Steve Howard is No.1 striker for Leicester City boss Paulo Sousa

[davieG]

According to the Merc,

Leicester City veteran Steve Howard has emerged as manager Paulo Sousa's first-choice striker.

The 34-year-old endured a frustrating season last term, although he ended the campaign in top form and was linked with a move to Huddersfield in the summer.

Howard started last Saturday's opening-day clash with Crystal Palace on the bench, but City looked a more potent attacking force when he came on as a substitute and Sousa was quick to pick out the targetman for praise after Tuesday's 4-3 Carling Cup victory over Macclesfield.

Sousa said he had become a big fan of Howard, who makes his 100th appearance today, and the striker was now a key figure in his squad.

Sousa has previously favoured DJ Campbell and Matty Fryatt, but he has hinted it could now be a case of which one of them partners Howard in attack against Middlesbrough this afternoon at the Walkers Stadium (3.0).

"I have to praise Stevie," said Sousa. "I am a big fan of his. He is a team player who holds the ball up well and knows when to give it to the supporting midfielders and the wingers. He also sets up chances for the other strikers.

"The way he works he is always on the game. He provides a lot of personality and character to the team.

"He is someone who, when the team has the ball, he makes the difference, not only with his flick-ons but bringing other players into the game.

"He is a player who deserves to score more goals. He doesn't score so many because he works so hard without the ball.

"I need to encourage him a lot because he is a player I will be looking to help us a lot during this season."

Fryatt, who is on 49 league goals for City, opened his account with a double against the Silkmen on Tuesday and he could get the nod ahead of Campbell, who scored City's second at Selhurst Park.

"Matty is a player with a fantastic ability, especially with his close control around the box," said Sousa. "Every time he receives the ball he is a threat. He can score a lot of goals. "

[VampLCFC]

He was excellent when he came on last Saturday against Palace, transformed the game, got the crowd roaring, sublime pass for DJ's goal!

I was concerned he wouldn't fit in to the new "passing" game, because he's basically been used as a target man, but proved against Palace and Macclesfield how well he can hold the ball up and make superb through balls for the other players

Really annoys me how many free kicks are given against him, when 50% of the time he barely touches the opposition player

[Sooper Steve's shin]

He's right. I think all three main strikers bring something different and it will be interesting to see which pair Paulo picks this afternoon. I think he'll go with Big Steve and DJ, but it's close - two great finishes from Matty in midweek against Campbell's pre-season form and goal v Palace.

[Sooper Steve's shin]

Really annoys me how many free kicks are given against him, when 50% of the time he barely touches the opposition player

It's a problem for all the big physical strikers - I think I read that last season Jay Bothroyd committed most fouls in the Championship and had the most fouls against him! This is an area that refs struggle with and seem to think that any bit of muscling is worth blowing up for. It's truly not a man's game anymore, you don't get the Steve Walsh v Steve Bull type battles (more's the pity).

[Fox 4 Life]

Anyone notice how Sousa doesn't actually say he is the number one striker anywhere in that article, he comments on his value but is that more the merc making something from nothing!

[davieG]

Anyone notice how Sousa doesn't actually say he is the number one striker anywhere in that article, he comments on his value but is that more the merc making something from nothing!

It's the media way, have you not noticed they all do this for virtually ever thing they write

[Fox 4 Life]

Yeah very true, just seems a bit random to take that view based on what Sousa actually says! Hope it's more of a confidence booster for Howard and Matty given his recent praise of dj rather than softening us up for a potential dj sale.... Clearly reading too much in to this

[Aeropars]

I wonder if he'll end up playing all three in a 4-3-3 system. That would be one hell of an attacking force!

[davieG]

Yeah very true, just seems a bit random to take that view based on what Sousa actually says! Hope it's more of a confidence booster for Howard and Matty given his recent praise of dj rather than softening us up for a potential dj sale.... Clearly reading too much in to this

Not really, anything published by the media is questionable and open to interpretation, I thought it could easily be read as a dj sale indication. It's all bollocks anyway, rarely to be taken as gospel or even seriously.

[DJ Barry Hammond]

Anyone notice how Sousa doesn't actually say he is the number one striker anywhere in that article, he comments on his value but is that more the merc making something from nothing!

Its a headline - made you read the article didn't it? (and so it worked) Most newspapers/journos do it so I'm not sure why you're suprised.

[leftsideoverhere]

Thinking back to last season, and how grumpy big Steve looked a lot of the time, I've realised that something someone said to me on Tuesday night was right on the money - Steve's moaning at team-mates last season was often accompanied by gestures indicating he wanted the ball played to his feet. We used him almost exclusively as a target man for old-fashioned route one football, because he looks like the kind of player who is built for such a role (and perhaps because that was the style of football which NP was comfortable with), but he was clearly hiding his talent a bit in being made to play that way. It was relatively easy for defenses to nullify his threat with one or two tall centre backs blocking his back-to-goal movement and then going down for a soft foul when Howard elevated for the header.

Now that Sousa is encouraging the whole team to play football in the, ahem, Brian Clough way, Howard is demonstrating that he's an even better centre forward with the ball at his feet than he is with it in the air. And he gets called for fouls a lot less when he's running at defenders than when the centre backs are crowding him for a route one header. Before last Saturday, who honestly thought he was capable of playing the kind of perfectly weighted, curling through ball that set up DJ's goal against Palace?

I'd love to see a front three of DJ, Matty and Steve, but I don't think we've got the quality at the back yet to be able to risk playing like that. We'd see a lot of games end 5-4 I reckon if we tried it now, and I'm not sure I like our chances of being the team with 5. But with a little more grit in midfield, and a little more experience in the defence, and I'd be tempted to try it.

[Joe.]

He's had a great start to the season and if should be in the first team today without a doubt. Quite who should partner him I don't know however, and Sousa has a pleasant headache with that one. Fryatt's double in the week will put in him good stead, but he also missed a hatful at the same time.

Either way I'm delighted Steve's staying personally, he really is an asset to the team when used in the right way. Hopefully he can get on the scoresheet a bit earlier than last season and keep the confidence going which is looking sky high right now. He clearly likes playing for the club, and when you have that you're onto a winner.

[lildave3]

It's the only way.

[Cheese Me]

Glad he's realised it.

Steve is definitely our number one. Matty and Dj may end up chipping in with more goals but Steve has a much bigger impact and they wouldn't be nearly as potent without him. At least we can put the rumours of him leaving or being put out to grass behind us