Discussion: Manuel Pellegrini 2015/16

[FantasyIreland]

Fully agree. Peller missed a great chance to introduce a talented young player in this instance. The injury gave him a golden opportunity to give Nacho a shout and few if any would have condemned the manager if the lad had a howler. That said I felt Navas done well and perhaps should have started with a certain Mr Toure sat on the bench having a rest. This episode has established one thing at least. As far as the manager is concerned Kelechi is the fourth choice stricker at the club not the third in line as many including myself thought.

It was the ideal opportunity and the majority,im sure,expected Kelechis introduction.As you suggest,few would have criticised the move as a show of faith in an emerging talent is a risk worth taking,certainly imo.I dont believe it would have harmed our chances of a result or the kids confidence but it would definitelly have further boosted Pellegrini's standing with the supporters.We need to start taking the odd risk with youth as,in this kids case,we are now dealing with talent that deserves such.

 

[Ricster]

Is Pellers talking about the same Kelechi that was played as a striker in the U17 World Cup and was the tournaments top scorer? Surely fucking not?

If Pellers is so right about Navas, and for me Jesus is the first name on the team sheet dos he brings balance to our attack, then why not start with him and drop one of the 3 DM's he started with?

Excuses excuses Manuel

 

[Dribble]

A 'main striker' imo, is someone who can get on the ball & do something with it, under pressure from defenders, in a typical match situation, as well as score goals.

All of those players in that list, have proven themselves in exactly that capacity, in the Premier League, at one time or another.

Apart from Kelechi, who, like DeBruyne & Sterling, has no pedigree in the role, but has talent. All 3 are a different option than a typical 'main striker' which may or may not work depending on the game. We won about 10 games last season with people like Silva or Milner playing that position, so it isn't some kind of terrible mistake to try DeBruyne or Sterling there. We have no way of knowing if Kelechi would have been better or worse. If he proves he is better, over the season, then he'll get selected more in that role.

So basically a striker is someone who can do something with the ball under pressure? So what were we doing with Dzeko who was mostly shit in that situation, but proved he knew where the back of the net was? I've always said that Dzeko was a good goal scorer but an average footballer and I'd say that Kelechi was a better footballer than Dzeko imo.

On the second part of what you said, what happens to strikers who can get on the ball and do something with it, but couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo where goal scoring comes into it? Are they not strikers then? I mean IIRC, Adrian Heath went nearly two season's without a goal but Reid kept selecting him over Clive Allen who near enough scored every time he took to the field.

Also what about those players who couldn't trap a bag of sand in general play AND still couldn't score even if they were holding the ball whilst strapped to a GPS Exocet Missile Smart Bomb? Bernardo Corradi springs to mind........ Personally I think what constitutes a main striker is very open to debate because from what I can see there are basically two types, good ones and shit ones but perhaps I'm being too simplistic.

 

[BillyShears]

Is Pellers talking about the same Kelechi that was played as a striker in the U17 World Cup and was the tournaments top scorer? Surely fucking not?

If Pellers is so right about Navas, and for me Jesus is the first name on the team sheet dos he brings balance to our attack, then why not start with him and drop one of the 3 DM's he started with?

Excuses excuses Manuel

The Nigerian national team manager is quoted in the last couple of months as saying that he sees Kelechi has an attacking midfielder rather than a striker. He actually compared him to Frank Lampard weirdly enough.

So, no. It's not an excuse. When the professionals who actually coach a player day in and day out are saying that his best position is X, for us to say it's Y is frankly nonsense as we don't see anywhere near as much of the player as they do.

Here's the quotes i'm talking about.

Manu Garba, who coached the Nigeria U17 and U20 teams where Iheanacho exploded on to the scene, compares his protege to England legend Frank Lampard.

"I'm not surprised at his performances for Manchester City ... as I have said it before, he can play for any team in the world," he told SL10. "As a matter of fact they will do well to use him as a replacement for Frank Lampard.

"He shares similar style of play with the outgoing legend. They can both create and score goals from midfield with late runs into the 18-yard box hardly spotted by opposition defenders."

 

[FantasyIreland]

Regardless of opinion on what his future holds regarding his best position,the fact remains,he knows where the back of the net is........and when youre two 'specialists' are missing,then surely he should be the next consideration?

 

[Blue Smarties]

Regardless of opinion on what his future holds regarding his best position,the fact remains,he knows where the back of the net is........and when youre two 'specialists' are missing,then surely he should be the next consideration?

Shame Manuel's a coward.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Shame Manuel's a coward.

That conclusion would come last in any list considered plausible.

 

[NQCitizen]

Regardless of opinion on what his future holds regarding his best position,the fact remains,he knows where the back of the net is........and when youre two 'specialists' are missing,then surely he should be the next consideration?

He's played Sterling twice up front before (at least) and he also played up front for Liverpool.

I'd be surprised if Pellegrini doesn't at least see Kelechi and Raheem level in the striker pecking order.

We threw Real Madrid's record goalscoring youngster in at the deep end and look how that worked out.

 

[Neville Kneville]

So basically a striker is someone who can do something with the ball under pressure? So what were we doing with Dzeko who was mostly shit in that situation, but proved he knew where the back of the net was? I've always said that Dzeko was a good goal scorer but an average footballer and I'd say that Kelechi was a better footballer than Dzeko imo.

On the second part of what you said, what happens to strikers who can get on the ball and do something with it, but couldn't hit a cows arse with a banjo where goal scoring comes into it? Are they not strikers then? I mean IIRC, Adrian Heath went nearly two season's without a goal but Reid kept selecting him over Clive Allen who near enough scored every time he took to the field.

Also what about those players who couldn't trap a bag of sand in general play AND still couldn't score even if they were holding the ball whilst strapped to a GPS Exocet Missile Smart Bomb? Bernardo Corradi springs to mind........ Personally I think what constitutes a main striker is very open to debate because from what I can see there are basically two types, good ones and shit ones but perhaps I'm being too simplistic.

Kelechi is twice the footballer Dzeko is, but I know which one I'd back to get on the end of one of Joe's howitzers.

But you are asking me questions & seem to have missed the line: '..as well as score goals ' ? And are asking me whether I think a 'main striker' should score goals ?

As well as the line: ' get on the ball & do something with it, in a typical match situation' ? And are asking me what happens to a main striker who can't do that ?

The answer would be: sell him.

Let's recap:' A 'main striker' imo, is someone who can get on the ball & do something with it, under pressure from defenders, in a typical match situation, as well as score goals.' That's my opinion. If you have a main striker who struggles with either, you potentially weaken the team. That's how a main cf should be imo. Tevez, Aguero, Negredo could all do that in their own different ways. Dzeko, Balotelli less so, but still both have done it on numerous occasions.

The criticism of Dzeko was that he failed to get on the ball & use it properly, but he scored goals. When he didn'tscore, he was often a liability. Last season, he couldn't score or lead the line either, so he's gone.

Kelechi has tended to let the ball run away a little bit & make a few iffy decisions, & hasn't got the presence of Dzeko or the experience of the other 'stand in' strikers, so the manager is possibly a little bit hesitant about whether to trust him in certain situations or not.

I don't see any great fault in that either way personally. As he gets used to the role & settles in & makes better choices, the manager will trust him more.

Right now, it might have worked, it might not. I'd take the chance, but I fuly understand why the boss didn't & I don't even understand why it's such a big thing in that game.

 

[FantasyIreland]

He's played Sterling twice up front before (at least) and he also played up front for Liverpool.

I'd be surprised if Pellegrini doesn't at least see Kelechi and Raheem level in the striker pecking order.

We threw Real Madrid's record goalscoring youngster in at the deep end and look how that worked out.

Just from my own experience when watching both in front of goal,its evident Sterlings finishing isnt on the same level.