Countryfox Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Oh sorry my mistake. He contributed defensively at corners. No no no !! .... My mistake !!! If it wasn't for him we would have won 1 nil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JonnyBoy Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 At the end of the day strikers are measured in goals, which he doesn't have a great deal of. Don't want here all this 'link up player' bollox that was used with Nugent, that's what Mahrez is there for. Ulloa is more lethal in front of goal (apart from y'day) and is stronger and a far better hold up player than Okazaki. No brainier to start Ulloa from now on Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wymsey Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 He should be classed as an central attacking midfield imo. The sweeper behind Ulloa and Vardy. I doubt that he's a 'marketing' signing, as we've monitored him for a few seasons apparently. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bettsj2 Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 No no no !! .... My mistake !!! If it wasn't for him we would have won 1 nil. Yup. No way Ulloa would have lost out like that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Countryfox Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Yup. No way Ulloa would have lost out like that. You're one of those people that always has to have the last word .... well you can win this one now cus from all the shouting that is coming from the kitchen my dinner is getting cold and the dog is licking his lips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseBreath Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 At the end of the day strikers are measured in goals, which he doesn't have a great deal of. Don't want here all this 'link up player' bollox that was used with Nugent, that's what Mahrez is there for. Ulloa is more lethal in front of goal (apart from y'day) and is stronger and a far better hold up player than Okazaki. No brainier to start Ulloa from now on Mahrez is a winger not a link up player. Okazaki doesn't play as an out and out striker, everyone can see that. If strikers are measured in goals then Heskey was crap. Weak argument all around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Feel Okazaki has not come close to meriting starting 12+ matches in the Premier League with his performances this season. But I'm not the manager and we're second in the league so who am I to judge Claudio's decisions. Thought it was very harsh for Ulloa to be dropped having finally started at Newcastle and scored. His confidence must have been shattered when he was dropped against the side he scored twice against last season. And once again Shinji was fairly ineffective overall and subbed off. I have a feeling Ulloa would have buried that chance 2nd half had he started the match when he would have had more confidence. Okazaki has had a lot of poor games where he's come off at half time, and yet he starts the week after. Ulloa has a good game at Newcastle and yet gets dropped. Harsh. The guy scored double figures last season too, he's a very good player. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bryn Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Our pressing game deteriorated when we took him off. He doesnt do an awful lot else though, think you could make an argument for a number 10 instead. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScouseFox Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 anyone who doesn't understand why he started yesterday should be banned from watching or talking about football ever again Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickyblueeyes Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 His hustling and bustling when we need to regain the ball is a very valuable asset. It gives Vardy a lot of freedom too. That makes up for his Lack of quality as an attacking threat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lgfualol Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 anyone who doesn't understand why he started yesterday should be banned from watching or talking about football ever again obv to appeal to asian market hur dur Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 anyone who doesn't understand why he started yesterday should be banned from watching or talking about football ever again Haha I really hope this is sarcasm... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddylcfc Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 I think the stick he's getting unfair. I honestly like him. He works so hard, he can beat a man and he compliments Vardy well. It's not helped that he's playing slightly out of position, in the number 10 role, but I believe he is vital to our high pressing, high energy game. Let's judge him at the end of the season and not now! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wymsey Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Vardy didn't settle down at first, did he, but look at him now after being allowed to settle. Same should apply to Okazaki; the German league and this league are quite different in terms of style. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Vardy didn't settle down at first, did he, but look at him now after being allowed to settle. Same should apply to Okazaki; the German league and this league are quite different in terms of style. Vardy's settling down period didn't involve playing week in week out in the Premier League last season. Perhaps Okazaki would benefit from some time out of the team and the pressure cooker, to settle into the city/country/culture without being in the starting line up almost every week? Maybe then we will see a more quality Okazaki emerge from the subs bench and start firing. At the same time Ulloa can be given a few starts in a row to up his confidence levels. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigMicky Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Vardy's settling down period didn't involve playing week in week out in the Premier League last season. Perhaps Okazaki would benefit from some time out of the team and the pressure cooker, to settle into the city/country/culture without being in the starting line up almost every week? Maybe then we will see a more quality Okazaki emerge from the subs bench and start firing. At the same time Ulloa can be given a few starts in a row to up his confidence levels. Why? We win most weeks, always score and are joint top. If Shinji never scores again and plays every week and it allows us to finish in the top 10 then I would be delighted. You do realise he also cuts out the easy balls into centre midfield don't you?!? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Mahrez is a winger not a link up player. Okazaki doesn't play as an out and out striker, everyone can see that. If strikers are measured in goals then Heskey was crap. Weak argument all around. Heskey scored a few but was also immensely valuable for his speed, power, passing ability and presence in the penalty areas at both ends. Heskey demanded to be marked which, with the kamikazes we used for terrorising the opposition, was a godsend and, as a supplementary defender there was none better at set plays. Shinji offers none of those things. If he did there wouldn't be an argument at all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maddog Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 Why? We win most weeks, always score and are joint top. If Shinji never scores again and plays every week and it allows us to finish in the top 10 then I would be delighted. You do realise he also cuts out the easy balls into centre midfield don't you?!? I realise his positive contribution to the side definitely, I haven't said he's a bad player. I just don't think his contribution has been enough to start nearly every single match - when he has been repeatedly subbed at half time from being ineffective, when Ulloa who scored double figures last season does not get a look in. Why do I feel Ulloa could have made the difference? Perhaps we wouldn't have been 2-0 down to Southampton at half time for starters. Ulloa isn't only a handful in the box he's also very good at defending corners, we could have used him for those two howlers at Southampton and the piss poor defending for their goal yesterday. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 ReBigMicky: We strung brilliant results together for months at the end of last season - before Shinji arrived - so it's totally inconclusive how effective he's been in contributing to this season's success. I don't discount the value of his hassling, nor anything else, but it seems to me there's a lot of strained arguments being made in support of his role and that there's a far stronger case for other, provenly effective players, who are spending far too much time sitting on the sidelines when they need to be kept sharp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shade Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 I honestly think I could have been more effective than Okazaki yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iancognito Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 He's not a goalscoring threat which is the problem for me. Yes he hussles and pressures the defenders but you need more than that, certainly at this level. His touch is good as he showed early against Utd and if you could transplant that to Ulloa who couldn't trap a bag of sand, there'd be no contest. I don't think you can blame him for the goal, a lot of refs would have given a foul and he should never have been marking a dangerous player like Schweinsteiger anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thracian Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 I wouldn't blame him for the goal either. In boxing terms it was a mismatch that should never have happened and there are doubts about Kasper not taking some initiative as well. But the debate is not about any individual mistake against United or on any other day, it's about the overall impact of the guy. It quite surprises me that opinions are so divided. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clever Fox Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 That's part of it, If Vardy fails to score we're in trouble as Shingy is not a threat. He never gets himself into space to receive a pass either. Ulloa offers a better goal threat but again a different style. If CR wants to go with a bustling style of player I still think we have better who can fill that role. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MooseBreath Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 I can't believe people still fail to realise that Shinji isn't playing as an out and out striker. His projected return of eight goals isn't actually that bad for a £7m forward playing effectively as an attacking midfielder. If Andy King played that role and scored eight goals this season he'd be lauded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vardinhio Posted 29 November 2015 Share Posted 29 November 2015 United completed 310 passes in 60 minutes before he went off (5.12 per minute). They completed 181 in 30 minutes after he went off (6 per minute). So that's 18% more passes United were able to complete without Okazaki on the pitch. Specifically, the players Okazaki was closing down - Carrick and Schweinsteiger, each completed 26 passes (0.87 per minute) with Okazaki off the pitch. With Okazaki on the pitch, Carrick completed 39 (0.65) and Schweinsteiger 31 (0.52). So the players Okazaki was tasked with closing down and stopping United playing increased their ability to be able to play passes and start moves by 34% (Carrick) and 67% (Schweinsteiger). The key to United's game plan under van Gaal is having two quality ball players controlling the game from deep. As soon as we took off Okazaki their ability to play the game on their terms shot up dramatically. Load of rubbish they passed it backwards and sideways. Irrespective you don't sign a striker who has no ambition to shoot. If we want a pressing midfielder there are better out there that we could have gone for, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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