Wilfred Ndidi

[UniFox21]

Really intriguing how well his ability on the ball has improved. His passing, ball control and shooting seems to have improved no end. The dribble for his goal against Southampton and the penalty against Bristol were both things I'd never expect Wilf to have done.

 

Wonder if that is the drop in quality of opposition has impacted it a little? 

[Beachyboy]

4 hours ago, UniFox21 said:

Really intriguing how well his ability on the ball has improved. His passing, ball control and shooting seems to have improved no end. The dribble for his goal against Southampton and the penalty against Bristol were both things I'd never expect Wilf to have done.

 

Wonder if that is the drop in quality of opposition has impacted it a little? 

I do think it's both an improvement and the drop in quality, I think we will see an improved Ndidi when he next plays in the Prem whether it's with us or someone else.

[CrispinLA in Texas]

I was expecting Iheanacho to shine and Ndidi to be the same as the last two seasons...dire.

What a turn around in both players.

[STUHILL]

On 29/09/2023 at 14:29, CrispinLA in Texas said:

I was expecting Iheanacho to shine and Ndidi to be the same as the last two seasons...dire.

What a turn around in both players.

Same! I have been really disappointed with Iheanacho. I thought he just needed to start more games and at this level, his finishing would really bag him a lot of goals. Still early of course, but you would have thought he'd take this opportunity to finally be our no.1 striker. 

 

I think realistically, Nacho has just a handful more games left to stake his claim as our starting striker. If he continues how he has, then he will quickly find himself 2nd/3rd choice and will go in January or the Summer without making any real impact here, even in the Championship. I am ready for the "I told you so's" if that happens. 

 

Only positive and little hope left with Nacho, is that when you finally think you have had enough of him, he catches a little bit of form and scores some important goals and becomes an assist machine. Rare, but does happen! But, as I said, this needs to happen over the next few games or I see Vardy/Daka/Cannon moving ahead of him in Enzo's thinking.

 

 

[StriderHiryu]

No one posting in Wilf's thread? He was superb today, and has been consistently good for a few matches now.

 

On 06/08/2023 at 14:47, Tielemans63 said:

I think we need to be ruthless and move him on ASAP. Thought he was poor today. For all of the good things we've seen from Enzo, Wilf playing in that slightly more advanced position is horrendous to watch.

 

The above was posted at the start of the season, and I don't think it was an unfair standpoint to take at the time. He looked past it and desperately in need of a new change of scenery. As it stands, I think a lot of fans would be in favour of a new contract!

 

 

 

[fox_up_north]

Really great performance and some good passes. Better than Winks today, for me. Definitely a step up from where he was.

[StanSP]

Excellent today. His attacking output is brilliant. Even in our first two Rodgers seasons you wouldn't have expected him to ping in a ball right at Vardy's feet as he runs into the box for today's assist.

 

Swimming in confidence right now. 

[Unabomber]

Would love to know what Rodgers thinks of this transformation as it was him who tried to get wilf passing which ultimately resulted in him looking like a competition winner. 

[StriderHiryu]

OK this is pretty interesting, FBRef have started to update Wilf's stats based on his Championship performances. Here are his stats compared to KDG:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What we are seeing is a complete transformation in Wilf's player profile, and perhaps more incredibly, how good he has been at adapting. His ball progression is the most impressive thing, that's a complete shift in what he's been asked to do, and he is among the very best already in the Championship.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if after another 10-15 games if more of the attacking stats improve, because now he's becoming effective in the final third too.

 

[Unabomber]

2 minutes ago, StriderHiryu said:

OK this is pretty interesting, FBRef have started to update Wilf's stats based on his Championship performances. Here are his stats compared to KDG:

 

 

 

 

 

 

What we are seeing is a complete transformation in Wilf's player profile, and perhaps more incredibly, how good he has been at adapting. His ball progression is the most impressive thing, that's a complete shift in what he's been asked to do, and he is among the very best already in the Championship.

 

It wouldn't surprise me if after another 10-15 games if more of the attacking stats improve, because now he's becoming effective in the final third too.

 

He really has been unbelievable. His reaction to MOTM was great too and shows what it means to him.

Edited 1 October 2023 by Unabomber

[beepee1984]

Ndidi Stats are interesting

 

Who would have thought when we brought him that he would be in the lowest 1% of blocks in the championship and highest 1% of xG and touch's in the opposing penalty area.

 

The problem we had with Ndidi was his passing, he is only in the bottom 15% for percentage of completed passes and the repeated use of him in the DM position where Winks is playing and trying to play possession football ith him as a defensive playmaker was the problem. He can play DM if he is playing as a ball-winning midfield, but not as a playmaker. 

 

Credit to Enzo as few predicted that he could play as an AM and he is getting into good positions and presses the opposing defences well.

[Brizzle Fox]

Ignore as tried to post an old post of mine saying how important Ndidi would be to us this season, to appear more knowledgeable than I am, but didn't have the technical chops to do this...

 

Doh etc.

 

 

Edited 1 October 2023 by Brizzle Fox

[Jordan]

That Ndidi ball to Vardy was just outstanding; it was like Wilf borrowed 2015/16 Albrighton’s right leg for this game.

[cruzFOX]

Wow wilf has to be one of the most outstanding transformation of a player we have seen in a while. Everyone was marveling at pep for moving stones up to midfield but I think Wild is even more impressive comparatively speaking!

 

How did Enzo sense wild even had those tools in his locker? We don’t always see the training sessions but this is one documentary I wanna watch at the end of the season. 
 

ps… has anyone seen or compiled a highlight reel of this season so far on wilf?

[ARM1968]

Wilf is doing what I expected and said he would do pre season when people were skating him and saying we should get rid. Admittedly he’s doing it in a different way to the one I expected. However, I said he was still they player we knew, he had just lost form and belief in himself, coupled with some personal issues which would have crippled most. 
 

Enzo’s belief in and handling of Wilf shows me that the guy is a top manager with incredible man management skills. Credit to them both. Long may it continue. 

[Number 6]

I was completely wrong about him not being able to play this position. He's been outstanding.

[Dahnsouff]

3 minutes ago, Number 6 said:

I was completely wrong about him not being able to play this position. He's been outstanding.

I have been wrong about so many players this season and I absolutely love it!!  

[baldeagle]

Honestly like a new signing , he’s always had an engine on him but had looked dead on his feat for around 18 months . Looks fitter and sharper and now using his engine differently and looks to be getting better from game to game . 

[Viva]

37 minutes ago, ARM1968 said:

Wilf is doing what I expected and said he would do pre season when people were skating him and saying we should get rid. Admittedly he’s doing it in a different way to the one I expected. However, I said he was still they player we knew, he had just lost form and belief in himself, coupled with some personal issues which would have crippled most. 
 

Enzo’s belief in and handling of Wilf shows me that the guy is a top manager with incredible man management skills. Credit to them both. Long may it continue. 

He’s not the player we knew as he’s playing in a completely different position, which you wouldn’t have predicted. He was probably finished for us as a defensive player, but all credit to Enzo in converting him into an attacking player that is playing great. 

[Glorious Leicester Fan]

I don't know what he’s on, but I’ll have what the Mercury journo is having: 

[ARM1968]

21 minutes ago, Viva said:

He’s not the player we knew as he’s playing in a completely different position, which you wouldn’t have predicted. He was probably finished for us as a defensive player, but all credit to Enzo in converting him into an attacking player that is playing great. 

Don’t think you can say he was finished as a defensive player at all. His confidence was shot. His fitness poor and encouragement from his manger non existent under Brendan. All those things have changed. He is getting back to the awesome player he was, albeit in a new position. People can split hairs all they like but those who wanted him out were myopic muppets - simple as. 

[Ric Flair]

Player of the season so far IMO, closely followed by Winks and McAteer. So many of them performing brilliantly but Ndidi's fitness levels and how he's taken to a completely alien position has been remarkable. Drop down in class granted, but still immense to see.

 

He was head and shoulders our best player today.

[MrsJohnMurphy]

Hang on.....is he not 43 any more?

[Viva]

2 hours ago, ARM1968 said:

Don’t think you can say he was finished as a defensive player at all. His confidence was shot. His fitness poor and encouragement from his manger non existent under Brendan. All those things have changed. He is getting back to the awesome player he was, albeit in a new position. People can split hairs all they like but those who wanted him out were myopic muppets - simple as. 

No they weren’t. It’s quite easy to see why some people would have accepted a large fee for Ndidi, especially with him probably leaving next summer for free and missing a chunk of the season with AFCON. Same with Iheanacho. 
 

Like I said, in this completely new role under a very good manager, he is playing great. 

[ARM1968]

7 minutes ago, Viva said:

No they weren’t. It’s quite easy to see why some people would have accepted a large fee for Ndidi, especially with him probably leaving next summer for free and missing a chunk of the season with AFCON. Same with Iheanacho. 
 

Like I said, in this completely new role under a very good manager, he is playing great. 

No. Some people were ready to accept pretty much anything to be rid of him. Go back and look. Mind you it depends what you consider a large fee. And yes, they were myopic. 
 

Looking like we might head straight back up may bring new contracts. May not. The £10/£15 million we might possibly have got would never have got us a player anywhere near what we have now.