Kelechi Iheanacho

[Post Horn Galloper]

8 hours ago, Paninistickers said:

Yes, I noticed that. An odd but very human thing. 

 

I find the Vardy, Iheanacho axis a fascinating one. A throwback to a time when strikers always used to hunt in pairs. There's an element of Lineker Smith to them (one for the over 45s there)

Or Hines and Rowley  (for the over 70s!)

[Itsthejoeker]

I think a lot of people forget that he’s only 24 because he’s been around seemingly so long. He’s growing to be a great player and as many have said it’s the confidence that he’s missed all this time. 

[Unabomber]

His finishing is class. Seems a funny guy too which is cool 

[filbertway]

The man knows where the back of the net is. He has to play every game the rest of this season

[gerrytaggart]

Yesterday's goal was very well taken indeed.

[lcfcell]

Keep playing him and the goals will continue to flow 

[Clever Fox]

It's clear to see that Kelechi and Vardy are really starting to work as a partnership in the last few games.

 

Earlier when they played together they were running into the same spaces, Now they working together to stretch defenses and create openings.

 

The other thing I love about Kelechi is he never complains about anything, He just takes it onboard as experience and gets on with it.

The sign of a top player. 

[ParkerPen]

Nachos got his confidence back, now we go all out. to win. (and play nacho)

[Ric Flair]

It feels like he's a new signing that's kicked in just when we needed it most. Hopefully confidence will remain high and he'll get another 4-5 before the end of the season.

[The People's Hero]

Reckon he gets a new contract; seems to have his mojo. Credit to BR and the coaching team.

[Gravel]

Just watched motd again on i-player. Took the goal beautifully. ❤️

[The People's Hero]

Just now, Gravel said:

Just watched motd again on i-player. Took the goal beautifully. ❤️

I think the most important thing is thats a confident finish.

 

A few months ago he'd have gone for power or just passed it.

 

 

[whoareyaaa]

3 hours ago, filbertway said:

The man knows where the back of the net is. He has to play every game the rest of this season

not just that but his link up play with p

others is really good him and Vardy have played together 21 times and bagged 20 goals something like that which just goes to show they do work together

[TJB-fox]

Player given genuine trust and minutes by his manager rather than 2 minute cameos and the odd cup game delivers good performances. Shock! 

Jokes aside I’m a big fan of Iheanacho and really pleases to see him do well. It’s  so hard to make an impact when you can’t put a string of games together so I’m glad he’s been given a chance (probably down to injuries) and he’s taking advantage. 

[Jobyfox]

Ian hasn't got electric pace to get in behind and doesn't have a big physical presence either, but when he gets in he knows how to finish. He's looked lost sometimes as a lone striker and possibly needs to play off someone to thrive. 

 

We've been debating for some time whether Nacho should be the man to play instead of Vardy whilst the latter is out of form, but maybe the solution has always been to play both of them. One thing Vardy doesn't lose when he goes through these lean spells is the ability to make intelligent runs and create space for others. 

 

It's possible that Vardy should have a short spell as the support striker whilst Kelechi is in form. We could always review when the likes of Maddison, Barnes and Perez are back as you've then got the creative back up to feed Vardy as a lone striker. Brendan loves alternative solutions and Vardy and Ian as a two may very well be a possibility. 

[Nicolo Barella]

I've always been a Kelechi apologist but I hope he leaves in the summer, for his own sake. It doesn't look like Rodgers rates him. I didn't buy that theory until the ridiculous Perez false 9 experiment, but it feels fairly obvious to me now. If we do end up getting Edouard, hopefully we can get someone like Sima in as 3rd choice striker and let Iheanacho ply his trade for a team like Brighton.

[The_77]

7 hours ago, Clever Fox said:

It's clear to see that Kelechi and Vardy are really starting to work as a partnership in the last few games.

 

Earlier when they played together they were running into the same spaces, Now they working together to stretch defenses and create openings.

 

The other thing I love about Kelechi is he never complains about anything, He just takes it onboard as experience and gets on with it.

The sign of a top player. 

It’s clear that both players are genuinely happy when the other does well. Vardy’s scream when Kelechi scored yesterday was unmistakable. 

[JohnnieFoxWalker]

The need for Leicester City to think about life beyond Jamie Vardy has been accelerated by his worst drought in five years at a time when his goals have been needed most.

Leicester’s style and success have been shaped by the striker’s speed, aggression and directness, and finding a capable deputy for him has been problematic in much the same way that Tottenham Hotspur have never found a back-up for Harry Kane.

Vardy turned 34 in January and as much as Brendan Rodgers has continued to show faith and belief in Kelechi Iheanacho being able to shoulder some of the goalscoring responsibility, the doubts remain four years after his arrival for £25 million from Manchester City. Patience wore very thin among Leicester fans, and perhaps inside the club too, when Iheanacho had not registered a single league goal and wasted a penalty kick by the start of last month. Rodgers started to intensify his interest in Odsonne Édouard, of Celtic, and will continue to do so regardless of Iheanacho’s upturn in form.

Iheanacho, 24, has struck three goals in his past five league matches at a hugely important time, with Leicester trying to maintain a gap in the race for the Champions League spots. Until recently he had mainly been used as a substitute in the league this season and acknowledged the pressure of feeling like he needed to change the game. “I’m happy the goals are coming now,” Iheanacho said. “I’m confident with how things are going now, I have to take the opportunities.”

Rodgers has shifted from his preferred 4-2-3-1 system and started Iheanacho and Vardy together in the past three league matches. Previously Vardy, who had a hernia operation in January, played as the lone striker, but he has looked less threatening without his supply line of Harvey Barnes and James Maddison, who were both among the seven players missing through injury on Saturday.

Iheanacho hit a volley to earn a 1-1 draw with Burnley on Wednesday and showed his growing confidence by delaying his shot to chip over Robert Sánchez to equalise against Brighton & Hove Albion, who led through Adam Lallana’s tenth-minute goal, and maintain the best away record in the division. The goal arrived moments after he had struck the side-netting.

“I like playing with Jamie because he can run behind and gives me options or he can get the ball and go deep,” he said. For Rodgers it will be about Iheanacho turning glimpses of ability in something consistent.

When last season restarted in July Leicester were in third place with an eight-point cushion to Manchester United in fifth. After a 1-1 draw with Watford in their first game back Rodgers talked of another match being ticked off and Maddison offered caution in their dreams of Champions League qualification: “We have a point and it’s another game without losing any ground.” It seemed a timid mindset and Leicester eventually paid for it by collecting only nine points from nine matches and finishing in fifth place, four points adrift of United and Chelsea.

The fear of doing so again returned when they dropped five points, against Arsenal and Burnley, last week and trailed to Lallana’s opener, which was down to Leicester’s three centre backs failing to track runs and tackle. Iheanacho said the disappointment and strong words from Rodgers drove them on after the interval, when Daniel Amartey headed a winner two minutes from time by profiting from Sánchez flapping at a corner.

 

“We are confident [this time], we need to need it more, we just need to keep our heads up and be hungry,” Iheanacho said.

It was the same story of attractive football, missed chances and lapses for Brighton, who have won only once in 18 home matches and dropped 17 points from winning positions this season, behind only Southampton. The meeting with Newcastle United in a fortnight has gained significance. “Until we get the points, everywhere is there, we are hurting,” Graham Potter, the Brighton head coach, said. “We know we’re in this battle, we have to accept that challenge.”

 

[sacreblueits442]

On 06/03/2021 at 22:59, Analysethis said:

Its a shame that Brendan doesn't really rate Kelechi IMO. 

 

He played Ayoze when Vards went for an op despite Kelechi not letting us down when called upon, especially in Europe (3 in 7 I think playing with "Lesser" players) and disappointingly, he never praises Kelechi when due.

 

The reporter lined up a question in the post-match interview about how important Kelechi was but Rodgers almost looked irritated! He turned to Vards contribution in response LOL!! I love Brendan but its evident that he wants someone else as a back-up striker which is a shame.

. .have not seen the interview,  but in that situation a manager always comes out with  a clichéd response, how much work he puts in on the training pitch and how he helps the team!!!

  Is it possible Rodgers did not hear the question properly?

[Col city fan]

I’m kinda thinking now that Kelechi clearly needed a longer run in the side.

In my opinion, Vardy has been Leicester’s best ever player, in terms of his importance to the club which has been massive.

But playing second fiddle to Vardy can’t have been easy for anyone and we would have never REALLY known whether Iheanacho was good enough until he started to feel he was a regular ‘first teamer’

Now he must sense that, I think we are seeing a more confident and effective player.

We are definitely at a point of transition, striker-wise. The interesting thing will be to see if we do sign Edouard and where that would leave Kelechi

 

[HighPeakFox]

1 minute ago, Col city fan said:

I’m kinda thinking now that Kelechi clearly needed a longer run in the side.

In my opinion, Vardy has been Leicester’s best ever player, in terms of his importance to the club which has been massive.

But playing second fiddle to Vardy can’t have been easy for anyone and we would have never REALLY known whether Iheanacho was good enough until he started to feel he was a regular ‘first teamer’

Now he must sense that, I think we are seeing a more confident and effective player.

We are definitely at a point of transition, striker-wise. The interesting thing will be to see if we do sign Edouard and where that would leave Kelechi

 

I posited a possible theory about this. Gives the option to play both a two or a lone striker, thus meaning Vardy can be rested rather than dropped. 

[cruzFOX]

Thats twice now we have seen a world class pass followed up by a world class finish. Youre and Nachos seem to be on a similar wavelength and I love it! There is a great player inside Nachos there really is its just covered in layers of fluff which has previously disappointed us. Like others have said with more games and more goals he's only going to get better. His fighting talk about playing for his fallen comrades shows maturity and s leadership material at a time when we really need that. Great fightback by the lads and this new found grit will do us good in the coming games but boy do we need Vardy back to scoring again. I wonder if he's doubting himself confidence wise being a few yards off pace? It's like the team are carrying him at the moment but knowing the player he is he will starting firing on all cylinders sooner or later

[Analysethis]

9 hours ago, sacreblueits442 said:

. .have not seen the interview,  but in that situation a manager always comes out with  a clichéd response, how much work he puts in on the training pitch and how he helps the team!!!

  Is it possible Rodgers did not hear the question properly?

I don't think so. There is no way he plays Ayoze as a "false 9" when Vardy got injured if he really rates Kelechi. You get the feeling he had no option but to play him in recent times and would rather he remained a bench player.

[weller54]

5 hours ago, Col city fan said:

I’m kinda thinking now that Kelechi clearly needed a longer run in the side.

In my opinion, Vardy has been Leicester’s best ever player, in terms of his importance to the club which has been massive.

But playing second fiddle to Vardy can’t have been easy for anyone and we would have never REALLY known whether Iheanacho was good enough until he started to feel he was a regular ‘first teamer’

Now he must sense that, I think we are seeing a more confident and effective player.

We are definitely at a point of transition, striker-wise. The interesting thing will be to see if we do sign Edouard and where that would leave Kelechi

 

How many goals would Kelechi score in that Mickey Mouse league?...I think he'd score a bucket load .

Is Eduardo a quicker player who can play on the shoulder ?.. A more suitable Vards replacement?

 

[sacreblueits442]

27 minutes ago, Analysethis said:

I don't think so. There is no way he plays Ayoze as a "false 9" when Vardy got injured if he really rates Kelechi. You get the feeling he had no option but to play him in recent times and would rather he remained a bench player.

...when Nacho missed that penalty he was at the lowest he could be and our views on him was not much different!!!

The need to play him recently and him chipping in with goals has raised quite a few expectations on his suitability but I am sure Rodgers is not impressed. Nacho can be exquisite in one moment then absolutely poor the next, heavy touches and inaccurate link play, he is far too inconsistent and that means unreliable!!