Sky Sports journalist Nick Wright has featured on their latest Pitch to Post podcast to discuss Jamie Vardy’s current form ahead of Leicester City’s game against West Ham on Sunday.
Vardy has netted 12 times in the Premier League this season, however, the striker has only scored once in his last 13 league games (via Tramsfermarkt).
The 34-year-old has recently returned from injury after sustaining a hernia issue that required minor surgery but only forced him to be sidelined for just three league games.
Without his goals, Kelechi Iheanacho has stepped up in recent weeks and has scored five goals in his last four league appearances for Brendan Rodgers’ side.
Will Iheanacho replace Vardy in the future?
Yes
No
Wright picked up on Vardy’s drop in form and offered some possible reasoning behind the 34-year-old’s lack of goals.
He said: “It’s obviously an issue isn’t it. I mean, it’s maybe gone under the radar a little bit as well, you know, scored 13 in the first 15 appearances this season. So it really is a massive drop off for him. One goal in 17 now as you say and his conversion rate is down from 31% in the first half of the season to just 3% in the second half of the season. (47:22)
“I mean, I think there are various factors, you know, which contribute to it. I think it probably has something to do with the hernia surgery had in January, Brendan Rodgers has mentioned that as a factor and as someone who has had hernia surgery myself, I can testify that it is pretty uncomfortable.”
“But there’s obviously been a formation change as well, hasn’t there recently with Iheanacho come into partner him up front, and then moving to three at the back. I think Vardy’s runs and his movement has really helped Iheanacho, and we’ve seen that with his goals. And they do have a good understanding as well. I mean, that partnership does seem to work well. But obviously, it hasn’t brought goals for Vardy, which is a concern.”
TIF Thoughts on Wright’s comments…
It is interesting Wright has picked up on the addition of Iheanacho to the starting XI. The Nigerian striker has been in sensational form as of late and that has certainly been emphasised by Vardy’s goal drought.
Although Vardy has suffered from injury earlier in the year, we are now two months on from when he returned which could suggest the change in formation which Wright alluded to is having an effect on the Englishman’s game.
Although the goal drought may be concerning Wright, it does not seem to have had a huge effect on the team with Leicester still sitting pretty in third place of the Premier League table and now into the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
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