We need to talk about Wilfred Ndidi

[Tom12345]

6 hours ago, TeaMen Tom said:

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. 

Agree with you regarding him being more disciplined in terms of not fouling too close to the box. He did more than his share for a while.

[NaijaFox]

13 hours 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.

Get ready for more frustration, because IMHO Wilf remains one of the handful of players 9 (Vardy, Kasper, Maguire and Maddison included) who automatically gets to play in all EPL games if fit.

 

We saw what happened when he got dropped against Brighton and Iborra started, promptly turning the ball over and misplacing passes until (not wishing Ill or injury on any of our players, but) thankfully injury took him out and spared our collective blushes. 

[NaijaFox]

13 hours ago, Tom12345 said:

 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?

On the contrary, Wilf (and Mendy) is the reason that Maddison can float around with virtually no defensive responsibilities at all. Interesting that in Wilf’s absence against Brighton, Madders contrived to pick up two yellows and a quick red!

Edited 8 December 2018 by NaijaFox

[NaijaFox]

On 06/12/2018 at 09:47, SouthStandUpperTier said:

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

This!

 

So much hullabaloo has been made of his passing, but watching him on Wednesday he actually made one terrible pass (straight out of touch behind Chilly), in a game where several other players led by Kasper were routinely knocking passes out of bounds, to the opposition or simply hoofing it up aimlessly upfield (especially Morgan). Other than one glaringly ugly pass, he completed many passes and failed to complete some - just like most other regular players. Meanwhile, in-between trying to pass, he was too busy winning headers, tackles, making interceptions, a crucial block and covering for the backs. 

Edited 8 December 2018 by NaijaFox

[Foxxed]

44 minutes ago, NaijaFox said:

On the contrary, Wilf (and Mendy) is the reason that Maddison can float around with virtually no defensive responsibilities at all. Interesting that in Wilf’s absence against Brighton, Madders contrived to pick up two yellows and a quick red!

When we eventually play the defensively absent Barnes, Wilf and Mendy will be even more important here.

[shailen]

I actually think Wilf and Mendy look great in midfield. They're both able to win back the ball and give it to the forward players who start the attacks. Wilf has the ability to win the ball back and he does it a lot and start attacks. That might mean committing fouls but the benefit is that he will win the ball in dangerous areas. He is definitely up there in terms of interceptions in the league.

[leicesterlad1989]

16 hours ago, l444ry said:

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.  

Not at all. I am not suggesting he should act as our playmaker. Simply, he needs to redistribute the ball better once he has won it.

[Hammo]

6 hours ago, NaijaFox said:

This!

 

So much hullabaloo has been made of his passing, but watching him on Wednesday he actually made one terrible pass (straight out of touch behind Chilly), in a game where several other players led by Kasper were routinely knocking passes out of bounds, to the opposition or simply hoofing it up aimlessly upfield (especially Morgan). Other than one glaringly ugly pass, he completed many passes and failed to complete some - just like most other regular players. Meanwhile, in-between trying to pass, he was too busy winning headers, tackles, making interceptions, a crucial block and covering for the backs. 

Hullabaloo? Yes, Wilf offers a lot to the team, particularly with his excellent tackling and intercepting, but if you have watched every minute of our recent games and do not believe that his increasingly awful passing is a problem, then you are in denial.

Edited 8 December 2018 by Hammo

[Hammo]

1 hour ago, pmcla26 said:

We just have to play to our strengths, people are saying a lot about his passing but just give him a role where he doesn’t need to make difficult passes and keep it simple, as good as Mendy’s been, I imagine in the summer we’ll go back in to the market for another midfielder to partner Wilf.

It's not the 'difficult' passes, it's the routine straightforward ones when he is under no pressure that are the issue.

[Guest MattP]

His shooting and his passing at least make me chuckle.

 

To think some on here say he'll end up at a regular "top four club" - I promise you he won't. 

[Brooksy]

I think we can do better tbh. 

[somebum]

Completely brainless 

[fleckneymike]

Has he actually progressed at all in the last 3 seasons?

 

His ability to disrupt play remains but his use of the ball when in possession is still utterly woeful 

[RODNEY FERNIO]

People laughed at Huth when he took that dreadful free kick.

Wilf has a couple of shots like that EVERY game.

[chris_lcfc_85]

Our midfield is a big problem, too many similar players

[Marshall Cockney Fox]

It's sad as he looked the real deal when he arrived. But fundamental aspects of midfield play totally escape him still. If he can't pass the ball the evolving modern game will pass him by and he will end up in the championship.

[Costock_Fox]

Starting to think he shouldn’t be a starter. Like others have said his passing and shooting is absolutely abysmal, How many times did he slice it high and wide today? Embarrassing.

[wattolcfc]

People stating that Puel is doing a great job bringing through youth yet Wilf is going backwards under him.

[lgfualol]

2 minutes ago, wattolcfc said:

People stating that Puel is doing a great job bringing through youth yet Wilf is going backwards under him.

That's more Wilf's fault he is a professional footballer that can't pass a ball in my opinion. His tackling ability has remained the same.

[brownfox]

We need to talk about Ndidi? Someone needs to talk to him about his woeful shooting! How many try's did he score?

[Fosse93]

Play him at centre back, or not at all.

[Lovejoy]

We need a more creative deep lying midfielder and right now it’d be Wilf to make way. I personally can’t stand playing both Ndidi and Mendy as it’s too negative and over the course of the season so far I’d have to argue I’d prefer Mendy as our anchor with someone more forward thinking and Madders in front of him.

[RODNEY FERNIO]

23 minutes ago, Lovejoy said:

We need a more creative deep lying midfielder and right now it’d be Wilf to make way. I personally can’t stand playing both Ndidi and Mendy as it’s too negative and over the course of the season so far I’d have to argue I’d prefer Mendy as our anchor with someone more forward thinking and Madders in front of him.

We might already have that person ….. he's on loan at the Baggies

[mucfox]

Last season I was a great fan of Wilfred Ndidi and I was afraid we can lose him to a big six team.

 

This season is the opposite - his performance is disappointing week by week. He can not pass accident free the ball to his teammates.

 

After signing his new contract he is not the same Ndidi - may be he sent his twin and the really Wilfred is relaxing on the beach. 

[Lovejoy]

1 hour ago, RODNEY FERNIO said:

We might already have that person ….. he's on loan at the Baggies

Barnes plays as one of the front three or four chap, I'm on about a central midfielder. Agreed on bringing him back though, seems a no-brainer.