Iheanacho an Impact Player –Rodgers
Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has explained that Kelechi Iheanacho’s inability to feature prominently for the Foxes since the restart has been down to the team’s pattern of play but insisted the Nigerian is more of an impact player.
The 23-year-old has made three substitute appearances totaling 121 minutes since the restart of the EPL, scoring once.
Leicester’s slump continued with a 2-1 loss to Everton on Wednesday, a result that means they have picked up just seven points from their last eight Premier League games.
The Foxes face Crystal Palace on Saturday (today) as they bid to secure a spot in the top four.
“If you look at the first game, the game was a different game, and we got the goal in the end that we were looking for. So there was no need to put him (Iheanacho) on to be fair. Watford equalized later on,” Rodgers said in a pre-match conference on Friday.
“The second game, we played with a front two, so he (Iheanacho) actually played in that game against Brighton. We didn’t play so well in that game, we got a point but we weren’t as fluid. So there was an opportunity in that game.
“The Chelsea game was a different game. And then we looked at him (Iheanacho) against Everton to make the impact, and he did that. I thought he was very good, he and James Maddison.
“But you know how we play. We play with a single striker who is the greatest goalscorer in the history of the club, so he plays. Then at times, when we have to change it, Kels (Iheanacho) can come into the game, and as you see, he can make an impact. He was very good when he came in.”
Iheanacho’s strike rate so far this season has been impressive as he has scored a goal every 117 minutes in all competitions, better than Jamie Vardy’s (one every 152 minutes), even with the number nine leading the Premier League scoring charts.
Ayooluwa Joshua