Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers admits Kelechi Iheanacho’s impressive display in the Europa League win against Sporting Braga has not put any pressure on selection.
The Nigeria international scored twice in the 20th and 47th minutes and also provided an assist in the game.
Iheanacho has made only one Premier League start this season amid calls for more game time.
Read Also: Iheanacho: Leicester City Must Continue To Work Hard Despite Win Vs Braga
Rodgers however insists he knows his best team and can trust all his Leicester players.
“We had to work for it and in the end we were very good. In the second half we were very dynamic and created a number of chances,” he said via the BBC.
“Kelechi is a boy I see every day in training and when I put him in he gives his all. He is a boy that is always ready. Jamie is one of the best strikers in the world but he plays his part in making sure we continue our momentum.
“There are no selection headaches, the players that have come in have been absolutely outstanding. It is a long season and we need them all.”
By Adeboye Amosu
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COMMENTS
I believe Iheanacho has to go to team where he can be playing regularly bcs he is good.
Rodgers Has started again how can you say no selection headache after the performance Iheanacho gave you. What a knock to his confidence so basically this coach is trying to say No Matter what Iheanacho does he will always play second to Vardy??? I use to really like Brendan Rodgers because of his contribution to Iheanacho’s confidence and Self belief but what a way to unwrite all of that. As for me Iheanacho will get Suitors and when they come My guy biko accept the best and leave this Leicester City I think Rodgers has done what he can, now you have to think for yourself and career.
this is insulting!
how can you dash such excellent performance to the wall like that?!
this settles it… iheanacho is simply the back up striker. “he plays his part in making sure we continue our momentum. There are no selection headaches” what a way to downgrade a potential.
before, I thought the best for Iheanacho is to fight for his place but now it is clear the role Rodgers have in mind for him is “the super sub that replaces an exhausted vardy who is the best striker in the world”.
when a coach has such attitude to you, forget it you would barely make it. I’m saying this from the my experience playing pes football manager (ridiculous example, but it’s true)
iheanacho should leave if he’s not having regular play, he’s got nothing to prove anymore. you don’t bench Harry kane because there’s a lewandoski. if you can’t start the two together then one should leave!
I read the article,in my opinion he never said anything wrong.
He said he sees Nacho everyday in training and when he puts him in he gives his all.He also said,Jamie Vardy keeps their winning momentum going by playing his part.Which is right.
I think we have engaged on this topic of Nacho changing club for so long yet every season Nacho is enthusiastic to be part of LFC to our amazement.I think the lad love the challenge besides he likes the club but the city is crap when I visited three years ago :).
Meanwhile,Leicester city is having a great season despite having many regulars out injured,they have played very beautiful,exquisite football and I feel exhilarated watching Leicester play this season.I think Nacho loves the quality and wants to remain in a team that has quality and are ambitious to a team where he’s assured regular football but lacking in quality.
If I am a coach, I will field Vardy ahead of ‘Nacho. Consistence matters a lot. Kelechi no doubt has improved his game, but that is not adequate to drop Vardy for him, Vardy will bury half a chance, Leicester do not create much changes, they surely need to take the few they create. Kelechi should continue to work hard, his time will come. As the coach said, there are several matches ahead … Coaching is a strategic vocation . you much be strong on decision to succeed .
We don’t have to apply sentiment here. Vardy is still ahead of nacho. Rodgers should only ensure nacho gets some playing time in the league even if to play begin vardy. Hr can’t afford to lose nacho. Rogers is better than guradiola. Guradiola should bury his head in shame. He never gave nacho any chance at all. He Hates black players
I feel Guardiola gave Iheanacho multiple chances(even in Champions league). Iheanacho was just missing clear cut goals, playing rubbish and couldn’t even control the ball. He lost possession, almost, with every touch. His best performance under Guardiola was against Man Utd, and in that game I think Guardiola instructed him not to hold on to the ball (to play one-touch). By doing so, he didn’t lose possession as much.
I’m not defending Guardiola, I don’t know whether or not he likes black players, but, I remember Iheanacho’s weaknesses clearly because it was evident. It was so bad, almost like anytime he gets the ball he loses it. He took the same thing to Leicester and only started retaining possession last season, hence the reason (in my opinion) he is performing better.
I don’t think he meant any thing bad or disrespectful to any player. All he is saying is he knows who to play at any given time. He has a world class striker in vardy and a very good striker in kelechi (his words) so when it comes down to it he knows who will play ahead of who. I also want iheanacho to play more often but when you have a fully fit vardy in your team he will always get the nod to start. But I must say (for me) leaving iheanacho on the bench for a whole game doesn’t look good but that could be down to player management.
The season is very long plus they have about 3 cup competition to compete in. They have about 4 strikers with vardy and iheanacho being the two recognized central strikers. So you can imagine if you play both of them at the same time and both experience burn out at the same time or get injured at the same time or lose form at the same time. It will be bad for the team. Remember what happened at MAN UTD last season that made them sign ighalo.
So rodgers has to manage his players and team very well. One thing I believe is that kelechi will get game time and will score alot of goals this season.
Okay ooo let Kelechi stay at Leicester and keep chopping bench his whole career.
Lets not forget I was the only one supporting Kelechi and Brendan Rogers relationship at Leicester City last year when his form turned for the better because I knew what Rodgers can do in terms of a players fitness and morale . I remember Vividly every single body on this Forum was clamouring for him to leave Leicester city but I was the only one who said he should stay if you like we can pull up the old articles and go through the chat threads. So If Brendan Rodgers can’t keep motivating him mentally then his work is done. Period!
Truth be told after a performance like that the coach should say That Iheanacho has given him a selection headache even if he doesn’t mean it that will help a player give even more and is solid motivation to keep succeeding A player in Iheanacho’s position and player like Iheanacho who can easily doubt himself needs that. The only thing Vardy has on Iheanacho is Pace. But in terms of Finishing I think Kelechi takes that one, and deserves better Motivation and pat on the back than what Brendan Rodgers gave him. because every no 9 wants to be the main man Kelechi I am sure is no different
Na now day break for some people…LMAO. No o, we nor go gree, Nacho must stay in LCFC and die there biko.
No sentiments here, as long as Vardy, one the most consistent strikers in the EPL for almost 5 years now, keeps scoring, he will start ahead of Nacho. No coach puts a striker who guarantees an average of 19.6 goals per season in the EPL on the bench. Already he has scored 8 goals in 7 appearances this season. At this rate it is almost guaranteed he will hit the 20 goal mark again before the season ends. Nacho will only play either when the goals are not coming or when the squad is being rotated, there are going to be very few instances when both of them start, because there are going to be many games to play at short intervals this season so only one will start for the sake of their health. But for him to start ahead of Vardy, Vardy will have to be on crutches.
The bad news is that the Vardy I see today still has at least 2 more years of top level football left in him. Iheanacho is nearing his peak as a striker now, its his choice to move to a club where he will be a guaranteed starter or remain a 2nd fiddle till he is 26/27 years if/when Vardy eventually declines in the next 2 yrs. As it is now, he has the quality to play in any of the top 4 clubs in the top 4 leagues in Europe, but his perpetual lack of game time has not allowed him to showcase what he’s got….his stints at Man city and LCFC has almost stereotyped him as a back-up striker of some sort.
Iheanacho don arrive big time. Him be big game player. Carry go….
Me I don’t get what we are saying here o, Vardy is a better player you said and you ask Iheanacho to remain in the club. He should take bench role as his destiny or what. Vardy can convert half a chance, but Kele has scored many unexpected goals, so what do you call that, a player you can introduce to game with 3mins left and still give you a goal, he has also added quality final passes to his game. No player can survive bench for long as many suggested that Nacho should remain on bench because there is one vardy.
Rodgers should think more about playing Vardy and Nacho together. Vardy’s stats will improve with Nacho alongside him, because Nacho will create goal scoring opportunities. The insistence on playing only one forward at a time is Rodger’s problem.
Playing these two guys together will significantly increase the club’s goal output.
Scoring more goals means winning more games, which increases the club’s chances for trophies. And what they sacrifice in defense is minimal. Nacho can pair Vardy in the attack without significantly impacting their defensive formation.
@Pompei , you just nailed it , the best option for Kelechi to get more regular uninterrupted playing time is for the coach to version out a formation that can accommodate both Kelechi and Vardy otherwise, it will appear my fellow Nigerian fans are just given in to undue sentiment; it is like expecting Jose to drop any top striker to ever consistent Tottenham captain and that was major reason Osimeh never gave Tottenham consideration .
If I may ask , would any of you against Brenda Rodgers ever contemplated dropping Vardy who is in form of his life for Kelechi who though is great player but not as consistent as Vardy .
My own advice is Kelechi should stay in the team to fight for his rightful regulars shirt as Ndidi ; the Nigerian strong character in him will see him through where I see him becoming cult hero in the team sooner than expected until a bigger team like Man City Barcelona etc start chasing him to pouch
I think everybody have spoken well in contribution for success LCFc. Vardy have made his name among the world strikers. Nacho also a young strike need to give his future chances when is bright. So Rodger should forget about sentiment, He might spoke truth but he is not in the position to said that. As a father of the team his work is to carry everybody along and motivate and encourage any player that makes him proud in every match . My suggestion for him to create a strategy of playing the both, as others had said.