The Shinji effect ?

comment by True Blue (U9486)
"slow build up and a few nice passes but no cutting edge or intensity"

Not suited to the current squad - borne out by recent results.

Cutting edge & intensity sums up the title winning side well (& Man City). Until we have the personnel to suit another style I can't see why Puel doesn't revert to the tried & tested & at least bring Shinji back in.

Also, after all the fuss about Silva's transfer he must be wondering (along with a lot of supporters - me included) why he isn't getting game time along with Iborra - I'd rather have Andy King in midfield instead of Matty James - can't see why Puel is persisting with him, yet sends King off on loan - James was really poor today and almost cost us the game.

"Cutting edge & intensity sums up the title winning side well (& Man City). Until we have the personnel to suit another style I can't see why Puel doesn't revert to the tried & tested & at least bring Shinji back in."

Yet the Club and many fans want us to evolve overnight into a "Footballing" team without investing in the players to do it ( well, not using those who probably could at least ) while as you say, Man City took our style of pressing from the front and with their higher quality players are running away with the League.

Makes it seem like winning the League was just an accidental occurrence?

He can't revert anyway, we HAVE to Evolve, Evolve, Evolve.

I think it's a psychology thing. Because Shinji is so bad on the ball the rest of the players feel the have to up their game to make up for it. Kind of like when you go down to 10 men and have to dig in.

I think a bit of connectivity within the build-up of attacks is lacking right now and Okazaki certainly helps to provide that in our squad. Puel looks like he's trying a few people out in the number 10 position but still Shinji remains the best option there.

Agreed Dunge.

I thinks silva was brought in for this so I am surprised we haven’t seen this position played by him yet. Perhaps when Mahrez goes.

In terms of why he or Iborra haven’t been played in the middle with Ndidi, because, like James, they have on the whole looked average there. I think Silva has looked the poorest out of the three in that position, understandable if he doesn’t actually play that role and Iborra has been hit and miss and a little cumbersome. I don’t really see it as being that shocking that we have James playing at the moment. I think it says more about lack of quality available in CM - as mentioned before, I’m assuming out of the three James is currently training better.

“I think it's a psychology thing. Because Shinji is so bad on the ball the rest of the players feel the have to up their game to make up for it. Kind of like when you go down to 10 men and have to dig in.”

Bad on the ball in what way - in terms of stats and compared to who?

KTF1 - Okazaki is actually very good on the ball and very intelligent with how he links play and uses it.

But, he gives the appreanace of being hopeless because after 4 decent passes, he’ll trip over his own hair and land on the ball weirdly.

That’s what people tend to remember!

But look at some of our best moves and interplay’s through the line - they always involve him and short quick passes. He, DD and Mahrez used to have some wonderful moves during our title year.

That passing move against Liverpool at home (if anyone remembers it) was the best passing move I have ever seen from a Leicester team. And would have pushed goal of the season if it had ended with the ball in the net

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rSBzSnGwNQ0

Should have been a penalty as well!

Remember it well KTF1 and agree. Stunning football. Okazaki at the heart of it. The man who is so bad on the ball 😉

I think the thing I find most frustrating with regard to Okazaki criticism is that he has actually improved this season in terms of the one big moan and that was his goal scoring. If we are playing a team with two strikers in any game, he for me was always first choice for me. This is without even considering the other valuable and perhaps essential (looking at the stats above) contributions that he offers with regard to other aspects of play. What it does do, is highlight that we need another striker in the summer. I’m hoping we may try to get somebody who is already accustomed to the PL...unfortunately, not sure who