Kelechi Iheanacho

[StriderHiryu]

53 minutes ago, messerschmitt said:

I'm not buying this "he can't play as a lone striker" it seems anyone now lazily puts this in any Iheanacho comment, like oh Leicester they are a counter attacking team. He's scored plenty of goals as a lone striker, sure he doesn't look good when he's on his own with no team mate within 40 yards of him but then neither does Vardy. He's only 24 and as you say getting better all the time. He could easily become a fantastic lone striker, he can score with his right foot, head and a left foot that can score from outside the box, very much like Kane can.

 

If he keeps progressing and learning how good could he be? look at Vardy at 24.

There's no saying he can't, but the difference between him as a lone striker and him in a pair is phenomenal. He was improving when playing as a lone striker for us, but his current form is insane, he is genuinely our main man at the moment and without his goals we'd have dropped even more points. 

 

So it's not like he can't play as a lone striker, but more that he (and as a result the team) are better when he has a partner, so we ae probably better off using him that way in the short-term.

[dylanlegend]

Juts shows how important confidence is to any player.

 

Ian - High on Confidence - Scoring lots

Vardy - Low on Confidence - Can’t score for toffee

[messerschmitt]

38 minutes ago, Babylon said:

His own inconsistent performances have contributed to peoples opinions. I lost count of how many times he looked a lost figure on the pitch, numerous times falling on his arse, hitting the floor with his fits and just being sat there, rather than getting up and playing on. Little things like that stick in your mind, as he just didn't look committed. 

 

I've said it times, his a bat shit crazy footballer as he's sublime one moment and then literally horrific the next second. I would hardly be shocked if he was utter bobbins for the next 10 games. 

 

But he's absolutely grasped his chance this time, he's looking like he's enjoying himself playing football, which he rarely did before. Without him at the moment we'd be up shit creak, we just need to keep finding ways to get the best from him. 

It's very difficult to perform consistently when you're not playing regularly.

Even more so for a striker. This is the first time in his career that he has started 6 consecutive games and he's got 9 goals in them. I don't think thats a coincidence.

I get your point but I don't think he'll be utter bobbins in the next 10 games.

I agree there have been bad times and he doesn't look the most comfortably footballer, but his record of minutes and goals is amazing.

[messerschmitt]

20 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

There's no saying he can't, but the difference between him as a lone striker and him in a pair is phenomenal. He was improving when playing as a lone striker for us, but his current form is insane, he is genuinely our main man at the moment and without his goals we'd have dropped even more points. 

 

So it's not like he can't play as a lone striker, but more that he (and as a result the team) are better when he has a partner, so we ae probably better off using him that way in the short-term.

Yeah thats true but the amount of people claiming he can't play as a lone striker, he's scored plenty in that role for us. Like I say he's only 24. I think Henry was still a winger at that age.

[Stadt]

I’m a huge Iheanacho fan (and did speak in favour of him even before his recent run of form) but he just isn’t really suited to being a lone striker with the make up of our current squad. 
 

Perhaps, if we had another winger like Barnes then maybe but it’s clear he’s at his best finding space in between the opposition defence and midfield. If he plays up top alone he doesn’t have anybody occupying the opposition the centrehalves. 
 

Alone he drops too deep and doesn’t have the searing pace to then take advantage of a line that’s pushed up.

 

Him and Vardy work so well because they’re both quite strong in areas where the other is deficient. Iheanacho isn’t a natural line leader and Vardy isn’t comfortable dropping into midfield spaces.

 

Iheanacho is a fantastic ‘10 and a half’ and I think typically they need either another striker to play off or two wingers that are a really well rounded goal threat, which is obviously a rarity.

 

[sm1]

3 hours ago, messerschmitt said:

Yeah thats true but the amount of people claiming he can't play as a lone striker, he's scored plenty in that role for us. Like I say he's only 24. I think Henry was still a winger at that age.

Nacho can play as a lone striker, but he needs the team to be built around him. He needs another Barnes esque winger on the right and a midfield that is willing to run past him as he comes deep. Maybe Madison and Youri can do the latter. But if we intend to play Perez or Albrighton at RW, Vardy will be ahead of him.

[Kevin Russell]

8 hours ago, Babylon said:

His own inconsistent performances have contributed to peoples opinions. I lost count of how many times he looked a lost figure on the pitch, numerous times falling on his arse, hitting the floor with his fits and just being sat there, rather than getting up and playing on. Little things like that stick in your mind, as he just didn't look committed. 

 

I've said it times, his a bat shit crazy footballer as he's sublime one moment and then literally horrific the next second. I would hardly be shocked if he was utter bobbins for the next 10 games. 

 

But he's absolutely grasped his chance this time, he's looking like he's enjoying himself playing football, which he rarely did before. Without him at the moment we'd be up shit creak, we just need to keep finding ways to get the best from him. 

His overall performances have been fantastic recently. He links play, opens up the game and provides a real goal threat. I think you need to focus more on the abundantly obvious positives rather than working so hard to justify perceived negatives. 
 

Some of his earlier performances for us were poor, but his mind per goal and/or assists have been consistently v high (across all competitions) since the Everton home game last season. Ignore the odd clumsy touch and some poor decision making and focus on the things he does well; there’s much to focus on.

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

Not having this he can't play as a lone striker it's absolutely bobbins. You'd have been called mad just a few months ago but we need to drop Vardy he is having little or no impact currently and we want to win the fa cup and make the top 4, no room for passengers. And while I'm at it don't get why we don't play fuchs instead of amartey. He can put the balls in if Albrighton isn't playing, he's much more composed and better on the ball AND it means little Wes can play on the right of the 3 if that's how we set up. 

[Steve_Guppy_Left_Foot]

And to add on ihenacho if he had a consistent first touch I think he'd be borderline world class, goals per minutes even when the ball is bouncing off him is incredible. 

[Babylon]

17 minutes ago, Kevin Russell said:

His overall performances have been fantastic recently. He links play, opens up the game and provides a real goal threat. I think you need to focus more on the abundantly obvious positives rather than working so hard to justify perceived negatives. 
 

Some of his earlier performances for us were poor, but his mind per goal and/or assists have been consistently v high (across all competitions) since the Everton home game last season. Ignore the odd clumsy touch and some poor decision making and focus on the things he does well; there’s much to focus on.

 Yeah, now. There wasn’t before, which was entirely the point. Peoples criticism was over the top, but his performances were mostly poor.

 

I’m not focusing on negatives I’m answering a specific point about why people weren’t exactly glowing about him.

[Kevin Russell]

13 hours ago, Babylon said:

 Yeah, now. There wasn’t before, which was entirely the point. Peoples criticism was over the top, but his performances were mostly poor.

 

I’m not focusing on negatives I’m answering a specific point about why people weren’t exactly glowing about him.

You’re overall post reads as negative; peppered with descriptions like ‘horrific’ regarding his current displays and ‘ utter bobbins’ about what you think his future performances could look like. You write like someone who has been a vocal critic of him in the past and you sound like you are disgruntled that he has demonstrated what an enormous talent he is.

You are writing about the current premier league player of the month who has been a massive positive for our faltering side through a really tough period - I feel like the overall negativity in your post is a bit daft if I’m honest. However, each to their own I guess.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Proud member of the "voted for Nacho instead of Perez in that poll on Foxestalk about who should replace Vardy as the lone striker when he was injured" club. 

[Basildon Fox]

On 11/04/2021 at 19:19, Koke said:

 

Imagine saying this just last year.

Imagine saying that after the Palace game when he missed the penalty.  Most wanted him gone (myself included) after that performance.

 

Amazing how quickly it has turned around for the guy.

[Strokes]

6 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Proud member of the "voted for Nacho instead of Perez in that poll on Foxestalk about who should replace Vardy as the lone striker when he was injured" club. 

He hasn’t really produced as a lone striker though.

[Sol thewall Bamba]

1 minute ago, Strokes said:

He hasn’t really produced as a lone striker though.

Has done a damn sight better than Perez. 

[Unabomber]

9 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Has done a damn sight better than Perez. 

Exactly it is an absolute no brainer and was when the poll was done. I am also a proud member of the voted for Iheanacho club.

[StanSP]

Perez isn't even a striker so shouldn't have even been an option to consider and compare against

 

[Unabomber]

38 minutes ago, StanSP said:

Perez isn't even a striker so shouldn't have even been an option to consider and compare against

 

There wasn’t any other options at the time though. Just Kelechi and party boy 

[Babylon]

1 hour ago, Kevin Russell said:

You’re overall post reads as negative; peppered with descriptions like ‘horrific’ regarding his current displays and ‘ utter bobbins’ about what you think his future performances could look like. You write like someone who has been a vocal critic of him in the past and you sound like you are disgruntled that he has demonstrated what an enormous talent he is.

You are writing about the current premier league player of the month who has been a massive positive for our faltering side through a really tough period - I feel like the overall negativity in your post is a bit daft if I’m honest. However, each to their own I guess.

And your posts read like someone who has read one post, rather than the chain of posts and hasn't got a clue what they are talking about. 

 

The post is negative, as already explain, because we were discussing WHY people had been negative about him in the post. If that can't soak into your head, then there isn't any point in even attempting to explain things much further. 

 

Yeah I'm so disgruntled he's playing well.....

 

 

 

 

 

[Strokes]

1 hour ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Has done a damn sight better than Perez. 

But not in the lone striker role 

 

[filbertway]

19 hours ago, Stadt said:

I’m a huge Iheanacho fan (and did speak in favour of him even before his recent run of form) but he just isn’t really suited to being a lone striker with the make up of our current squad. 
 

Perhaps, if we had another winger like Barnes then maybe but it’s clear he’s at his best finding space in between the opposition defence and midfield. If he plays up top alone he doesn’t have anybody occupying the opposition the centrehalves. 
 

Alone he drops too deep and doesn’t have the searing pace to then take advantage of a line that’s pushed up.

 

Him and Vardy work so well because they’re both quite strong in areas where the other is deficient. Iheanacho isn’t a natural line leader and Vardy isn’t comfortable dropping into midfield spaces.

 

Iheanacho is a fantastic ‘10 and a half’ and I think typically they need either another striker to play off or two wingers that are a really well rounded goal threat, which is obviously a rarity.

 

He lacks the pace or strength to really be someone who will be able to win a running battle or dominate centre backs so if he was isolated he'd be totally useless. Like you say though, if we finally crack the right wing and have 2 inverted wingers and a number 10 pushed up then he'd be absolutely fine. There's plenty of top strikers that aren't particularly pacey or massive and do well by themselves.

 

His 2 goals weren't really as a result of having a striker partner, it was just a great example of his ability to get a good shot off when the chance presents itself.

 

It begs the question of whether he'd have been the better option as forward in the games where we've dominated the other teams and been camped in their half. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

26 minutes ago, Strokes said:

But not in the lone striker role 

 

OK, if the poll was re run which way would you vote?

[Kevin Russell]

On 03/12/2019 at 06:39, Babylon said:

That maybe the case, but he didn’t get a chance under Shakespeare, Puel or Rodgers. There will be a reason for that, a good 30 minutes is nothing to start coming to any sort of conclusions about anyone. The overriding thing here is that nobody has been interested in playing him  in the main. And more often than not when he has, he’s looked uninterested and is probably a good reason as to why they haven’t

 

He’s had these flashes before, mainly at the end of Puels first season where he was excellent for a few games. Then it all stops until he next feels like making the most of his talent.

Well done with the hand picked posts Babs - I had a quick look and this is the first one I found.

[Strokes]

5 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

OK, if the poll was re run which way would you vote?

George Hirst

[Babylon]

6 minutes ago, Kevin Russell said:

Well done with the hand picked posts Babs - I had a quick look and this is the first one I found.

I’m sorry but what has past thoughts on him got to do with anything here? 
 

Are you suggesting he was actually any good in 2019? Did I say I’d always thought he was great? No it’s clearly spelled out that I didn’t think he was great before, along with pretty much the entire Leicester fan base.
 

I’ve said nothing but positive things about him since he turned his form around, contrary to your nonsense about somehow being annoyed he’s playing well.