Wilfred Ndidi

[Tom12345]

7 hours ago, ts_1010 said:

Completely unfounded theory. But I think if Ndidi comes out of the team then so does Vardy.

 

Pushing Ndidi higher gives us the best chance of a goal through turnover on the press. He's still the best tackler in the club. And Vardy being sat on the shoulder, would be best placed to take advantage.

 

With Ndidi out, the case is stronger for a more fluid style of play with Kel in the team and an interchange with the more attacking 8s.

Wishful thinking there mate. His tackling has deserted him and even if he manages to cause a turnover, he will immediately lose the ball anyway and certainly he won’t be making a through ball that is perfectly weighted for Vardy to run onto off the shoulder.

Edited 8 August 2023 by Tom12345

[DionDublinsThirdLeg]

It was refreshing to see him and Pereira fit and full of energy, compared to when Rodgers was here. The versatility he offers is the biggest reason we should keep him, he could in theory offer cover as an 8, to Winks, aswell to any of the CB roles. Wanting to get rid when we still have Choudhury on the books, and Albrighton, doesn't make sense to me.

Maresca wants to play a fluid system that requires versatility, Ndidi can offer that. He may actually be able to iron out his flaws given a bit of time. The fact he's playing suggests Maresca likes him and wants him to stick around when the window is shut.

 

[KP Fox]

I know you are all gonna laugh at this but I think Wilf is going to score a few goals for us this season. 

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

New chant to reflect Wilf’s new role, hunger and our excitement in Enzo’s approach:

 

In touch with the ground
Wilf’s on the hunt, he’s after you
Enzo is sound, I'm lost in a crowd
And I'm hungry like the Wilf 

 

 

 

Edited 8 August 2023 by Wasyls Pec Deck

[Arriba Los Zorros]

11 minutes ago, Wasyls Pec Deck said:

New chant to reflect Wilf’s new role, hunger and our excitement in Enzo’s approach:

 

In touch with the ground
Wilf’s on the hunt, he’s after you
Enzo is sound, I'm lost in a crowd
And I'm hungry like the Wilf 

 

 

 

When Wilfs in the ground 

No legs are safe he's after you

Pass completion down, no first touch allowed, 

When you're hungry like the Wilf

 

(tongue in cheek I like Wilf for the record) 

[frany104]

I can’t believe the player he now is. Honestly, he’s league 1 level. If we can sell him for any fee I would. How has he regressed so much!?

[Wasyls Pec Deck]

34 minutes ago, Arriba Los Zorros said:

When Wilfs in the ground 

No legs are safe he's after you

Pass completion down, no first touch allowed, 

When you're hungry like the Wilf

 

(tongue in cheek I like Wilf for the record) 

[Bazly]

Reports today that Fenerbahce have an incoming £8mn bid. Way off the £18mn paid for a defender who is hitting his prime years but his form has been so poor the last 2 seasons it's looking a strong shout.

[pmcla26]

5 hours ago, KP Fox said:

I know you are all gonna laugh at this but I think Wilf is going to score a few goals for us this season. 

There was one time in the first half where this happened and Wilf played a good ball from the right-hand side of the pitch out to the left for Mavididi to run on to. 

 

I think we need to be patient with Wilf and give him a chance in this role before completely writing him off. His physicality could be important in the midfield this season, even if he isn't suitable for every opponent. 

 

Edit: I was meant to quote @ts_1010, but I do agree with you, too. If he can learn to time his runs into the box correctly and work on his finishing, then there is no reason why he doesn't have the engine to score a few goals this season. 

Edited 8 August 2023 by Pete52

[CrispinLA in Texas]

24 minutes ago, Bazly said:

Reports today that Fenerbahce have an incoming £8mn bid. Way off the £18mn paid for a defender who is hitting his prime years but his form has been so poor the last 2 seasons it's looking a strong shout.

He'll go for free next summer....might aswell get 8m for him now....not worth waiting and hoping he gets back to the Wilfred of 4 years ago.

Edited 8 August 2023 by CrispinLA in Texas

[fazzyfox]

On 06/08/2023 at 16:49, Sparrowhawk said:

But isn't that exactly what he was doing today? And, in the first half, really quite effectively. He's just doing it 50 yards further up the pitch than he used to.

Surely that must be why he's there, no? If Maresca wanted a tidy little passer in there he'd just pick Praet. So it must be deliberate. I think he's there to break up opposition attacks before they even start.

 

On 06/08/2023 at 21:31, Les-TA-Jon said:

Yeah seems like the idea is to start the press / create turnovers higher up the pitch. 

Absolutely, that's how I've seen it, with his interception stats the idea is to win the ball higher up the field. In theory he'll be winning it off opposition CB's and DM's rather than AM's and play makers i.e. poorer passers anyway and will avoid seeing teams stroke it around deep against us. It will bring us more of the possession and the opposition less space to play in, effectively penning them in.

I agree that yes, when he's won it he's still Wilf Ndidi, what's he going to do with it once he's got it, but still I get the principle.

 

The downside is if he doesn't have goals in him, Harry Winks probably not too many either, then it will really need K DH to step up even more and contribute a regular goalscoring threat to add to the front three. On Saturday he did and you wouldn't bet against him reaching double figures this season.

 

Have to say though, the introduction of Praet, initially for Wilf then moving to the right, brought us that extra passer in the final third,  his cross for the first goal was sublime and his contribution made a big difference. 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Having him at the top of the midfield box and Winks at the base seems completely upside-down. 

[coolhandfox]

1 minute ago, Sol thewall Bamba said:

Having him at the top of the midfield box and Winks at the base seems completely upside-down. 

I can't see him playing Winks' role, as Enzo want someone who can play through the press and take the ball from the CB and GK.

 

 

 

[Claridge]

4 hours ago, KP Fox said:

I know you are all gonna laugh at this but I think Wilf is going to score a few goals for us this season. 

always gets a couple of own goals

[OwnGoal]

Even when he was a good player he made a few major errors that directly cost us goals.  He’s a shadow of the player we had four years ago and will still have them costly gaffs in his game. Be a right result if we get a fee for him. 

[lfu]

Wilf playing as an AM makes sense to me if the opponent are looking to take the game to us and press high - where he can lead the counterpress when we lose possession to win it back as soon as possible in the middle of the pitch, rather than on Sunday where they're going to sit deeper and concede possession. But how often will that be the case this season? Against Leeds, maybe Saints, and if we draw a PL team in the cups?

[ts_1010]

I think we're having some concept issues here. Me included. We automatically think the guy screening the defence should be the destroyer. The guys up top near the striker have to be the creative types.

 

Maresca doesn't seem to want this as much. The passer is now sat Infront of the defence to help break the lines and escape the press. 

 

He wants press capable players up higher on the pitch. KDH and Ndidi both have/had the energy to press and get recoveries high up the pitch. They can also prevent counters hopefully.

 

However to release Vardy, Ndidi doesn't have to play a killer pass. If he makes a quick pass to a more creative player, the defence won't be able to recover before that ball goes forward to Vardy. That's just my idea anyway.

 

Personally I'd rather play Praet.

[DionDublinsThirdLeg]

"It's only pre-season"...."It's only Burton"....It's only been a few weeks, and you can't deny the improvements to Wilf. Just look at the energy and pace he has got again. We saw it pre-season, and we saw it tonight, that burst of pace he has to retrieve the loose balls is back, but we're now also seeing it when making that 3rd man run behind the backline.

 

Just go back and watch his ball out to the right hand side in the build up to the first goal, or his cross field pass to set up the chance in the first minute, or even the touch at the back post to bring the ball down and then pull back to almost set up a third. There's a clear technical improvement there, and I think a large part of it is his decision making too. Again he's another player who looks confident and fit. There are late runs from midfield that are Vardyesque, we've seen them all pre-season, and again tonight.

 

If Ndidi was 20, an academy player who had just broke into the side this pre-season then we would be raving about him. For as good as KDH (This isn't a dig at him) was against Cov, he was useless tonight when he came on. His touch was poor, his passing was poor and his energy levels weren't there, Ndidi was superior in every aspect. We've got 45 more league games this season, and a fit and well coached Ndidi can have a very strong say on the success of our season.

 

Ndidi shouldn't be judged under Maresca for how badly he was coached under Rodgers.

[Col city fan]

If Maresca develops Ndidi into some sort of attacking midfielder,  who links up play in the final third AND scores goals, it would be coaching genius.

In fact, just getting Wilf to start playing well would be amazing!

[Lionator]

5 hours ago, DionDublinsThirdLeg said:

"It's only pre-season"...."It's only Burton"....It's only been a few weeks, and you can't deny the improvements to Wilf. Just look at the energy and pace he has got again. We saw it pre-season, and we saw it tonight, that burst of pace he has to retrieve the loose balls is back, but we're now also seeing it when making that 3rd man run behind the backline.

 

Just go back and watch his ball out to the right hand side in the build up to the first goal, or his cross field pass to set up the chance in the first minute, or even the touch at the back post to bring the ball down and then pull back to almost set up a third. There's a clear technical improvement there, and I think a large part of it is his decision making too. Again he's another player who looks confident and fit. There are late runs from midfield that are Vardyesque, we've seen them all pre-season, and again tonight.

 

If Ndidi was 20, an academy player who had just broke into the side this pre-season then we would be raving about him. For as good as KDH (This isn't a dig at him) was against Cov, he was useless tonight when he came on. His touch was poor, his passing was poor and his energy levels weren't there, Ndidi was superior in every aspect. We've got 45 more league games this season, and a fit and well coached Ndidi can have a very strong say on the success of our season.

 

Ndidi shouldn't be judged under Maresca for how badly he was coached under Rodgers.

Every single player regressed in those last two years under Rodgers. The coaching was so bad, and the psychological side of things was so bad, but I think because of Ndidi’s skill set, he stood out as particularly bad. 
 

Anyway, thankfully, the people who were saying he was crap because he’s older than his given age look a bit silly now. 

[Leeds Fox]

He’s playing the position that KDH should be in IMO.

[Col city fan]

1 hour ago, Lionator said:

Every single player regressed in those last two years under Rodgers. The coaching was so bad, and the psychological side of things was so bad, but I think because of Ndidi’s skill set, he stood out as particularly bad. 
 

Anyway, thankfully, the people who were saying he was crap because he’s older than his given age look a bit silly now. 

The only player who got any better under Bodgers was Maddison. But he was always going to improve anyway tbf. 
As you say, the rest got worse. 
 

[JimJams]

Given Hamza has been earmarked as Ricardos cover, wouldn't it make more sense to have Wilf in there? Don't think there's anything Choudhury can do that Ndidi can't.

[Beachyboy]

7 hours ago, JimJams said:

Given Hamza has been earmarked as Ricardos cover, wouldn't it make more sense to have Wilf in there? Don't think there's anything Choudhury can do that Ndidi can't.

I think putting Wilf higher up the pitch has gave him confidence that if he makes a mistake it's less likely to be costly. Hamza has only played lower league in that position, if anything were to happen to Ricardo, I'd be suprised if Enzo turned to Hamza to play that role in a league game. If Ndidi were to play in front of Hamza, maybe it would protect Hamza from being exposed.

[Paninistickers]

On form, Wilf has to replace KDH