Kelechi Iheanacho was given the chance to play in front of Middlesbrough fans for the first time against Watford on Saturday.
The former Leicester City star joined Middlesbrough on transfer deadline day after Iheanacho’s failed move to Sevilla in the summer.
Whilst at the LaLiga giants, the Sevilla manager defended Iheanacho over his weight but limited game time meant that he was shipped out on loan to the Championship club on a loan until the end of the season.
Iheanacho disappointed on his Boro debut and sadly for the Nigeria international, it was an unhappy welcome to the Riverside Stadium as the Teessiders were beaten by Watford.
After watching him in action again, here’s how Boro fans assessed his home debut.
Middlesbrough fans tear into Kelechi Iheanacho after home debut
It was clear that Middlesbrough fans were expecting more from their new man two games into his stint, with many feeling like he has underwhelmed already.
@louorns said: “If you were wondering why I was so against us signing Iheanacho, look at the state of him in that game. Can’t move, can’t kick a ball properly. The signings clubs make when they’ve ran out of ideas.”
“Can someone sit Scott down and ask him why he was happy to keep Ayling, sign Iheanacho who isn’t fit and keep 3 fit cbs one being Edmundson whose awful,” asked @_TY_97.
@_mstephenson88 said: “Iheanacho replacing Latte Lath is worse than when we brought Jason Euell in to replace Mark Viduka.”
@CarlDraper98 commented: “Replacing Latte Lath with Iheanacho may go down as a war crime.”
Kelechi Iheanacho’s stats vs Watford
Sadly for Iheanacho, his statistics don’t suggest that Middlesbrough fans were being harsh with their critics towards the forward.
He lasted less than an hour and failed to have a single shot on target the whole game, as per Sofascore.
| Kelechi Iheanacho stats | |
| Minutes Played | 57 |
| Touches | 27 |
| Shots | 0 |
| Expected Goals (xG) | 0.02 |
| Rating | 6.2 |
Given that he only made five appearances, it’s unsurprising that he needs some time to adjust and get back up to match fitness.
If he continues to play like this though, it may not be long before he finds his place in the side under threat.