Yakubu

[Legend_in_blue]

Would anyone like to defend the bloke?

I'm struggling.

[Jakemoore]

Can score wonderful goals out of nothing (Derby, scored a goal than no other player in the team would have) but he's so bloody lazy it's un-real, I think he's great when we're on top but shocking when we're losing. He is what he is and that's kinda that.

[Adster]

Why make another thread about it?

Can't you see there is already one?

[acooling08]

But he has scored 1 in 3 games!

Don't criticise him!

He can be useless for as much as he wants so long as he scores a wonder goal every 5 games!

Why run when he can walk?

[Babylon]

I think Waghorn deserves one of these threads for all his misses against QPR.

[acooling08]

I think Waghorn deserves one of these threads for all his misses against QPR.

Babylon, I am not critical of Yak for missing chances.

I just wish he'd show some effort and play for the shirt! Simple closing down or jumping for headers is where he lacks.

Waggy gives it a good go and runs his heart out.

[lcfc_jme]

I think Waghorn deserves one of these threads for all his misses against QPR.

No. He scored against Bristol City and actually bothers to run around aimlessly, often after lost causes. And he isn't on £50k a week. He's untouchable.

[acooling08]

No. He scored against Bristol City and actually bothers to run around aimlessly, often after lost causes. And he isn't on £50k a week. He's untouchable.

You may joke mate, but you defend from the front. Yak never puts a challenge in so the opposition has plenty of time to pick a pass or make a run. You know, perhaps put a keeper under pressure from a back pass and win a throw? Remember Holt harrying Naughton? That lost cause got Norwich the ball deep in our half.

[millzi]

I think he's like a better version of Steve Howard personally, he is a target man, therefore he needs someone playing off him that can finish also, in my eyes I don't see Vassell as being that man! We heap too much pressure on Yakubu to produce and score for us and once he doesn't we get on his back. I think we need another striker who can score goals, give Waghorn a chance as well, start him alongside Yakubu and see how they work together..

[lcfc_jme]

You may joke mate, but you defend from the front. Yak never puts a challenge in so the opposition has plenty of time to pick a pass or make a run. You know, perhaps put a keeper under pressure from a back pass and win a throw? Remember Holt harrying Naughton? That lost cause got Norwich the ball deep in our half.

The thing is, as jokey as my post was it's also the truth in the blinkered eyes of many.

Yakubu is not a lone-striker. He was never going to be the blue-arsed fly when he joined and everyone knew that. Whilst he was scoring and we were winning (just 4 games ago, lets not forget), this was far from a massive problem. It just seems like everyone wants him to be the fall-guy because one of their beloved isn't getting a look-in.

Yakubu is a 4-4-2 player. Pairing him up top with Martyn "blue-arsed" Waghorn would be ideal. Yak would create the space and Wag would do the harrying. Everyone would be happy. Until we stopped winning games, that is. Then there'd be the same criticisms: "Yakubu is lazy - he never helps Waghorn out" ; "Waghorn runs and runs but he misses so many chances / he's never in a position to score 'cos he's always chasing out wide." It's a vicious circle and one that fickle fans always get sucked into.

If we actually had a pair of lightning and consistent wingers I'm sure Sven would give a standard 4-4-2 a bash. But seeing as we don't have that, we're stuck with what we're currently doing.

[Donut]

Im split on this.

Running around all day after lost causes (ala Hume) is largely pointless and doesnt contribute a great deal

BUT

You DO have to do responsible work defending from the front, thats fact. Defending from the front is important.

But it doesnt half seem sometimes, as soon as a player comes, hes either loved or hated. And hell never change that

[lcfcsnow]

How did Steve Howard escape this sort of criticism? He must be in that same category that Weale and Berner are, the one where they become better players when they're out the team? Silly me.

[Guest BlueBrett]

I made the comment about him perhaps being a bit lazy after the match tonight and my dad told me that on RL Stringer said that the stat guys claim he covers as much ground as anyone else each match. Not sure what to make of that?

He spends too much time out wide for me. I want him in the middle roughing up defenders and posing a threat. I'm still more than happy to have him here though. He'll score another 4 before the season is over.

[Heart-Shaped Fox]

Good some games, poor others.

Just a shame Sven seems to thin regardless of how good he is, he can never be subbed. Vassell was better than him tonight, yet he came off.

[LCFC94]

Form is tempary class is forever!

[Kilworthfox]

Yakubu is not world class! Some caller on RL labeled him as such...

World class players have talent & a work ethic. Yakubu is capable of producing a wonderful peice of individual skill, but that does not make a player, great or even a automatic starter in a mid table championship side.

The formation we have Yakubu playing in only serves to magnify the deficiencies in his charachter & his abilities. In the penalty area I have no doubt he is the guy you would want the ball fall to, however outside the opposition penalty area he offeres nothing at all. He may aswell be a scarecrow.

I would like to know how many times of repeatedly Ricardo knocking long ball after long ball up to Yakubu of which Yakubu never wins any in front of an opposing centre half, that hopefully at least 1 member of the playing or coaching staff employed by LCFC would actually realise that this is a complete waste of time! It is events such as these that make me wonder how Professional some people at LCFC actually are. Where are the OPTA stats? The I am sure will be held somewhere, that will tell a story of how we play a certain type of unproductive football, yet never change our aproach.

Since Yak has been played as a statue spearheading our seemingly only viable formation to keep Wellens, Ghallagher & King in the same X11, of 4-3-2-1, our style of play has become severely less effective & played at a low temop.

In the stands, even the unkeenest of eyes would notice that Norwich's forward & Midfield players put pressure on the ball whilst the opposition have the ball. This is a fundimental MUST to be succesful in the Championship. We never did this, & have done little of this Pressing, in recent displays.

I don't believe that it is essential to play Yakubu just because he is on a certain wage or because he has certain qualities, the overiding plain facts are that to obtain 3 points in this divison, every player must have the desire to compete & do the less glamerous dirty work, Yakubu show no desire to do any work at all unless the ball is at his feet, this means we are carrying him like he is some sort of Ginola'esq figure, Word up Yak, you are not, those privalages come with game after game of wonderful skill which defines a game winning situation.

If I was in charge he would be benched, there is no way even with what SGE has achieved in his whole career, that he could tell me what positive effect Yakubu has on the team tonight? Utterly baffeled as to why he was not subtituted also??? I am unsure what he has to do to justify being brought off?

[Kitchandro]

No. He scored against Bristol City and actually bothers to run around aimlessly, often after lost causes. And he isn't on £50k a week.

If that wasn't sarcastic it would be spot on. Yakubu is a better player than Waghorn but if you don't try that means fvck all.

[MC Prussian]

Yakubu gets a lot of stick lately. I don't think he deserves it. The main issue, in my opinion, lies once again somewhere else.

Yes, the Yak on his own up front is totally lost and a total waste (which I find rather tragic).

You cannot stick him there and expect him to produce wondergoals like the one against Derby week in, week out.

Football is a team game. I repeat: Football is a team game.

Yakubu doesn't get support from the wings, let along central midfield (King? Wellens? Oakley? Hello, anybody there?), because either

a) The wingers and central midfielders themselves couldn't care less

or

b) "Fail-Safe" Eriksson doesn't even nominate two wingers into the starting eleven...

Look at the QPR game: It was that bad a support from his teammates that Yakubu couldn't help himself but act as his own winger... !!! I couldn't believe my own eyes when I saw the Yak acting as the replacement winger for Gallagher/Vassell/Dyer on the left side.

How sad is that???

Here's a guy that has a proven track record for scoring great goals inside the box, but has to revert to running left and right to make things happen on his own.

You can see that this doesn't help his cause and that he's running himself ragged in the process, which makes him look even lazier than usual.

How many of you can actually re-count the amount of lovely passes and headers from Yakubu that helped to initiate attacks ever since he joined us?

Maybe he's not world-class as such, but his vision and eye for the open man is phenomenal.

Unfortunately, his efforts are too often for nothing, because of the imminent lack of support going forward.

I simply hope there's not a new rift appearing in the team, but something's not right.

Lately, the original squad players left from last season and the loanees don't seem to get along that well like they used to.

[Kilworthfox]

Im split on this.

Running around all day after lost causes (ala Hume) is largely pointless and doesnt contribute a great deal

BUT

You DO have to do responsible work defending from the front, thats fact. Defending from the front is important.

But it doesnt half seem sometimes, as soon as a player comes, hes either loved or hated. And hell never change that

Yet Yakubu shows a lack of commitment to the LCFC cause by not putting any effort in defensively. Just becouse a player has alot of ability does not justify a lack of a work ethic, look at the very best players in the world, they have a burning desire to win every game, Yakubu showed no desire tonight, he comes in for the critisism as we know what he is capable of & is lokked at by the oposition & our team as a focal point to lead from the front & tonight he led us to defeat convincingly because he had no comitment to the cause & that is unforgiveable weather you are on washers or £100K P/W

[Kilworthfox]

Yakubu gets a lot of stick lately. I don't think he deserves it. The main issue, in my opinion, lies once again somewhere else.

Yes, the Yak on his own up front is totally lost and a total waste (which I find rather tragic). You cannot stick him there and expect him to produce wondergoals like the one against Derby week in, week out.

Football is a team game. I repeat. Football is a team game.

Yakubu doesn't get support from the wings, let along central midfield (King? Wellens? Oakley? Hello, anybody there?), because either

a) The wingers and central midfielders themselves couldn't care less

or

b) "Fail-Safe" Eriksson doesn't even nominate two wingers into the starting eleven...

Look at the QPR game: It was that bad a support from his teammates that Yakubu couldn't help himself but act as his own winger... !!!

How sad is that???

Here's a guy that has a proven track record for scoring great goals inside the box, but has to revert to running left and right to make things happen.

You can see that this doesn't help his cause and that he's running himself ragged in the process, which makes him look even lazier than usual.

I simply hope there's not a new rift appearing in the team, but something's not right.

Lately, the original squad players left from last season and the loanees don't seem to get along that well like they used to.

Firstly we only have 1 winger in Dyer so we can't play a 4-4-2

Also YAkubu should lead the line & defend from the front, the midfield tonight were always chasing shadows because there was no pressure being put on the ball other than from Vassell. Yak was an utter disgrace tonight, no kinder words for him. How SGE thought DV was being less effective than YAk has yet to be logically explained to me also.

[Christoph]

Considering his wages and our position, its better if he were to go now (can you do this?) as while hes good I dont think he's needed anymore of the season and would rather see other players get a shout out to test their ability

[MattyFromLE]

The thing about the Yak is; he's unplayable - absolutely amazing 4 or 5 times a game, that could potentially win us matches and points. The dilemna is, is if you take him off, those flashes of brilliance is gone, but how can you play a player that shows nothing in the way of passion or energy? What sort of message is that sending out to the other players not getting a game?

Personally, i'd MUCH prefer to see players wanting to play and will give anything for the team, over players that show no interest or passion for Leicester - no matter how brilliant.