What next for kelechi Iheanacho at Manchester City

The youngster scored a fine hat-trick in the
FA Cup fourth round last season but is
getting fewer and fewer chances to show
what he can do
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Almost exactly a year ago Kelechi
Iheanacho stood in the interview area at
Villa Park after scoring an FA Cup hat-trick
which, it was hoped, would catapult him
into the Manchester City limelight.
The quiet Nigerian says little at the best of
times and on the day of his finest moment
as a professional he batted away questions
about his rise with an incredible humility
that, while admirable, did not make for
great newspaper copy. It had been let on,
in an attempt to provoke some excitement,
that the City squad greeted Iheanacho in
the dressing room by dancing around and
singing his name.
Iheanacho loan move ruled out
That ploy did not work either and in a
desperate bid to coax something interesting
out of the nervous youngster, one
enterprising reporter dragged up an old
picture, taken at an international youth
tournament, which showed him looking
skinny and rangy. It was pointed out that a
lot had changed in a short space of time,
both in terms of his stature and his career
prospects.
Iheanacho, far from shocked at routine
physical changes to the human body during
adolescence, thanked hard work for his
development and went on his way.
Just showed Kelechi the pic of him
from a few years ago. He smiled at
the difference, praised hard work
#mcfc pic.twitter.com/72ctVpz4ro
— Sam Lee (@Sammy_Goal) January
30, 2016
Now, a year down the line, a lot
has changed again.
City fans had known they have a real talent
on their hands for a couple of years by the
time he scored that hat-trick, but the boy
from Imo had gone under the radar of the
wider audience. Now, 12 trying months on,
he’s in danger of falling off Pep
Guardiola’s, too.
Kompany 'fit and ready' for Palace
Whereas he would generally get his
opportunities in the absence of Sergio
Aguero under Manuel Pellegrini last season,
Iheanacho has found it hard to get a look-
in for Guardiola recently, even when
Aguero is out of the picture.
Iheanacho weighed in with two goals in two
games when the Argentine served his first
suspension of the season in September,
including a strike at Old Trafford, but
hardly got a sniff over Christmas.
With the main man banned for four games,
Iheanacho started in the dire performance
at Leicester City but was barely used again
until Hull City on Boxing Day, when he
came off the bench and showed that knack
for being in the right place at the right
time to score City’s second.
Even if he has found it difficult to get on
the pitch for much of the season, he had at
least always been on the bench. That
changed last weekend when Gabriel Jesus
was thrown straight into the squad against
Tottenham, at Iheanacho’s expense.
Guardiola has spent half his time at City
urging Aguero to play “much, much better”,
to do a lot more outside the area, so it is
only natural Iheanacho, still just 20 and
essentially a penalty-box striker, is not yet
up to the boss’ high standards.
'Iheanacho isn't the same player'
His poacher's instinct, which has earned
him the best goals-per-minute ratio in
Premier League history no less, may not be
enough.
And with Jesus now on the scene there will
surely be fewer opportunities for him to
prove his worth.
There is a recognition at City that Jesus,
similar to Iheanacho, does his best work
inside the penalty area, and that he must
be given time to improve his link-up play.
But the Brazilian is possessed of a work
ethic and fighter's instinct which is hoped
will give Aguero the proverbial kick up the
back-side, and his all-round game, while
still in need of fine-tuning, is better than
Iheanacho’s.
Gabriel Jesus vs Iheanacho and
Sagna
His work-rate is pic.twitter.com/
qqT4YraBmG
— MCFC Stuff (@MCFCStuff_BR)
January 19, 2017
Guardiola says all three of his strikers
“sense” goals, that they all have the scoring
knack, but he put in a decisive phone call
to Jesus last summer because he believes
he can help the 19-year-old develop into
an all-rounder. There is some doubt
whether he can do the same with Aguero,
and maybe, on the evidence of the past few
months, Iheanacho.
The Nigerian’s father ruled out the
possibility of a loan move earlier this week
but Guardiola, speaking on Friday, gave the
impression he was finding it hard to fit all
his strikers into the team.
“Of course we evaluate how they do in the
games and the training sessions,” the
Catalan said when asked about keeping the
likes of Iheanacho and Nolito happy. “At
the end I try to be fair based on what I
have seen in their performances.
“Of course I have to evaluate it based on
what I see on the grass.”
Iheanacho has best record in PL history
An FA Cup fourth round tie against a team
set to make wholesale changes would
normally present an ideal opportunity to
showcase burgeoning talent, but Iheanacho
looks set to miss out when City face Crystal
Palace on Saturday.
Instead, it will most likely be Gabriel Jesus
who gets the chance to show off his talents
as he tries to make his own way at City.
It should not be forgotten that Iheanacho
himself is just 20 years old and it would be
a great shame to see his talent, which has
come to be underestimated by some in
recent months, go to waste. The idea of a
loan move seems a knee-jerk reaction but,
should he struggle for opportunities in the
coming months, a move away would allow
him to continue his development into a fine
player.
Having seemingly made a major
breakthrough one year ago, he now appears
no better off for it. Who knows where he
could be this time next year.