Let’s talk about Kaikai

Shiggy

Well-known member
When this guy came in I thought he was the most exciting player we’d had in years. Very skilful, great close control etc and still at an age where his career could go to another level. Since then I’ve been his biggest fan really, even after the injury problems last season I thought he’d be our main man this season, and don’t get me wrong he’s been brilliant at times.

But that’s the thing with him isn’t it. It’s always in flashes. When was the last time he ran a game (which I firmly believe he is capable of doing) or having a run of 5 games where he was playing out of his skin. He’s got everything in his locker to be one of the best players in the league apart from one thing seemingly: Grit

He just seems like he’s constantly in second gear, even when he’s playing well it’s like he could still go up another level, but he doesn’t. Such a luxury player, and if he delivered more on the pitch I’d be fine with it, but he doesn’t. Really running out of patience with him.

Like I said I’ve always been a big fan of him just want to see what others think about the situation.
 
When this guy came in I thought he was the most exciting player we’d had in years. Very skilful, great close control etc and still at an age where his career could go to another level. Since then I’ve been his biggest fan really, even after the injury problems last season I thought he’d be our main man this season, and don’t get me wrong he’s been brilliant at times.

But that’s the thing with him isn’t it. It’s always in flashes. When was the last time he ran a game (which I firmly believe he is capable of doing) or having a run of 5 games where he was playing out of his skin. He’s got everything in his locker to be one of the best players in the league apart from one thing seemingly: Grit

He just seems like he’s constantly in second gear, even when he’s playing well it’s like he could still go up another level, but he doesn’t. Such a luxury player, and if he delivered more on the pitch I’d be fine with it, but he doesn’t. Really running out of patience with him.

Like I said I’ve always been a big fan of him just want to see what others think about the situation.
Terrible tonight. He didn't look interested. Should not be starting atm.
 
When this guy came in I thought he was the most exciting player we’d had in years. Very skilful, great close control etc and still at an age where his career could go to another level. Since then I’ve been his biggest fan really, even after the injury problems last season I thought he’d be our main man this season, and don’t get me wrong he’s been brilliant at times.

But that’s the thing with him isn’t it. It’s always in flashes. When was the last time he ran a game (which I firmly believe he is capable of doing) or having a run of 5 games where he was playing out of his skin. He’s got everything in his locker to be one of the best players in the league apart from one thing seemingly: Grit

He just seems like he’s constantly in second gear, even when he’s playing well it’s like he could still go up another level, but he doesn’t. Such a luxury player, and if he delivered more on the pitch I’d be fine with it, but he doesn’t. Really running out of patience with him.

Like I said I’ve always been a big fan of him just want to see what others think about the situation.
Yes its in flashes, of about five seconds every fifteen games. Not good enough, get rid for me.
 
Trying to leave tonight's disappointment aside, he needs to be dropped and see what desire he shows in training. Perhaps he would be better as an impact sub if played in a more central role against tiring L1 centre backs? Or maybe I'm being too optimistic.
 
Needs loaning out to the National League in January. If he doesn't cut it there, he'll never do it for us.
Bit far. I actually think he’s more than good enough for this level just something missing that doesn’t motivate him to reach the next level
 
When this guy came in I thought he was the most exciting player we’d had in years. Very skilful, great close control etc and still at an age where his career could go to another level. Since then I’ve been his biggest fan really, even after the injury problems last season I thought he’d be our main man this season, and don’t get me wrong he’s been brilliant at times.

But that’s the thing with him isn’t it. It’s always in flashes. When was the last time he ran a game (which I firmly believe he is capable of doing) or having a run of 5 games where he was playing out of his skin. He’s got everything in his locker to be one of the best players in the league apart from one thing seemingly: Grit

He just seems like he’s constantly in second gear, even when he’s playing well it’s like he could still go up another level, but he doesn’t. Such a luxury player, and if he delivered more on the pitch I’d be fine with it, but he doesn’t. Really running out of patience with him.

Like I said I’ve always been a big fan of him just want to see what others think about the situation.
Pretty much sums up my thoughts on Kai Kai.
 
Was tonight the last chance for people like Kai Kai, Kemp (to be retuned) maybe even Madine, who I’m told Critch really doesn’t get on with before the January window opens?

I have no idea why we went with Kai Kai and Kemp they’ve both shown very little all season and I’m left wondering how they still get a game.

it’s time Kemp went back, Kai Kai was moved on and we try people like Lubala, Anderson and Shaw in the positions they’re playing.
 
Commentator said it today.......25 Year Old, played for loads of good clubs........still hasn't fulfilled his potential and is running out of time....
Thought we didn't use him as best we could and never gave him the chances he needed.......very fustrating
 
He can get a game changer, which makes it that much more frustrating when he isn't performing.

His polarity is absolutely bizarre, sometimes I wonder if he'd be better suited through the middle.rather than out wide.
 
He can be a game changer, but more often than not, it’s like playing with 10-men - a virtual passenger. Couple that with a dodgy formation and lack of goals, it’s a potential reason why we can struggle in matches.
 
Kaikai needs to pull his finger out of his arse and earn his place. Gone are the days that he automatically gets picked. If he cant earn his place back on merit then get rid in summer.
 
I dunno,. Sullay was shit tonight and wasn't great in the last match either but I like Sullay, I'd certainly not be shipping him out, though we're not getting his best at the moment. I don't think we quite know what we're doing going forward. Sullay was poor but so were the rest of them. There was no pattern of play, no pace to our attacks and no sense of consistent threat. Yeah, his shoulders drop and Keshi charges about instead but tbh, I don't think there was a massive difference in effectiveness of either of them.

He's a confidence player and he's not looking confident. Why? I think because he's stuck on the flank, he's easy to mark out of a game as a result. If I had to get the best out of Sullay, I'd say, drift, come in behind the front two, (cos I'd play two) swap with CJ, drop deep, let Garbutt go and fill in. I'd be doing everything to lose his marker but we seem so rigid sometimes. Sullay just sits on the left, CJ on the right and Madine or Yates ploughs a lonely furrow.
 
Genuine question this:
Do we employ a sports psychologist or a mental game coach?
What else is the option for a player who has all the ability and physical attributes, but for whatever reason consistently fails to apply themselves or perform during a match.

We were employing Steve Legge - I dunno if he's an actual psychologist. I know Steve a bit, he's been sports coaching for years and does positive thinking stuff and is a lovely fella but whether he's an actual bonafide psychologist I couldn't say cos I don't know him that well.
 
We were employing Steve Legge - I dunno if he's an actual psychologist. I know Steve a bit, he's been sports coaching for years and does positive thinking stuff and is a lovely fella but whether he's an actual bonafide psychologist I couldn't say cos I don't know him that well.
Well we need someone who can get the best out of the players, if that’s not NC
 
Well we need someone who can get the best out of the players, if that’s not NC

I feel like there's a sigh in the dressing room every time he says 'we're going to go 4-3-3'

To be honest, I liked the line up tonight at kick off, thought it looked quite well balanced but it didn't work. The full backs didn't get forward enough, Keshi didn't push into the hole enough, Robson didn't really take advantage of have Dougall next to him and stamp any authority on the game at all.

The belief wasn't there tonight but a decent showing and we'll be back on track.
 
I feel like there's a sigh in the dressing room every time he says 'we're going to go 4-3-3'

To be honest, I liked the line up tonight at kick off, thought it looked quite well balanced but it didn't work. The full backs didn't get forward enough, Keshi didn't push into the hole enough, Robson didn't really take advantage of have Dougall next to him and stamp any authority on the game at all.

The belief wasn't there tonight but a decent showing and we'll be back on track.
I really do agree with your opening lines there TD.

Madine and Critch have not seen eye to eye all season behind closed doors and it’s largely to do with this.

I know this is a thread about Kai Kai, and he did stupidly give the penalty away but, he isn’t the reason we lost tonight he isn’t the reason we’re impotent going forward.

It’s bigger than him, it’s bigger than any one player or 11 players out there on the pitch. We are systemically ineffective. We have central attacking midfielders playing out wide and up front. They’re told to do a job they’re not built for or inclined to do. It’s really not a good recipe. The centre forwards we do have seem not to be able to score, I don’t think they’re bad players they’re just often isolated and outnumbered with very few chances to score.

Our recruitment really was muddled in the summer, we went all guns blazing for an idea in Critchs head, which in itself is really what you’re meant to do at a football club.

However on the whole it hasn’t been a success and we’re left to cobble together a squad every game that’ll fit into something which will win a League One game with players that Critch thought would play total football all season.

I feel sorry for everyone in advance of Dougall on the pitch really. They seem to be trying to do what NC’s telling them, but it comes across that they all know it’s completely ineffective and futile.

We can’t keep making mistakes regarding personnel, we can’t keep signing 3 or 4 iterations of the same player when there’s one or two spot on the pitch for them it really won’t end well.

over the longer term, the next two transfer windows will make or break NC, both incomings and outgoings. It would appear we need players that can be more versatile to the changes NC wants to make game to game and minute to minute.
 
I wish folk would get off his back. Not sure it was a pen looks like he gets the ball to me but if it was the goalie saved it twice, the defence’s responsibility once the pen was saved. Nobody apart from Sam the man played very well tonight, Eki and Ballard did ok, Garbutt ok, the rest had an off night.
 
I wish folk would get off his back. Not sure it was a pen looks like he gets the ball to me but if it was the goalie saved it twice, the defence’s responsibility once the pen was saved. Nobody apart from Sam the man played very well tonight, Eki and Ballard did ok, Garbutt ok, the rest had an off night.
Certainly not trying to pile all the blame on him. As I said there’s a huge part of me that thinks he’s one of our best players and I’m desperate for him to prove me wrong, but that’s what’s so frustrating. The ability is clearly there, but we don’t seem to get it out of him most of the time.
 
With CJ out for a few weeks he had a great chance to make his mark. Unfortnately, he appears to have lost his confidence to take on a player and get into the box to create chances for himself or others
 
I like Kai Kai but I feel he’s a luxury player. He’s great when we’re on top but is largely anonymous for long periods of the game When we’re not. This in my opinion is because he’s wasted on the Left of the front three. I would like to see him play behind the front two of Yates and Madine as the link from Midfield. But as NC doesn’t want to play that system I suspect we may not see Kai Kai for a while.
 
He’s a classic does nowt for 89 mins player and 1 min of brilliance. Probably not the kind of player you need on a frosty night in Shrewsbury Town. He’s never going to give you a 90 min masterclass, his game is disappearing, letting the opposition get comfortable with him then striking when they least expect it. The very definition of a luxury player that needs everyone else to be playing well. He always looks worse when the rest of the midfield go AWOL too.
 
He needs to be played in his correct position

Instead of wide left

Spends more time in his own half in this system and that isn't his game
 
I agree he isnt putting a shift in. Probably as fresh as a daisy when he leaves the pitch.

Not been the same player since his injury for me.
 
I wish folk would get off his back. Not sure it was a pen looks like he gets the ball to me but if it was the goalie saved it twice, the defence’s responsibility once the pen was saved. Nobody apart from Sam the man played very well tonight, Eki and Ballard did ok, Garbutt ok, the rest had an off night.
And I think people WOULD get off his back if he didn't go about his job half arsed.
I wonder if your manager at work would be happy if you told him, I'm only going to be really good 1 day in ten, that day I'll be really brilliant though!!

And you must have been watching a different game to me if you think Ekpateta and Ballard were ok, along with Walker they were the only reason we didn't lose by more last night.
 
Critch was brought in to improve players like Kaikai. How many have improved? We’ve Kaikai, Kemp, Hamilton, Lubala, Sarkic, Anderson, Woodburn, Ward and now it seems Mitchell (a wingback) vying for the 2/3 positions behind a striker, and all of them, bar probably Ward, have stagnated or regressed.
 
Critch was brought in to improve players like Kaikai. How many have improved? We’ve Kaikai, Kemp, Hamilton, Lubala, Sarkic, Anderson, Woodburn, Ward and now it seems Mitchell (a wingback) vying for the 2/3 positions behind a striker, and all of them, bar probably Ward, have stagnated or regressed.
I’ve said similar, and I think the overload of players is part of the reason. I’m still trying to figure out why we signed Kemp and Woodburn, they’ve done absolutely nothing and if anything they’ve taken a place from people like Lubala, Sarkic and maybe even Shaw.
I understand the logic behind a larger squad but up to now the build up of games hasn’t developed, it might do towards the end of the season but as of now we’ve played less games than any other season.

For me Kemp and Woodburn need to be sent back in January. We must develop our players. If they’re no good then fair enough it happens in football. But you have to give people like Sarkic, Lubala, Shaw and probably Kai Kai a chance in their actual positions and regularly.
 
Bit harsh to call Bez a flop. He’s definitely one to look to develop by playing here and there and improving. It’s just instead of throwing him on when we are winning he is playing in games we aren’t doing well in which will harm his confidence not build it.
 
Could it be that NC s style doesn't suit Kaikai?
Not defending him, just a thought, as people are saying he's different this season.
 
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