After failing to play against Liverpool in the Carabao Cup: What does the future hold for Iheanacho at Leicester?
By Odiko Godwin
The former Manchester City forward was named in Leicester city's bench against Liverpool, but failed to register a single minute - as his side triumphed over Jurgen Klopp's men. But is there any need to worry about Kelechi Iheanacho's future at Leicester?
Having endured a dolorous period at Manchester City last season, it became obvious Kelechi Iheanacho needed a move away - for somewhere uplifting and befitting. And Leicester ticked all those boxes in Iheanacho's view, as the forward signed a five-year contract with the club - for a reported fee of £25m.
Fast forward forty-seven days from then, and the 20-year-old is in a similar state at Leicester; that led to his leaving Pep Guardiola's City.
On signing the forward, Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare said: "It's a great signing for us. Kelechi is an enormously talented player that has shown a huge amount of promise at every level in which he's played.
"We've tracked his progress for some time, so we know how much quality he'll bring to the squad. He's young, he's hungry, he's ready for the next stage of his development and I'm delighted that will be with Leicester City."
But, if handing the striker just three appearances: two of which came from the bench, and failing to play him in a cup game are anything to consider, then the Leicester City boss must have noted something in the Nigerian that just seem to counter some of the adjectives he used in qualifying the FIFA U-17 World Cup winner on his arrival at the King Power Stadium.
There is no doubting his quality - as he had shown with the Nigerian youth teams, at City and with the Super Eagles. But is Iheanacho hungry and ready for the next stage of his development? Answer to those questions now seem - negative in the eyes of his boss at Leicester.
On a night when Iheanacho's "supposed" major rival Jamie Vardy was rested, it was Leonardo Ulloa the manager turned to for service. And when the Argentine couldn't carry on after he was left dazed by a header, in the cup game against Liverpool, it was Shinji Okazaki that was called upon - with the Japanese going on to prove his boss made no mistake in bringing him on by scoring his sides' opening goal in the 65th minute.
Leicester City won the title playing a counter-attacking style and a pattern that always tend to exploit spaces against their oppositions - by hoofing the ball to their pacy striker Jamie Vardy. And Craig Shakespeare has adopted same approach since he took over from Claudio Ranieri. The system just doesn't favour Kelechi Iheanacho who lacks the pace, directness and movement of Vardy. With Okazaki and Slimani viewed as better assistants to the English striker in the system so far in the season.
While Iheanacho can point to his start against Huddersfield last weekend as one major positive, it's the proneness of his boss to overlook him when he should be playing that mystifies.
Though Kelechi Iheanacho's case is not as deplorable as his other Nigerian counterpart in the team Ahmed Musa: who hasn't featured in any Premier League game so far, and was also on the bench all night against Liverpool, there is a sincere need to worry about what the future holds for the Taye Academy product.
He had already lost his starting place with the Super Eagles, as Gernot Rohr now prefers China based Odion Ighalo to him.
If things continue in this fashion at Leicester all season with the Super Eagles front man, then, a move away from the King Power Stadium in the Summer; to a place where his talent can be duly utilized would surely be a step in the right direction.
Photo Source: Getty Image, Spielverlagerung.com and Twitter/@LCFC
The former Manchester City forward was named in Leicester city's bench against Liverpool, but failed to register a single minute - as his side triumphed over Jurgen Klopp's men. But is there any need to worry about Kelechi Iheanacho's future at Leicester?
Having endured a dolorous period at Manchester City last season, it became obvious Kelechi Iheanacho needed a move away - for somewhere uplifting and befitting. And Leicester ticked all those boxes in Iheanacho's view, as the forward signed a five-year contract with the club - for a reported fee of £25m.
 |
| Iheanacho pose for a picture with his jersey on his arrival at the King Power Stadium |
Fast forward forty-seven days from then, and the 20-year-old is in a similar state at Leicester; that led to his leaving Pep Guardiola's City.
Not a good signal for Kelechi Iheanacho who couldn't get any game time last night in the Carabao Cup. For Musa, it's Leicester game over.— Odiko Godwin🌀 🇳🇬 (@OdikoGodwin) September 20, 2017
On signing the forward, Leicester City boss Craig Shakespeare said: "It's a great signing for us. Kelechi is an enormously talented player that has shown a huge amount of promise at every level in which he's played.
"We've tracked his progress for some time, so we know how much quality he'll bring to the squad. He's young, he's hungry, he's ready for the next stage of his development and I'm delighted that will be with Leicester City."
But, if handing the striker just three appearances: two of which came from the bench, and failing to play him in a cup game are anything to consider, then the Leicester City boss must have noted something in the Nigerian that just seem to counter some of the adjectives he used in qualifying the FIFA U-17 World Cup winner on his arrival at the King Power Stadium.
There is no doubting his quality - as he had shown with the Nigerian youth teams, at City and with the Super Eagles. But is Iheanacho hungry and ready for the next stage of his development? Answer to those questions now seem - negative in the eyes of his boss at Leicester.
 |
| Iheanacho's Premier League stat |
On a night when Iheanacho's "supposed" major rival Jamie Vardy was rested, it was Leonardo Ulloa the manager turned to for service. And when the Argentine couldn't carry on after he was left dazed by a header, in the cup game against Liverpool, it was Shinji Okazaki that was called upon - with the Japanese going on to prove his boss made no mistake in bringing him on by scoring his sides' opening goal in the 65th minute.
Leicester City won the title playing a counter-attacking style and a pattern that always tend to exploit spaces against their oppositions - by hoofing the ball to their pacy striker Jamie Vardy. And Craig Shakespeare has adopted same approach since he took over from Claudio Ranieri. The system just doesn't favour Kelechi Iheanacho who lacks the pace, directness and movement of Vardy. With Okazaki and Slimani viewed as better assistants to the English striker in the system so far in the season.
 |
| Craig Shakespeare adopted Leicester title winning system after he took over from Claudio Ranieri |
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| Vardy is Shakespeare's no 1 striker |
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| Leicester boss prefers Okazaki and Ulloa to Iheanacho |
While Iheanacho can point to his start against Huddersfield last weekend as one major positive, it's the proneness of his boss to overlook him when he should be playing that mystifies.
Though Kelechi Iheanacho's case is not as deplorable as his other Nigerian counterpart in the team Ahmed Musa: who hasn't featured in any Premier League game so far, and was also on the bench all night against Liverpool, there is a sincere need to worry about what the future holds for the Taye Academy product.
He had already lost his starting place with the Super Eagles, as Gernot Rohr now prefers China based Odion Ighalo to him.
If things continue in this fashion at Leicester all season with the Super Eagles front man, then, a move away from the King Power Stadium in the Summer; to a place where his talent can be duly utilized would surely be a step in the right direction.
Photo Source: Getty Image, Spielverlagerung.com and Twitter/@LCFC
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