Shinji Okazaki leaving

[Suzie the Fox]

Actually quite sad about this.

 

I agree he was never the prolific goal scorer as we hoped but the guy made a difference to games. Im sure without him others (Vardy) wouldn't have got the chanceshe did to put away goals.

 

Farewell Shinji San.. you will always remain a memory of LCFC supporters. If only for your smiles and not your goals.

 

Wishing you all the best in your future. Your name will always be remember for me... wherever you will go,.

 

 

[EastAnglianFox]

Ill always remember the smile, the work rate and the time spent on the floor but I have to be honest, im actually more gutted at losing Danny Simpson.

[The whole world smiles]

Sod his smile Or his lack of goals or the amount of time he was perceived to spend on the floor.

 

Shinji was a serious player in his time here. His movent, link play and his closing down were absolutely vital to our high pressing, counter attacking style that enabled us to have such phenomal success in recent years.

 

He started over 30 games when we won the league and 5 in our famous champions League run including the win against sevila. 

 

He hasn't been the same player this last season since the world cup but its important to remember him at his explosive best like when he destroyed Sunderland and West ham in his first two games here. Quite simply (this season aside) we always looked a better side with him on the pitch.

 

I will never forget him. not becuase he smiled alot. Or because he didn't score many goal, But because he is quite simply one of the best players I've ever seen pull on the blue shirt.

 

Shinji Okazaki it's been an absolute pleasure.

 

Up the city.

 

 

[Vardinio'sCat]

A sad day has come, another legend departs the scene.

 

Watching Shinji and Vards hunting defenders down in our title season was like watching poetry in motion. Everyone raves about flashy ball skills, but seeing those two zeroing in on any tiny error was viewing proper, technical football, intelligently executed. It was some of the best pressing from the front I have ever seen, and few could have kept up with Vards workrate, never mind worked harder. But for about an hour, that is what Shinji did.

 

Shinji gave the team (and particularly Vards) everything he had. He was a kind of kamikaze player, and we simply wouldn't have been the same team without him. 

 

It clearly hasn't always been easy at Leicester for him, but his towering efforts for us will aways be remembered with great fondness. Thank you for all the smiles Shinji, Leicester will always love you.

[Bats8711]

For me the biggest reason for the immediate and drastic drop off in 16/17 was because he got dropped. And I really had nothing against Slimani. It just showed how underrated Shinji’s contribution to the team was, even internally. 

 

We were so preoccupied with needing to have a Plan B that we forgot about Plan A. It’s one thing if Plan A isn’t that great. Plan A won the league

[Koke]

9 hours ago, Monsell1976 said:

Wasn’t a great fan, light weight poor scoring record, but good luck Okazaki, you will always be part of a team that did the impossible, wish him well for the rest of his career.

 

He was quite a limited player, but his application and work rate made him a cult hero here. Ihenacho has more natural ability, better touch, better technique and better finisher but a lot of people don't have time for him.

[rico]

[foxinsocks]

Shinji was our catalyst.  When he wasnt on the team didn't click.

Edited 14 May 2019 by foxinsocks

[Deeg67]

 

[Ric Flair]

5 hours ago, Bats8711 said:

For me the biggest reason for the immediate and drastic drop off in 16/17 was because he got dropped. And I really had nothing against Slimani. It just showed how underrated Shinji’s contribution to the team was, even internally. 

 

We were so preoccupied with needing to have a Plan B that we forgot about Plan A. It’s one thing if Plan A isn’t that great. Plan A won the league

To continue to play counter attacking football against teams that sit back, especially given the limelight placed on us after the title win and Vardy's pace was difficult. However, one of the only ways to continue with it and find any success is to press from the front and win turnovers higher up the pitch before teams can set themselves. Not playing Okazaki hindered this, as well as a collective decision to no longer play that in your face style of football. His early performances under Puel were some of his best as well when Puel managed to blend counter attacking football with an ability to keep hold of the ball and take the sting out of games when we were starting to struggle, the Southampton away game was vintage Okazaki.

[Finnegan]

Okazaki was as important as Kante in turning us in to a winning team. 

 

We won the title because we were the best team in the league in Transition, Shinji was an enormous part of that. His default instinct is to head towards the ball, receive it and look to keep it moving. 

 

If he wasn't winning the ball himself, he was first receiver. He was like a rugby half back, he often didn't score or assist himself but he nearly always had a key part in the move that set up goals by acting as a receiver and a pivot in the middle of the park. 

 

We were always worse off without him because until Maddison we had nobody else in the squad that understood that role. 

 

He was essentially like an advanced defensive midfielder, where Kante pressed and mopped up behind Drinkwater, Shinji pressed and harried ahead of him. His work rate made that possible, yes, but so did an enormous amount of footballing intelligence that often went over looked. 

 

His pass and move immensely sped up our play and Vardy profited. Brilliant signing, brilliant coaching and management to put him in that role especially given its not what he thinks is his natural position and just brilliant play from the smiley man. 

 

One of my all time favs. 

Edited 14 May 2019 by Finnegan

[foxy boxing]

He was an integral part of the title winning team, he always played with a smile on his face and gave his all. his workrate was exemplary and we were so much better with him in the team. he wasn't the sort of striker that would give us ten - fifteen goals a season but was a link between the midfield and attack. he also gave us some memorable and funny moments.

 

Sayonara Shinji.

[CosbehFox]

Remember how superb he was in his first two games; Sunderland at home and West Ham away. 

[weller54]

10 hours ago, Koke said:

 

He was quite a limited player, but his application and work rate made him a cult hero here. Ihenacho has more natural ability, better touch, better technique and better finisher but a lot of people don't have time for him.

Shinji should not be even compared with that lazy excuse of a footballer! 

[TJB-fox]

Worth remembering for a long, long period we kept trying to operate without Shinji (due to his apparent limitations) in the starting XI and it just didn't work. He made us tick, far better technically than he was given credit for too. Sad to see him leave, great character. Not just a cult hero, but a legend.

[foxinsocks]

17 minutes ago, TJB-fox said:

Worth remembering for a long, long period we kept trying to operate without Shinji (due to his apparent limitations) in the starting XI and it just didn't work. He made us tick, far better technically than he was given credit for too. Sad to see him leave, great character. Not just a cult hero, but a legend.

He was our catalyst.

 

Where's he going to? Any ideas?

[Post Horn Galloper]

19 hours ago, Vardinio'sCat said:

A sad day has come, another legend departs the scene.

 

Watching Shinji and Vards hunting defenders down in our title season was like watching poetry in motion. Everyone raves about flashy ball skills, but seeing those two zeroing in on any tiny error was viewing proper, technical football, intelligently executed. It was some of the best pressing from the front I have ever seen, and few could have kept up with Vards workrate, never mind worked harder. But for about an hour, that is what Shinji did.

 

Shinji gave the team (and particularly Vards) everything he had. He was a kind of kamikaze player, and we simply wouldn't have been the same team without him. 

 

It clearly hasn't always been easy at Leicester for him, but his towering efforts for us will aways be remembered with great fondness. Thank you for all the smiles Shinji, Leicester will always love you.

This is a fine summary of what Shinji did for us in 2015-16 and his importance to the side. Immortals never die!

[NasPb]

an amazing hard worker, if you can not be a ronaldo, be a shinji. we will always remember him, from the newcastle goal, to the chelsea one, to the manchester city one and onwards. he did so much more than just score though. a great high energy and pressing player. 

[Dames]

I'm gutted we never got to see the Shinji Smile after scoring one last time - iconic.

 

Will go down as on of our best ever, along with the rest of the 15/16 squad.

[Monsell1976]

On 14/05/2019 at 07:01, Koke said:

 

He was quite a limited player, but his application and work rate made him a cult hero here. Ihenacho has more natural ability, better touch, better technique and better finisher but a lot of people don't have time for him.

 I agree he gave 100% every time he played, so much so he fell over a lot ?.

 

 I’m probably one of the few on here still backing nacho, Rodgers see’s something in him, but no player can perform with any sort of form or quality with the game time he has been given.

 

 Rodgers is looking at a change of system to play him and vardy, given time and Rodgers rebuilding his confidence puel destroyed by only ever playing one striker, and when he did bring him on he played out wide, nacho will prove his haters wrong, I’m sure of it

[Ali Begbie]

18 hours ago, NasPb said:

an amazing hard worker, if you can not be a ronaldo, be a shinji. we will always remember him, from the newcastle goal, to the chelsea one, to the manchester city one and onwards. he did so much more than just score though. a great high energy and pressing player. 

Love that! Great quote I might put it on my LinkedIn profile

 

He was an amazing player for that season. After the 3 obvious ones (Vardy/Mahrez/Kante) I think Shinji made the biggest contribution to the title win of any other player.

 

We would not have won it without him. 

 

 

[Guy]

Sad to see Shinji go naturally but as others have said, the time under this 'good on the eye' Brendan Rodgers team is now about right for him to move on from now, as much as it is with Danny Simpson.

 

He was a vital cog in the title winning side though - and although of less obvious benefit than Kante was to the overall link up of that side, all the same he did very well for the games he started in and when used as a sub with his high pressing, harassing the opposition - and of course for some of his unorthodox goals. His brace at Everton was particularly vital in that season that ensured we were top at Christmas! The following 'poor to middling' season under Ranieiri then Shakespeare was maybe less impressive (as was the entire team!) and he was then largely out of favour under Puel and never really rediscovered his previous title winning season form due to his lengthy absence from the starting 11 under much of Puel's reign but it was nice that he was played in the final game against Chelsea by Rodgers.

 

Good luck to him wherever he ends up at next - abroad I'm thinking. Reminds me very much of the popular fellow countryman Abe that was here in the Sven era and early 'part two' tenure of Pearson of course.... 

Edited 15 May 2019 by Guy

[weller54]

On 08/05/2019 at 18:51, urban.spaceman said:

THIS smile...

 

 

Made the whole world smile with me. 

 

I’m going to ****ing miss you Shinji.

 

I am definitely making my next dog after you. 

  Calling him will be embarrassing... 

Alwaysonyourarse come here boy!!! 

[Lesta2014]

All I ever ask is 100% effort from anyone who wears a leicester shirt. Okazaki showed that from the first moment I saw him in our shirt! Instant love for him and them became very very effective despite falling over a lot! Will miss him and his fantastic smile! Thank you legend 

[LinekersLugs]

On 08/05/2019 at 19:01, onekeithweller said:

お世話になります

With rice ?