Confirmed Transfer Ahmed Musa

[FIF]

As for wanting to sell a proven Premier League goal scorer who seems to be back at the top of his game, even though to replace him would cost tens of millions of pounds without any guarantees of the returns we have got from Vardy, well, this is as crazy as you can get. I've warmed to some of your posting of late, even when I've disagreed with it as it has been a lot more logical - this one though fella, is a return to the dark days of those posts that should have been scrawled into the wall of an asylum.

I'm sure you can understand that I don't agree that his and others poor performances for so long this season were down to minor tactical adjustments made by coaching staff. I find that ridiculous. A £100K a week player must be able to adapt his play to that of the opposition. They cannot be only able to play in one way.

It seems clear to me, if not you, that our players over-celebrated their amazing feat last season and did not prepare themselves for this season, they then played as though they were happy with their lot and didn't make the effort that was needed on a day to day basis. It was clear to me that they believed they'd never be dragged into a relegation battle and they were happy to saunter along thinking they could turn it on when necessary. As they started to drop in the league (a league of pretty average teams) they still felt no concern, it was only when they were just above the bottom three and the owners dropped the bomb - taking the least disruptive action and firing the manager - that the players actually opened their eyes. I don't even think that it was the firing of CR but the sudden media change from adoring the miracle team to blaming them (probably unfairly) for backstabbing CR (and again I don't think that was the case) that made Vardy and some others put in the effort. An effort that Marc Albrighton had pût in most of the season. I think you have underestimated the vehemence that the world seemed to be aiming at them.

As for wanting to sell Vardy. I said I'd sell for a decent price. Even you are saying that he's a one tactic pony. I'd sell him because without his pace, his game is worth nothing. He's getting old and even a small drop in speed brings him back to the pack. He's had a great 6 game run and I hope it continues through the end of the season. He'll probably still be able to perform next season but personally I'd take the cash. There are many better strikers out there, strikers who can change tactic dependant on the opponent. I know that you have said negative comments about Slimani (as many as I have about Vards) but personally I'd prefer we played a game working to his strengths. IMO he's a much better option over the next few years. I also feel Musa can do as much (or more) than Vardy. Let's not forget Vardy also needed time to get accustomed to Prem football (as he needed time to become accustomed to championship football) and I think that Demarai is going to be a far better player than Vards and maintain that level for many years to come. If a good offer comes in, I'd take it and use the money to upgrade positions we need to upgrade far more.

 

[camberwell fox]

As for wanting to sell Vardy. I said I'd sell for a decent price. Even you are saying that he's a one tactic pony. I'd sell him because without his pace, his game is worth nothing. He's getting old and even a small drop in speed brings him back to the pack. He's had a great 6 game run and I hope it continues through the end of the season. He'll probably still be able to perform next season but personally I'd take the cash. There are many better strikers out there, strikers who can change tactic dependant on the opponent. I know that you have said negative comments about Slimani (as many as I have about Vards) but personally I'd prefer we played a game working to his strengths. IMO he's a much better option over the next few years. I also feel Musa can do as much (or more) than Vardy. Let's not forget Vardy also needed time to get accustomed to Prem football (as he needed time to become accustomed to championship football) and I think that Demarai is going to be a far better player than Vards and maintain that level for many years to come. If a good offer comes in, I'd take it and use the money to upgrade positions we need to upgrade far more.

I can see what you are saying BUT:

1) Vardy brings much more to the pitch than his goals. Of course when on song he is lethal and in a good season will get you 20+ goals (11 this season and as a team for 80% of the games we have been mediocre).

2) He sparks defence from the front: in harrying and chasing lost causes. He is a superb 'leader of the line'. He galvanises and epitomises our spirit of 'fearless'.

3) As he has been at a lower level for the majority of his career he has far more 'in the tank' having in my opinion at least another three seasons at the peak of his ability. He has only trained part-time when at the lower leagues so when you compare him to other strikers who have been in the Championship and Premier League season upon season Vardy is in relative terms very, very fresh.

If I were to agree with your thoughts and push it to the extreme and before I would consider to sell (if it were my decision), I would be asking the following:

a) What is his current market value and what could we get with this cash? If we agree that his fee is £20m then who do we replace him for that amount of money?

b) Can we get another 20+ goals striker and who is available, what are their attributes alongside their goals?

c) Can they improve our overall team?

d) If we can identify c and they can achieve a & b, how long will it take them to settle in and become moulded?

When I look at all of the above together (and we do tend to look at a players' return in isolation rather than his global team value), I can't see any other player that would be an improvement based on what we have now. I really rate Vardy and the day he leaves he will leave a big void.

 

[popillius]

I'm sure you can understand that I don't agree that his and others poor performances for so long this season were down to minor tactical adjustments made by coaching staff. I find that ridiculous. A £100K a week player must be able to adapt his play to that of the opposition. They cannot be only able to play in one way.

It seems clear to me, if not you, that our players over-celebrated their amazing feat last season and did not prepare themselves for this season, they then played as though they were happy with their lot and didn't make the effort that was needed on a day to day basis. It was clear to me that they believed they'd never be dragged into a relegation battle and they were happy to saunter along thinking they could turn it on when necessary. As they started to drop in the league (a league of pretty average teams) they still felt no concern, it was only when they were just above the bottom three and the owners dropped the bomb - taking the least disruptive action and firing the manager - that the players actually opened their eyes. I don't even think that it was the firing of CR but the sudden media change from adoring the miracle team to blaming them (probably unfairly) for backstabbing CR (and again I don't think that was the case) that made Vardy and some others put in the effort. An effort that Marc Albrighton had pût in most of the season. I think you have underestimated the vehemence that the world seemed to be aiming at them.

As for wanting to sell Vardy. I said I'd sell for a decent price. Even you are saying that he's a one tactic pony. I'd sell him because without his pace, his game is worth nothing. He's getting old and even a small drop in speed brings him back to the pack. He's had a great 6 game run and I hope it continues through the end of the season. He'll probably still be able to perform next season but personally I'd take the cash. There are many better strikers out there, strikers who can change tactic dependant on the opponent. I know that you have said negative comments about Slimani (as many as I have about Vards) but personally I'd prefer we played a game working to his strengths. IMO he's a much better option over the next few years. I also feel Musa can do as much (or more) than Vardy. Let's not forget Vardy also needed time to get accustomed to Prem football (as he needed time to become accustomed to championship football) and I think that Demarai is going to be a far better player than Vards and maintain that level for many years to come. If a good offer comes in, I'd take it and use the money to upgrade positions we need to upgrade far more.

I guess it's a matter of opinion really. I don't think it was a 'minor tactical adjustment', I think it was a major one. I think he was told not to do all of the things that make him so great such as defending from the front, pushing high, hustling defenders, chasing lost causes etc.... I didn't say he was a one trick pony at all, I suggested that this particular part of his game was being throttled and, thus, all the other attributes of his play suffered as a result. Do I think other players could have adapted better? Probably, but I can't guarantee that. What I do think and what all of the evidence I've seen points to is that he is better when he isn't shackled and he just looked shackled under Ranieri.

As for replacing him, I genuinely can't see anyone who does as much as Vardy does being available for anything less than an astronomical sum. I'm with you on Gray, he looks great and will be a very exciting player but he's got a huge amount to do to be close to usurping Vardy. As for Musa, there's no evidence he's anywhere near close to Vardy at all. He looks far more lost than Vardy ever did, even in those early days. I am critical of Slimani as you suggest (perhaps overly, I grant you) because he looks so clumsy with the ball at his feet and is less than convincing as an out and out goal scorer. I agree, we haven't seen enough of him to make a full judgement call but I can only go on what we have seen thus far and it is far from impressive.

Who could we bring in for, say, £20/25m (assuming we get that for Vardy and don't want to throw another 20 or 30m at it) that will score 15+ goals a season, defend from the front, chase lost causes and hassle defenders like Vardy does? I can't think of anyone really unless we get exceptionally lucky like Sunderland did with a proven attacker like Defoe and even he, goal scoring aside, doesn't offer the other things we get from Vardy.

Letting him go would be utter madness until we have anything even closely resembling a replacement.

 

[FIF]

I don't think anyone will offer a decent amount for Vardy anyway so I guess it really doesn't matter. If Arsenal (very doubtful) or Newcastle (possible but unlikely) come up with a £30m+ offer perhaps we can discuss it again. If Vardy continues for the rest of the season as he has for the last 6 games I may well change my mind. If he reverts to the Vardy of the first 20+ games maybe you will. It's quite difficult to argue selling a 5 in 5 striker as opposed to a 5 in 22 striker. And let us not forget in the 3 games he missed when we were crap we managed to win 1 and draw 1.

 

[popillius]

I don't think anyone will offer a decent amount for Vardy anyway so I guess it really doesn't matter. If Arsenal (very doubtful) or Newcastle (possible but unlikely) come up with a £30m+ offer perhaps we can discuss it again. If Vardy continues for the rest of the season as he has for the last 6 games I may well change my mind. If he reverts to the Vardy of the first 20+ games maybe you will. It's quite difficult to argue selling a 5 in 5 striker as opposed to a 5 in 22 striker. And let us not forget in the 3 games he missed when we were crap we managed to win 1 and draw 1.

Àbsolutley. These are some of the many reasons I both love and hate this game!

 

[Feriol]

http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/04/13/confirmed-leicester-city-star-ahmed-musa-divorces-wife/

Apparently he has divorced his wife.

 

[Blaarev]

http://owngoalnigeria.com/2017/04/13/confirmed-leicester-city-star-ahmed-musa-divorces-wife/

Apparently he has divorced his wife.

Because she didn't like the idea of a second wife