Kelechi Iheanacho

[Aus Fox 7,435]

4 minutes ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

You're benching Fofana from what you've seen so far?

Just going from the original post, if we ever do get everyone fit, we’ll have some big decisions to make.

[Kevin Russell 198]

I think there is a strong argument for playing Kel with Vardy in certain games - we sometimes struggle to get Vards involved and Kel could potentially play off the right side - enormous goal threat if we can get Madders, Harvey, Kel and Vards working in sync.
 

I appreciate that Perez will give you more defensively, so in certain games against the better sides he could be the better option, or we could go with Albrighton who never lets us down in terms of effort.

[Foxy_Bear 1,850]

10 minutes ago, Kevin Russell said:

I think there is a strong argument for playing Kel with Vardy in certain games - we sometimes struggle to get Vards involved and Kel could potentially play off the right side - enormous goal threat if we can get Madders, Harvey, Kel and Vards working in sync.
 

I appreciate that Perez will give you more defensively, so in certain games against the better sides he could be the better option, or we could go with Albrighton who never lets us down in terms of effort.

Surely to fit all four in, you would have to play Maddison wide?

 

Maddison is generally ineffective out wide.

[Kevin Russell 198]

1 hour ago, Foxy_Bear said:

Surely to fit all four in, you would have to play Maddison wide?

 

Maddison is generally ineffective out wide.

I’d play Barnes left,  Kel off the right, Madders central Vards striker in a 4-2-3-1 system. I think Tielemans would miss out as we’d need to play a double pivot. We played this system away at Villa in the league and we looked very good going forward (but Ricardo was left exposed at RB).

[Foxy_Bear 1,850]

23 minutes ago, Kevin Russell said:

I’d play Barnes left,  Kel off the right, Madders central Vards striker in a 4-2-3-1 system. I think Tielemans would miss out as we’d need to play a double pivot. We played this system away at Villa in the league and we looked very good going forward (but Ricardo was left exposed at RB).

I don't agree. I wouldn't drop Tielemans for the sake of fitting in Nacho. 

 

I think, with the players we have and all of them at peak fitness, 433 is our strongest gest formation. 

 

Back four with Castagne and Ricardo. 

CM 3 of Maddison, Youri and Wilf (Harsh on Praet I know) and a forward 3 of Barnes, Vardy and hopefully Ünder. 

 

The problem isn't when everyone is fit though, the problem is finding a system that suits us now. 

[Kevin Russell 198]

3 minutes ago, Foxy_Bear said:

I don't agree. I wouldn't drop Tielemans for the sake of fitting in Nacho. 

 

I think, with the players we have and all of them at peak fitness, 433 is our strongest gest formation. 

 

Back four with Castagne and Ricardo. 

CM 3 of Maddison, Youri and Wilf (Harsh on Praet I know) and a forward 3 of Barnes, Vardy and hopefully Ünder. 

 

The problem isn't when everyone is fit though, the problem is finding a system that suits us now. 

I think you need certain systems and selections in certain games. Against the “low block” we can use Nacho in this way. I can’t stand it when managers just throw out the same formation regardless and hope for the best. I agree we often look good in a 4-3-3, but the modern game requires tactical flexility and a variety of formations/personnel to be used! Just look at how different our formations and personnel needed to be to face Man City’s passing, Burnley’s aerial bombardment, West Ham’s defensive organisation....

 

Mind you, I didn’t mind Claudios insistence on a 4-4-2 a few years back, I seem to recall we did ok with that 😃

[Pliskin 1,920]

Thought he played well last night. He is still a bit clumsy at times but I think that's more of a confidence thing. His game has come on so much under BR, I just wish we didn't need him to drop so deep at times, he is genuinely lethal from 12 yards given the chance. 

Edited 23 October by Pliskin

[GingerrrFox 1,962]

To get the best out of Iheanacho you need to pick the right players around him and play to his strengths.

 

What’s he good at?

Finding pockets of space and using his agility and close control to hold the ball up when played into his feet

 

He’s a very good passer of the ball, he has good intelligence in the attacking third and knows how to spot runners and play through balls. 
 

He’s a great finisher with both feet.

 

Other than the putting the ball in the net part, he’s completely different to Vardy.

 

Playing Iheanacho as a False 9/Deep Forward role is ideal for him, using willing runners to get beyond him to stretch the defence is what’s needed. Barnes, Under, Praet and Pereira can all do that role well. 
 

 

 

 

[TheCryptoPoet 84]

On 23/10/2020 at 07:24, Sol thewall Bamba said:

You're benching Fofana from what you've seen so far?

Well with that formation it's one of either Evans, soy or fofana that gets benched. I'd be happy with any two out of those three. Although Soyuncu would be my first choice to play. Made one or two errors recently but on the whole his Leicester career so far has been awesome. Love the guy. 

Edited 25 October by TheCryptoPoet

[Leicester_Loyal 4,028]

Surely a new contract will be sorted out soon? He only has 19 months left on his current deal.

[sacreblueits442 818]

On 23/10/2020 at 09:22, Kevin Russell said:

I’d play Barnes left,  Kel off the right, Madders central Vards striker in a 4-2-3-1 system. I think Tielemans would miss out as we’d need to play a double pivot. We played this system away at Villa in the league and we looked very good going forward (but Ricardo was left exposed at RB).

...with the roster we now have, we do not have to shoehorn players just to meet  a speculative criteria!!!

 We play Nacho upfront with players going ahead of him and him linking the play. I can't see why we would not utilise  our assets more wisely when we have such a great roster.

[nnickn 151]

for sure January another striker is coming in, will give kel some comp.

[TimT 61]

Iago Aspas of Celta de Vigo from La Liga should be one to consider as an additional striker in the roster. I have been following this dude for the last two seasons. Barnes, Under, and Aspas will tear apart the Premier League. 

Edited 7 November by TimT

[FoxesWalk 238]

7 minutes ago, TimT said:

Iago Aspas of Celta de Vigo from La Liga should be one to consider as an additional striker in the roster. I have been following this dude for the last two seasons. Barnes, Under, and Aspas will tear apart the Premier League. 

Probably isn’t miles from retirement though, similar age to Vardy 

[TimT 61]

Vardy is picking up more injuries lately. If he can stay healthy, he can last a few more seasons. Since the yearlong schedule is going to be very hectic, if BR can reduce his play time,  that maybe possible.  Look at Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Anyone can hardly say Ibrahimovic is 39 based on his fitness and performance.

 

Also, two more things should be considered: the cost of the new striker, and the level of production while maintaining his desire to be part of the unit in LCFC while preserving team cohesion. You can't do all that if you bring a top notch striker who will cost $$$$. The management can also strengthen its hand during negotiation with the players.

 

You do not want to turn Vardy into a bench player either if the competition goes to the favor of the newcomer. With a player like Aspas, you can split 95 minutes without dropping productivity in the final third. It doesn't have to be every game, you also give enough rest to each striker anyone BR sees it fit. After that, you do recruiting on a youngster in the next three or four years. If the manager has a highly dependable and rotational striker force for 3 to 4 years, that is awesome. in terms of stability, it's a long enough time for any team. You take a big load off of Brendan Rogers's shoulders.

Edited 7 November by TimT

[yorkie1999 4,244]

This is a tight nit squad and you only have to look at the player celebrations from the other night that the players are genuinely happy when iheanacho scores. He’ll be a top striker who just needs game time and will probably prosper whilst there is less pressure to score whilst fans are away from the stadium. The club would have to look really hard in finding a new a striker that the rest of the players would welcome. I get the impression that Vardy is the type of guy that other players want to play with, not just for the on pitch stuff, working hard for the team scoring goals and generally backing up his status as a top striker, but also the behind the scenes crack that makes a team become tight nit, the having a laugh bit that only team players understand. Heard a story that once he stood in the changing room, pissed in his pants, took them off, waved them in the air and chucked them in the bath with the rest of the players in it. Imagine being an impressionable young player seeing that, character building stuff.

Edited 7 November by yorkie1999

[Vardinio'sCat 1,738]

 

BR said they were encouraging Kel to try and get in behind. He is no Vards but over 20 yards he is good enough to get some joy, and he can always use his strength to hold players off.

 

The evolution continues.

[Collymore 3,456]

Pace or being fast or quick can be so different on a football pitch.

 

Nacho has a pace type not too dissimilar to Vardy but he's just much slower, he's certainly not slow himself compared to others though, he kind of accelerates quite quickly to his top speed but then can hold that speed for a seemingly a long time. 

 

There's quicker players out there obviously, but some are just lightning over say 20 yards and then run out of puff, some who just take an age to accelerate to their top speed but once there they're flying (think Was when he was top of the speed trap that season) 

 

Obviously you've got Vardy who's just about as quick as you get over 20 yards but then you can also see him rapid over 60 or 70 yards too, that's just pure none negotiable pace over any distance on the pitch. 

 

 

 

 

[Kevin Russell 198]

8 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

...with the roster we now have, we do not have to shoehorn players just to meet  a speculative criteria!!!

 We play Nacho upfront with players going ahead of him and him linking the play. I can't see why we would not utilise  our assets more wisely when we have such a great roster.

I think we need to use lots of players and a variety of formations to cope with the sheer number of games and the very different challenges we’ll face. I’d like to use formations that get as many attacking players as possible on the field at times and I think Vards could benefit from Kel’s ability to link play.

 

Full marks to Rodgers at the moment, he’s rotating the squad sensibly and getting his tactics right. I agree we have a great squad.

[majaco 778]

Iheanacho is a great back up striker.  Getting a superior back up would be tricky.

 

I would like to see us buying a couple of young promising forwards and possibly loaning them out.  They get career progression and possibility.  We get options.