Rachid Ghezzal opens up on transfer, first half of season and road to improvement

[davieG]

Leicester City summer signing opens up on transfer, first half of season and road to improvement

By Tom Coast - 

  

24th January 2019

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When Leicester City decided to spend over £12m on Rachid Ghezzal, more than one eyebrow was raised, especially in France.

Having signed him on a free, Monaco probably couldn’t believe their luck when Claude Puel came knocking for the forward, who had only started seven games in the league that season (26 appearances in total), scored two goals and picked up four assists.

So far, Ghezzal hasn’t quite lived up to his price tag, with just one goal and no assists in 14 league appearances, but, at 26 years of age, time is on his side to turn things around.

Speaking to beIN Sports Mena, relayed by Le Buteur, the Leicester City man opened up about his move to King Power Stadium and his first half of the season.

 

He said: “I opted for Leicester because the manager wanted me. He was at Lyon when I was in the youth system, he knows my qualities and appreciates how I play. It pushed me to choose this club. I also have to say Leicester are an ambitious club, well structured, stable and with great players in the team. That’s why I wanted to sign here.”

Ghezzal also revealed he spoke at length with Riyad Mahrez, his national teammate, who told him it was the ‘perfect club’ to process.

Finally, the winger touched on his first half of the season, and explained why things haven’t gone ideally so far.

He said: “The Premier League is different from Ligue 1. There’s more contact, physical battles are constant and there’s more suspense during games. I need a bit more time to adapt, to settle and therefore find my real level. I’m discovering a new way of playing, a new life and a new language.”

Setting himself a goal of ‘scoring more goals, assisting more and being more decisive’, the former Lyon player ‘wants to leave a good impression on the club’, but knows he ‘needs to work more’.

Those are just the words Leicester City fans will want to hear.

 

http://sportwitness.co.uk/leicester-city-summer-signing-opens-transfer-first-half-season-road-improvement/

[Dahnsouff]

If he is half as good as his word, we are in business. I have faith Rachid!! 

[Dan]

Do think he's had it relatively hard compared to some players from our fans although that's not to say I think he's been good either. Fingers crossed he turns it around.

[Suzie the Fox]

 

18 minutes ago, davieG said:

Finally, the winger touched on his first half of the season, and explained why things haven’t gone ideally so far.

He said: “The Premier League is different from Ligue 1. There’s more contact, physical battles are constant and there’s more suspense during games. I need a bit more time to adapt, to settle and therefore find my real level. I’m discovering a new way of playing, a new life and a new language.”

Fair play to him, i wasnt overly impressed when we signed him, not because i had seen him play a gazillion times as i had never heard of him, but i based my judgement on all the negative feedback he got.

 

However after seeing him a City shirt I feel my original assessment was a bit harsh and i personally think he has done ok so far, He hasn't been THE stand out player and was never going to replace Mahrez in that position but he has had some decent games and shows he does have something. A real positive is that he isnt lazy and always seems to be looking to go forward, even if that doesnt always pan out. 

 

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, Suzie the Fox said:

 

Fair play to him, i wasnt overly impressed when we signed him, not because i had seen him play a gazillion times as i had never heard of him, but i based my judgement on all the negative feedback he got.

 

However after seeing him a City shirt I feel my original assessment was a bit harsh and i personally think he has done ok so far, He hasn't been THE stand out player and was never going to replace Mahrez in that position but he has had some decent games and shows he does have something. A real positive is that he isnt lazy and always seems to be looking to go forward, even if that doesnt always pan out. 

 

Think that is fair, a lot we’re almost expecting the second coming of Mahrez which was never likely to be the case. Just hope he can push on and be as good as his words/hopes.

[Clever Fox]

I like him and think he has the talent to step up. It's a massive culture shock to change countries and also learn a new language while trying to fit in to the club.

He has rightly identified the areas he needs to work on so that's a good start.

next season he'll be physically stronger and better able to cope.

i think his better position is inside as he doesn't look quick enough for a winger.

He also has an eye for goal which we need badly. Im sure we will see more of him next season when he's well settled in.

 

[Wolfox]

He was rubbish before he kicked a ball…. So has been cut little slack…

 

Good to see he wants to progress and I think few would doubt he has the talent to, it all depends on whether he has the correct mentaliteeee…

 

Good luck to him…

[That_Dude]

25 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

Do think he's had it relatively hard compared to some players from our fans although that's not to say I think he's been good either. Fingers crossed he turns it around.

And that's an understatement. He's been mercilessly slated by the fans and booed when he comes on. The level of abuse he's getting is scandalous.

[Ric Flair]

I dont know what, but I've got a soft spot for Ghezzal. He's technically a decent player as well which is always a good thing to have as an option.

[Dan]

30 minutes ago, That_Dude said:

And that's an understatement. He's been mercilessly slated by the fans and booed when he comes on. The level of abuse he's getting is scandalous.

I haven't heard him booed on to be honest. Iheanacho I have but not Ghezzal. Ghezzal seems to get a bigger slating on here and on social media.

[yorkie1999]

19 minutes ago, Ric Flair said:

I dont know what, but I've got a soft spot for Ghezzal. He's technically a decent player as well which is always a good thing to have as an option.

It's the eyes

[Dahnsouff]

1 minute ago, yorkie1999 said:

It's the eyes

Baby blues get you all a flutter?

[murphy]

1 hour ago, Dahnsouff said:

Think that is fair, a lot we’re almost expecting the second coming of Mahrez which was never likely to be the case. Just hope he can push on and be as good as his words/hopes.

I will give £50 to the charity of your choice for every comment that you can find saying that anyone expected him to be the second coming of Mahrez.  Nobody thought that.

 

The criticism for the transfer came from the fact that people knew exactly the player that we were signing and that he wasn't good enough.  And so it has come to pass.

 

Not Ghezzal's fault, but he's a very limited player coming with a recent history of failure.

[That_Dude]

19 minutes ago, Dan LCFC said:

I haven't heard him booed on to be honest. Iheanacho I have but not Ghezzal. Ghezzal seems to get a bigger slating on here and on social media.

Not all the supporters, of course, but he's been though. I've heard it once and I was watching the match on TV and it was confirmed here by another fan who was at the game. Against Everton I think, others have reported that some supporters were singing Albrighton's name while he was on the pitch. It certainly did wonders for his confidence.

 

He's not a great player and certainly not Mahrez, I think we can all agree on this but man, that's just not right.

 

Edit: I feel for Nacho too. How can one boo their own players?

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

3 minutes ago, murphy said:

I will give £50 to the charity of your choice for every comment that you can find saying that anyone expected him to be the second coming of Mahrez.  Nobody thought that.

 

The criticism for the transfer came from the fact that people knew exactly the player that we were signing and that he wasn't good enough.  And so it has come to pass.

 

Not Ghezzal's fault, but he's a very limited player coming with a recent history of failure.

He's better than Albrighton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dahnsouff]

2 minutes ago, murphy said:

I will give £50 to the charity of your choice for every comment that you can find saying that anyone expected him to be the second coming of Mahrez.  Nobody thought that.

 

The criticism for the transfer came from the fact that people knew exactly the player that we were signing and that he wasn't good enough.  And so it has come to pass.

 

Not Ghezzal's fault, but he's a very limited player coming with a recent history of failure.

You may be right and I am doing a disservice to the general populace, but I said thought not commented. It’s quite possible to think one thing but not comment upon it.

[Foxes04]

1 minute ago, AlloverthefloorYesNdidi said:

He's better than Albrighton

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

??????????????

[rachhere]

I still have faith he could play a role with us. He had great performances against Watford and Liverpool. If we had been doing better at finishing this season his assist count would be higher, plus those stats don’t acknowledge he got two goals in cup matches. 

[Foxes04]

His first touch is worse than Lukaku’s ?

[teblin]

Played better as a number 10 than a winger. 

[AlloverthefloorYesNdidi]

I actually think he's got sexy feet. Just not convinced he really knows how to use them

[murphy]

9 minutes ago, Dahnsouff said:

You may be right and I am doing a disservice to the general populace, but I said thought not commented. It’s quite possible to think one thing but not comment upon it.

I suppose that is possible but most be people here expressed their thoughts on the transfer at the time with their comments.

 

It's a bit of a stretch to say what 'a lot' were expecting with no evidence to back that up.

 

[HankMarvin]

"more than one eyebrow was raised, especially in France.

Having signed him on a free, Monaco probably couldn’t believe their luck when Claude Puel came knocking for the forward,"

 

cant believe Monaco set that price, Puel / the club probably just offered it

[Ric Flair]

3 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

"more than one eyebrow was raised, especially in France.

Having signed him on a free, Monaco probably couldn’t believe their luck when Claude Puel came knocking for the forward,"

 

cant believe Monaco set that price, Puel / the club probably just offered it

All media both in France and England were quoting £5m and then we went for £12m just to be sure we got our man.

[Dahnsouff]

4 minutes ago, murphy said:

I suppose that is possible but most be people here expressed their thoughts on the transfer at the time with their comments.

 

It's a bit of a stretch to say what 'a lot' were expecting with no evidence to back that up.

 

Aye, can not argue with that. It’s a fair cop!

Would like to see him do well, negativity in here must be catching