Yuki Abe in line for a more central role

[davieG]

From the Merc

Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will consider moving Japanese midfielder Yuki Abe into a more central role at Barnsley on Saturday.

The 29-year-old international has featured on the right in City's past two matches.

However, Eriksson said: "Maybe that is not his best position and he could be even better in a central role."

Skipper Matt Oakley is still regaining full fitness after a thigh strain and Eriksson may opt to play Abe, Richie Wellens and Andy King as part of a five-man midfield at Oakwell.

Abe had his best game for City in last weekend's 1-0 Championship win over Preston and Eriksson said: "The fans are taking to him, and rightly so because he is getting better and I thought he was brilliant against Preston.

"He is a good player with a lot of energy and he is very willing to learn. He is understanding more as his English is getting better."

Abe, who joined City in August from J-League side Urawa Reds, has told Japanese journalists that playing on the right presents different demands, but says he is enjoying the challenge.

He has spent most of his career in a holding midfield role and excelled in the position in all four of Japan's games at the World Cup in the summer, providing the platform for the likes of Yasuhito Endo and Keisuke Honda to get forward.

Abe also accepts that, as a Paulo Sousa signing, he is having to prove himself again.

There were fears among some supporters that Abe may have been a "marquee signing" by the club's new Thai owners to raise their own profile.

But the Japanese journalists say that Abe has the quality to become an effective member of t

[beemeroo]

Good news.

Square holes, square pegs and all that.

:sweden:

[MrSpaM]

Bout time!

Can he take some free kicks as well now sven?

[AmyLGK]

EXCELLENT - I'm really excited to see how it'll all fit together now!

[Trav Le Bleu]

Once he's properly aclimatised I'm hoping he will be a very effective member of the team.

[FoxyPV]

Playing players in their correct posiitons gets better results - That's a new one to me.

[Jimmy]

Yuki Abe and Andy King in central midfield will be the way forward once his English is functional enough, playing the 4-5-1/4-3-3 away from home is probably a smart move in this league as well, so long as we have enough pace in the side

[The MayneFox]

Im not sure about 4-5-1, no doubt that sven will play fryatt

[Swalker]

Im not sure about 4-5-1, no doubt that sven will play fryatt

Hopefully we have 2/3 midfields playing futher upfield. Apparently Vassel is et to make his debut on Saturday.

I also thought that Abe didn't look too out of position on the right but I do agree that he is a centeral midfielder

[conradno1]

YUKI!

[Kitchandro]

Hopefully we have 2/3 midfields playing futher upfield. Apparently Vassel is et to make his debut on Saturday.

I also thought that Abe didn't look too out of position on the right but I do agree that he is a centeral midfielder

Hopefully yes, but I'm sure that's what Sven's intentions were at Swansea. If we come under pressure and Fryatt is the lone striker then it will invite more pressure.

If we must play 4-5-1 (which I'm not a fan of) then it must be Waghorn as he has the pace and strength to chase lost causes and hold the ball up. Howard's too slow, and Fryatt's neither quick nor strong.

[MattyFromLE]

From the Merc

Leicester City manager Sven-Goran Eriksson will consider moving Japanese midfielder Yuki Abe into a more central role at Barnsley on Saturday.

The 29-year-old international has featured on the right in City's past two matches.

However, Eriksson said: "Maybe that is not his best position and he could be even better in a central role."

Skipper Matt Oakley is still regaining full fitness after a thigh strain and Eriksson may opt to play Abe, Richie Wellens and Andy King as part of a five-man midfield at Oakwell.

Abe had his best game for City in last weekend's 1-0 Championship win over Preston and Eriksson said: "The fans are taking to him, and rightly so because he is getting better and I thought he was brilliant against Preston.

"He is a good player with a lot of energy and he is very willing to learn. He is understanding more as his English is getting better."

LOVE the sound of that!

[cc_star]

Good news, we really do need extra cover at the back, but ffs let him take the freekicks

[marbelladave]

Hopefully yes, but I'm sure that's what Sven's intentions were at Swansea. If we come under pressure and Fryatt is the lone striker then it will invite more pressure.

If we must play 4-5-1 (which I'm not a fan of) then it must be Waghorn as he has the pace and strength to chase lost causes and hold the ball up. Howard's too slow, and Fryatt's neither quick nor strong.

It will all depend on the wide men, they are the ones who must support the striker so we need some pace and attacking intent. If fit, I would go for Dyer and Vassell supporting Waghorn (for the same reasons).

My only real concern is that King will be given the attacking mid role, with Abe and Wellens in the side that is probably inevitable, but I still do not like it. As far as I can see the further forward he plays, the easier he is to pick up and the less effective he is.

[C-man]

Waghorn is fvcking awful up top on his own. Not saying Fryatt is a better bet but Waghorn simply doesn't have the control to hold the ball up. Such is the problem that we paid £3m for a player who doesn't fit our (best) system.

[Ric Flair]

Waghorn is fvcking awful up top on his own. Not saying Fryatt is a better bet but Waghorn simply doesn't have the control to hold the ball up. Such is the problem that we paid £3m for a player who doesn't fit our (best) system.

I think back to the last half of last season and Waghorn played a fair amount of games as the middle man of a 3 pronged attack and at times he was superb. But the lad goes missing in games and i'm not sure what the answer is.

[ACF]

I think back to the last half of last season and Waghorn played a fair amount of games as the middle man of a 3 pronged attack and at times he was superb. But the lad goes missing in games and i'm not sure what the answer is.

Give Waggy a chance again then?

[AmyLGK]

This is from the LM today:

http://www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk/news/English-lessons-new-signing/article-2841389-detail/article.html

English lessons at De Montfort University for Leicester City's new signing

Sven-Goran Eriksson and DMU vice-chancellor Prof Dominic Shellard read a Japanese newspaper with Leicester City player Yuki Abe

Leicester City's new football signing Yuki Abe was told to do his homework by manager Sven Goran Eriksson yesterday.

But it wasn't football he was referring to – it was his English lessons at De Montfort University.

For three weeks, the 29-year-old has been attending language lessons at the university's Centre for English Language Learning (Cell) which specialises in teaching English to international students and professionals.

Yuki said: "It's hard learning English grammar but my teacher is very good and I'm enjoying it. Some things are easier to learn than others."

Yuki has an interpreter at his side throughout training, but according to Sven, is needing him less and less.

Sven said: "I've told him he must learn the language and do his homework but I spoke to him today and gave him some instructions without his interpreter. He's learning very quickly."

Yuki is being taught by language expert Adam Mettam on a one-to-one basis but will join multi-student classes at a later date to help improve his communication skills even further.

David Boydon, is head of Cell and talks to Yuki at least twice a week about his lessons.

Mr Boydon said: "I think he has a natural aptitude for language. At the moment, he understands more than he speaks but that's more a confidence issue and will come with time."

DMU's vice chancellor Professor Dominic Shellard arranged the lessons.

[marbelladave]

Waghorn is fvcking awful up top on his own. Not saying Fryatt is a better bet but Waghorn simply doesn't have the control to hold the ball up. Such is the problem that we paid £3m for a player who doesn't fit our (best) system.

Remains the best choice of the players we have available unless we are goinr to go out on a limb and try DN'G or one of the youngsters in that role. Send Waghorn home with a couple of Carlos Tevez DVDs and tell him to at least try and match his effort. If he can come close to doing that then I am sure the goals will come.

I think back to the last half of last season and Waghorn played a fair amount of games as the middle man of a 3 pronged attack and at times he was superb. But the lad goes missing in games and i'm not sure what the answer is.

I am, the answer is.... Support!

When our supporting players got forward to help he played well, when they did not, he and the team performed badly, simple as.

The support has to come from the wide men who must come inside to attack the box, ie strikers (not wingers) attacking from wider and slightly deeper positions, hence Dyer 'inside out' on the right and maybe Vassell on the left, where he has played quite often and quite effectively as I recall.

Somewhat off the wall, but Fryatt could be tried on the left, when he plays down the center he does on occasion look for space in wide positions and when he does it is usually on the left. I know he has not been playing well of late but a different role with clearcut responsibilities both in attack and defence could help him get back into the swing of things, odd thought but maybe worth a go...

[Guest Basildon Fox]

http://www.thisislei...il/article.html

You would have thought that this would have been the first thing the club would have done. Why did it take 2 months after him joining for them to realise that he needs to learn English as quickly as possible. I'll bet getting him help was down to Sven and his team. The current management team oozes class and their level of man management is the main difference from the last incumbents.

[Kitchandro]

Waghorn is fvcking awful up top on his own. Not saying Fryatt is a better bet but Waghorn simply doesn't have the control to hold the ball up. Such is the problem that we paid £3m for a player who doesn't fit our (best) system.

4-5-1 is shit. No where near our best system.

[Jimmy]

4-5-1 is shit. No where near our best system.

we played it most of last season and no-one moaned

Weale

Morrison Hobbs Brown Berner

Waghorn Oakley Wellens King Dyer

Fryatt

was how we lined up mostly with Waghorn going upfront and Gally coming in when Fryatt got injured

[Kitchandro]

we played it most of last season and no-one moaned

We played it some of last season, not most. We played 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 a lot. 4-4-2 is far better especially for the players we've got.

[Jimmy]

We played it some of last season, not most. We played 4-3-3 and 4-4-2 a lot. 4-4-2 is far better especially for the players we've got.

our best performance was at Leeds in the league and we played 4-5-1, you can call it 4-3-3 but they are basically the same

[Kitchandro]

our best performance was at Leeds in the league and we played 4-5-1, you can call it 4-3-3 but they are basically the same

Basically, 4-5-1 is 4-3-3 when it doesn't work - that is, when the striker bcomes isolated and we simply hoof it forward to a player who isn't holding it up well enough.

This is why I say we must have Waghorn as the centre forward if we are playing 4-3-3/4-5-1 - as he is best suited to holding it up. And that is only if the players play it on the floor for him. If it's Howard, the balls have to have pinpoint accuracy, if it's Waghron, the emphasis is more on the ball being relatively low because he is quick enough to chase it if it's not to his feet.

What I'm saying is, 4-5-1 is a vulnerable system that can work well but only if the teams passing is on top form. We played well at Leeds but if we don't play as well like at Swansea, 4-5-1 makes it difficult for us to get out, whereas 4-4-2 with Howard and a strike partner gives us an option and a plan B. 4-4-2 is the easiest way to play, which is why I think it's our best system.

I just hope that if we are obviously struggling in a 4-5-1 like we were at Swansea - Sven realises it and is able to change it to a less flimsy 4-4-2.