Kelechi Iheanacho / Nacho Man

[southfox66]

2 hours ago, MattP said:

You've got more chance of selling pork in a Mosque than flogging Iheanacho back to Guardiola. 

I guess it's as likely as, him scoring a, premier goal for us again before the seasons out. I thought maybe he like to balance it out, hes had the cream of out club so balance with the..... 

[Heathrow fox]

8 hours ago, Arriba Los Zorros said:

You clearly weren't around whilst the very white Richie Wellens was everyone's favourite scapegoat. Or for the love that we all had for limited but wholehearted Lloyd Dyer.

 

Tempted to say that the discrimination you're perceiving comes from your own personal bias, but that would be making an offensive assumption about you like you have done for the people on here criticising Nacho.

Speaking of Lloyd Dyer if only we had someone like him now

[hamptonfox]

If Iheanacho and Shinji can’t cut it anymore, don’t we have anyone to promote from the under 23s that can play up front? Or do we play without forwards who can score throughout the club (Vardy accepted, of course).

if we aren’t signing any forwards (please please let us sign someone and let Iheanacho go) I would rather see someone from our development squad on the bench instead of Iheanacho.

[Mike Oxlong]

On 06/01/2019 at 19:31, Mark 'expert' Lawrenson said:

He’s the exact opposite of a natural goal scorer, has no clue in the box of where the ball is going to go or where he should be position wise, and his apparent lack of effort doesn’t help, ok he’s never going to be a poacher like Lineker or Cottee for example but what he can do is show some enthusiasm and make the best of what he’s got.

We’ve probably  got Stowell coaching the forwards

 

At the moment he reminds me of an expensive Mark de Vries

 

 

[Guest]

3 hours ago, Col city fan said:

Sell him ffs and get in someone who actually scores goals! 

I can’t recollect the actual amount of games that Nacho and Shinji had gone (combined) without scoring, but it was something ridiculous.

I can’t believe people are still desperately trying to defend Nacho and these stats.

He might go elsewhere and do really well. If so, good luck to him. That don’t matter. What matters to us is the here and now and in the here and now he can’t hit a fookin barn door. In fact, he ain’t even shooting at it!

I'll continue to defend him despite his increasingly underwhelming record here because his main attribute is his finishing and he's rarely presented with anything resembling a clear chance. I can only remember one against Newport and even that was the ball dropping out of the sky on the turn after the defender made a mess of it. The extent of his involvement in that game was getting the ball pumped up to his head by our brain-dead backline and getting bullied by the centre backs - I'm not having that as his fault. If he was consistently wasting clear chances then fair enough but he isn't. Like Silva and Iborra, he's obviously not a bad player but we play in a way that exposes his deficiencies. He doesn't have the attributes to go chasing in behind or bullying defenders but that's interpreted as him being lazy. We don't provide service for our attackers and it's testament to Vardy that he scores as regularly as he does.

 

A striker who can reliably score goals in a team as creatively impotent as this will a) cost more than we can afford and b) not want to sit on the bench behind Vardy. 

 

 

[murphy]

1 hour ago, Guest said:

I'll continue to defend him despite his increasingly underwhelming record here because his main attribute is his finishing and he's rarely presented with anything resembling a clear chance. I can only remember one against Newport and even that was the ball dropping out of the sky on the turn after the defender made a mess of it. The extent of his involvement in that game was getting the ball pumped up to his head by our brain-dead backline and getting bullied by the centre backs - I'm not having that as his fault. If he was consistently wasting clear chances then fair enough but he isn't. Like Silva and Iborra, he's obviously not a bad player but we play in a way that exposes his deficiencies. He doesn't have the attributes to go chasing in behind or bullying defenders but that's interpreted as him being lazy. We don't provide service for our attackers and it's testament to Vardy that he scores as regularly as he does.

 

A striker who can reliably score goals in a team as creatively impotent as this will a) cost more than we can afford and b) not want to sit on the bench behind Vardy. 

 

Well that's an admirable attempt but I'm not buying it.

 

Why has he not got the attributes to compete in the air?  Why does he get bullied by centre-halves?  He is 6'2" and a he's a big lad.  He has got the attributes, at least in terms of physicality.

 

Gary Lineker was a player who was a 'finisher' with little else to his all round game.  But, he was successful because he made his own space, he found positions and he made runs into dangerous areas.  It is not enough to be a finisher who stands around with his hands in his pockets.  I know he's not a Lineker type but I am making the comparison because you reckon KI to be a just a finisher.  Honestly, his movement is non-existent.

 

This idea that he fails through lack of service doesn't wash.  It's a two way street, you can only complain if you are making yourself available and then not getting the ball.

 

Finally, Vardy is not the only one that can manage to score in this team.  Maddison has a few.  It's time to stop the excuses.  He needs a Championship loan to try to rediscover some form IMO.

[LiberalFox]

He needs to go somewhere else and learn to score goals.

[Crispin LA]

3 minutes ago, LiberalFox said:

He needs to go somewhere else and learn to score goals.

Agree with the 1st part, doubt he will ever manage your second suggestion 

[Flying_tiger]

The problem with us is that we float the ball too much and expect a striker to hussle for the ball when we cant put the ball down and play from the midfield.

Not every striker will play like vardy, moreover hes more of a supporting striker that plays off another striker that has footbrain.

[Dan]

9 hours ago, Stadt said:

Is he slow or does he just not sprint? His lack of movement and awareness for somebody that's played under Guardiola is staggering. It's a possibility he'll be here until his contract runs down because it's hard to see any takers for him considering he'll be on big money.

He starts moving 1-2 seconds after he should. He's the least aware striker I can remember.

[TeaMen Tom]

7 hours ago, Farrington fox said:

The form he’s shown this season,he’d struggle in the Championship.

The only reason he sees the pitch at all is due to his price tag. He's done nothing in games that matter.

[knitro]

For me, he gets until the end of the year to come good as a alternative/spell for Vardy - let's set a goal of 5 goals by May. It's hardly setting the world alight but a step in the right direction given his limited minutes. If he can manage that, I'll give him another full  preseason/full season, but regardless we need a 3rd striker.

[Vardinio'sCat]

If Nacho was a horse, someone would have done the decent thing by now. 

 

The odd thing is he does have talent (tho not for running, obvs), but we sure ain't seeing it.

[Tom12345]

21 hours ago, Bob Hazels shorts said:

Judging Albrightons crosses is like judging a dart player without a dartboard.

He can only put it there abouts and hope that Vardy has arrived from his midfield duties.

Is there someone who can cross better than he can in the team?

 

In any event, I really cannot agree. He plays direct football. With that necessarily comes with risks that it does not find anyone. But at least his early balls make defenders nervous and potentially make mistakes.  I rather his early crosses leaving Vardy (and hopefully another forward) to try to beat 1 or 2 defenders than to have the likes of Chilwell or Gray wait for 5 defenders to get back on D and then try to deliver a pinpoint cross which often fails.

[turkish14]

On 06/01/2019 at 20:41, moore_94 said:

How he has scored his League Goals:

 

Man City 15/16 - 

 

2 - Rebound Tap Ins

1 - Deflection he knew nothing about

2 - Finish from 12 Yards with no defenders around him

1 - Ran from 30 yards and around the keeper - a good goal

1 - Pinballed around the box and he ended up with an unmarked free header from 6 yards

1 - Good goal from outside the box, Mahrez-esque

 

Man City 16/17 - 

 

2 - Tap ins from less than 6 yards

1 - Open goal from 6 yards

1 - Run onto the ball at 6 yards to put it past the keeper

 

Leicester 17/18 - 

 

1 - Free header from 6 yards v West Brom

1 - Good strike from 12 yard v Arsenal

1 - Banger of a goal from 25 yards v Spurs

 

Leicester 18/19 - 

 

1 - Set through on goal and good finish from the edge of the box v Huddersfield

 

Yes he has scored a few good goals, but the majority of his goals were easy finishes where the ball is put on a plate for him or has just been a tap in inside the 6 yard box.

 

Think he needs to realise he needs to put a lot more effort in and be more involved in the play to get a goal playing for Leicester rather than just standing in the box like he did for Man City

 

Thanks for this, I’d been thinking myself why was he so highly rated. Looks like The way he has scored goals was in acres of space with just keeper to beat.

[turkish14]

On 06/01/2019 at 21:05, Crispin LA said:

The worst thing is to hear Man city fans laughing their heads off that they got our pants down for selling us him, when they weren't even feeling sad that he gone too us

Funny thing is that some of them in blue moon, think we have done likewise over Mahrez 

[Ric Flair]

I'd let Villa have him on loan and sign Gabbiadini from Southampton and Maja from Sunderland, let them pair play back up to Vardy. If he can rediscover some form in the Championship then a newly promoted team in the PL will chance £15m+ on him and we recoup at least some of our losses.

 

Or he has an absolute blinder and he comes back here and does what we all hoped he'd do.

[FilbertFrog]

Total garbage I called it from his first game he was garbage and got banned for a week 

 

silva called it from his first game that he was garbage and got banned for a week 

 

totally rubbish the pair of them 

 

60/70/80m down the drain at present 

[Ric Flair]

11 minutes ago, FilbertFrog said:

Total garbage I called it from his first game he was garbage and got banned for a week 

 

silva called it from his first game that he was garbage and got banned for a week 

 

totally rubbish the pair of them 

 

60/70/80m down the drain at present 

Are you insinuating you are the frog version of Paul the Octopus when it comes to transfers? 

[WilmslowFox]

12 hours ago, hamptonfox said:

If Iheanacho and Shinji can’t cut it anymore, don’t we have anyone to promote from the under 23s that can play up front?

Given they are around the top of the PL2 table for the second season running it is disappointing that so few of the U23s are getting a chance to break into the senior squad.  Hopefully with Hamza doing so well when he's been given a chance, that might change.  Trouble is, most of the U23 goals seem to be scored by the centre backs - the most promising forward is probably Ndukwu, and he's been injured most of this season.

 

Got to try something though, playing Iheanacho in his current form is like being down to ten men from the start of the match.

[Guest]

13 hours ago, murphy said:

 

Well that's an admirable attempt but I'm not buying it.

 

Why has he not got the attributes to compete in the air?  Why does he get bullied by centre-halves?  He is 6'2" and a he's a big lad.  He has got the attributes, at least in terms of physicality.

 

Gary Lineker was a player who was a 'finisher' with little else to his all round game.  But, he was successful because he made his own space, he found positions and he made runs into dangerous areas.  It is not enough to be a finisher who stands around with his hands in his pockets.  I know he's not a Lineker type but I am making the comparison because you reckon KI to be a just a finisher.  Honestly, his movement is non-existent.

 

This idea that he fails through lack of service doesn't wash.  It's a two way street, you can only complain if you are making yourself available and then not getting the ball.

 

Finally, Vardy is not the only one that can manage to score in this team.  Maddison has a few.  It's time to stop the excuses.  He needs a Championship loan to try to rediscover some form IMO.

I do largely agree with you even if my post may not have come across that way. He could clearly do more and there are times when he's stood still in the box just waiting for the ball to come to him, probably a remnant of playing with the likes of Silva and De Bruyne who could pick him out every time. It's frustrating but there's a general lack of intelligent movement throughout the team, from front to back. My point regarding Vardy was that I think most strikers, with the exception of players of his calibre, would struggle to make too much of an impression in this team playing alongside these players.

 

With regards to the aerial thing, he's just not good in the air. I don't know why given his stature but he isn't. Wood and Slimani were similar - big lads who would routinely get beaten in the air by centre backs and consequently get moaned at. It doesn't help that our defenders seem to see a striker 6' or over as an open invitation to thump the ball towards their head repeatedly. He's not a target man, he wants the ball to his feet in the box. If we wanted an energetic, well-rounded forward to run in behind like Vardy does, we should have bought one. 

 

I completely accept that so far he's been a failure here bar some rare flashes of promise. I don't accept that it's all down to an absence of ability or application on his part. If we move him on - presumably at a sizeable loss - and replace him without bringing in e.g. a quality central midfield passer and a creative winger, I don't think we're really solving any problems.

[Bob Hazels shorts]

Possibly as with the more adaptable Vardy he is being asked to play in a style that's not bringing the best out of him, he still doesn't look great at the basics though.

 

Clud won't change his 'vision' and I don't know if Iheanacho can.

 

I agree with a Championship loan as it would be no loss to us, hopefully gain for him

[FilbertFrog]

5 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

Are you insinuating you are the frog version of Paul the Octopus when it comes to transfers? 

Brilliant ????????

[sacreblueits442]

13 hours ago, Ric Flair said:

I'd let Villa have him on loan and sign Gabbiadini from Southampton and Maja from Sunderland, let them pair play back up to Vardy. If he can rediscover some form in the Championship then a newly promoted team in the PL will chance £15m+ on him and we recoup at least some of our losses.

 

Or he has an absolute blinder and he comes back here and does what we all hoped he'd do.

....if he did tear it up in the Championship,it would have to be with a team playing in another formation..... he would only come back hear to play 4-2-3-1.......our formation does not suit him!!!!

Never a lone striker, his best option, is to leave, and for his sanity,..........as soon as possible!!!!!!

[murphy]

22 hours ago, Guest said:

I do largely agree with you even if my post may not have come across that way. He could clearly do more and there are times when he's stood still in the box just waiting for the ball to come to him, probably a remnant of playing with the likes of Silva and De Bruyne who could pick him out every time. It's frustrating but there's a general lack of intelligent movement throughout the team, from front to back. My point regarding Vardy was that I think most strikers, with the exception of players of his calibre, would struggle to make too much of an impression in this team playing alongside these players.

 

With regards to the aerial thing, he's just not good in the air. I don't know why given his stature but he isn't. Wood and Slimani were similar - big lads who would routinely get beaten in the air by centre backs and consequently get moaned at. It doesn't help that our defenders seem to see a striker 6' or over as an open invitation to thump the ball towards their head repeatedly. He's not a target man, he wants the ball to his feet in the box. If we wanted an energetic, well-rounded forward to run in behind like Vardy does, we should have bought one. 

 

I completely accept that so far he's been a failure here bar some rare flashes of promise. I don't accept that it's all down to an absence of ability or application on his part. If we move him on - presumably at a sizeable loss - and replace him without bringing in e.g. a quality central midfield passer and a creative winger, I don't think we're really solving any problems.

I get that you're trying to provide balance here and I agree with you that there is a lack of intelligent movement throughout the team. but with Kelechi, aren't you trying to defend him by listing his weaknesses?  ie it's not his fault because he's no good in the air.  It's not his fault because he is not good at running the channels etc.

 

I have to ask, what is he good at?

 

Finsihing?                Don't know.  Scored very few goals but hasn't missed a hatful either.

Pace?                      Nope. 

Movement?             No

Aerial ability?           No

Positioning?             No

Tackling?                  No

Pressing?                 No

Heart and desire?    You must be joking.

 

After being so comfortably pocketed by a League 2 defence at the weekend, I just don't think he has what it takes to be a number 9.  He looks better as a number 10 and has provided some assists, but he is behind Maddison and probably Ghezzal in that role.  He is definitely not up to being a lone striker as cover for Vardy.