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‘He can’t play in another position’- Rodgers reveals how to get the best out of Iheanacho

The 25-year-old made his first Premier League start last Sunday, and he showed his quality with a well-taken opener

Leicester City manager Brendan Rodgers has hinted that he might have to adjust his tactics to get the best out of Super Eagles star Kelechi Iheanacho.

Iheanacho scored his first Premier League goal of the season in Leicester’s 2-2 draw against Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park on Sunday afternoon.

However, it was Iheanacho’s first start in the league this season despite his impressive cameo in previous games and other competitions.

Rodgers has come under pressure from fans for his use of Iheanacho this season, and the former Liverpool manager has now admitted that he might have to change his shape to accommodate the ex-Manchester City man in the Foxes starting eleven.

Iheanacho partnered Jamie Vardy in attack on Sunday, and Rodgers revealed that’s the only way to play him as the 25-year-old can only function as a striker.

“I feel that he is a player that, over a period of time, he will either create or score a goal,” Rodgers told the media as per The Athletic.

“His energy at the top end of the field posed a threat.”

Iheanacho has scored 16 times while Vardy has scored 17 times in 32 Premier League games they’ve both started together, and Rodgers admits playing the two together is an option he would have to consider.

“He can’t play in another position. He is purely a striker. When you play with two strikers, there is then a change behind that.”

“That is one of the things I need to look at because of some of the types of players we have: it doesn’t allow us to keep the ball as well as we would like.”

“That is something I need to look at,” Rodgers added.

 

Joba Ogunwale

Oluwajoba Ogunwale has many years of experience as a sports content writer. The most recent of these was at Opera News, after which he took up the role of Editor-in-Chief at Soccernet.

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  • He couldn't have contained the pressured of fans he had a hidden agenda against kelechi , was he sleeping didn't he watch video clip of kelechi in 2013 U17 fifa world cup who was the highest goalscorer? Did he played as a defender or midfielder even when he went to man city was he a defender or midfielder? It Now that he want to play him as a striker plsease let him tell us something else and not talk and boo story.

    • Kelechi should for now keep is head cooled and focus more on his game whichever roles or position is asked to play he should take it up and play he is a complete player and still very young and active is focus should not be to contest as a striker but to achieve with very little opportunity he has in his club and in front of goal it his commitment and effort that will contest for such things

  • I think he would have been sacked after losing many games because he refused to start kelechi. Before he would have realized he was making mistakes.

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Joba Ogunwale

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