Fatawu's our gem, despite dip in form

WINGER MAY HAVE HIS CRITICS - BUT IT'S THRILLING TO WATCH HIM PLAY

- By JORDAN BLACKWELL

WHEN Abdul Fatawu arrived at Leicester City two seasons ago, he had just 10 senior starts on European soil to his name, with nine of those coming for Sporting Lisbon's B team in the third tier of Portuguese football.

There was very little known about him, and very little expected of him.

As such, when he showed flashes of talent on his debut against Hull, City fans were left thinking their club may have uncovered a gem.

His performances from there through to the end of the season proved it.

Two years on and Fatawu is now City's star man.

In part because of the reputation he's built, and in part because there's no Jamie Vardy nor Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Fatawu is the man in the spotlight and the man expected to deliver the game-changing moments.

This season, he has done so. Early in the campaign, there were points earned solely through the Ghanaian's brilliance, most notably at Charlton, when his rocket clinched a victory City did not deserve.

There was his bolt from the blue at Swansea too, Fatawu producing a moment of magic in a game in which he'd not played especially well. It kept City ticking over towards the top of the league.

All three of Fatawu's goals came in the first nine games of the season. In the nine since, he's not found the net.

His goalless run has coincided with City's deteriorating results and tumble down the league.

As the main man, Fatawu's taken some of the blame.

The consensus is that he's not been delivering and that he's put in some poor performances.

Against Middlesbrough, he seemed to mope about the pitch for much of the first half.