choice of whether we want creative football with more chances to score in a game (then answer is to drop him) OR we just care about winning the ball back (then fine to keep him). He disrupts play too much that we can never play the fast direct football that Vardy and Albrington thrive on consistently or the possession Man City like creative play that Puel wants us to play. 

 

More to the point: why does every player gets dropped apart from him?

[Tom12345]

Just now, l444ry said:

Wilf is picked because of his work off the ball. Expecting him to be another Maddison, for example, is unrealistic, just as Maddison can’t do the job Wilf does. Horses for courses. It takes all types to make a *team*.

We all know his qualities, but then we have to be content with more draws instead of more wins (with a few more losses). 

[l444ry]

2 minutes ago, Tom12345 said:

We all know his qualities, but then we have to be content with more draws instead of more wins (with a few more losses). 

Not digging Tom. Goals are more down to the front four. Claude picks Wilf to defend first and foremost. 

[Tom12345]

9 minutes ago, l444ry said:

Wilf is picked because of his work off the ball. Expecting him to be another Maddison, for example, is unrealistic, just as Maddison can’t do the job Wilf does. Horses for courses. It takes all types to make a *team*.

And he drags Maddison down. He makes Maddison work so much harder offensively. How many times have you seen Maddison and Ndidi exchange meaningful creative passes in the middle ...? Hardly any in a game. Yes, we can rely on others to do the creative stuff, but unless Ndidi is on the other side of the park, when a few creative forward passes strung together get to Ndidi, then it is the end of that play. Yeah, he might win the ball back 1 min later or he might foul, but football is about creating chances. 

 

Not writing him off totally, but many of us just want to see another combination and see what happens. 

[leicesterlad1989]

9 minutes ago, l444ry said:

Wilf is picked because of his work off the ball. Expecting him to be another Maddison, for example, is unrealistic, just as Maddison can’t do the job Wilf does. Horses for courses. It takes all types to make a *team*.

I don't think too many would disagree with why he's in the team. I also don't think many would expect him to do a Maddison type job. To be effective at what he does, he needs to 'recycle' the ball efficiently when he wins it back. Too many time he gives the ball back only to win it again. 

[UPinCarolina]

We're going to be incredibly difficult for other sides to handle by the end of this season, if we keep kicking on and developing. Ndidi is no exception to this. The posts showing his gradual improvement in key areas and continued excellence in others are proof.

Keep the faith, FT.

[l444ry]

16 minutes ago, leicesterlad1989 said:

I don't think too many would disagree with why he's in the team. I also don't think many would expect him to do a Maddison type job. To be effective at what he does, he needs to 'recycle' the ball efficiently when he wins it back. Too many time he gives the ball back only to win it again. 

Then Leicester will need to sign an experienced operator and pay through the nose for it. Wilf is growing at a decent pace. Games are won or lost every bit with how you perform as a team off the ball as on it. In my opinion he covers a lot of the work that Nacho, Gray, Maddison and others leave him to do. Don't remember Nobby Stiles being picked as a World Cup winner for not being a ball playing maestro. It takes all types.  

[TeaMen Tom]

One area where I think Wilf has improved is not committing fouls that give opponents free kicks close enough to the goal where they can look to score. It seems like he committed more than his share of those over his first couple of seasons but that seems to have been corrected. And look at this way - if he improves his passing too much a big club is going to want him.