Remember back to Pellers tenure, particularly games in the champions league when was paired in central midfield with Fern. Nobody would have dreamt of playing him as a single holding midfield player then. Yaya's defensive capabilities have been a long term issue.I won't diss him but he did leave the holes they kept getting through,we have to send the big guns to brizzle now,hope he doesn't go
Remember back to Pellers tenure, particularly games in the champions league when was paired in central midfield with Fern. Nobody would have dreamt of playing him as a single holding midfield player then. Yaya's defensive capabilities have been a long term issue.
I agree with that,the way we play now we just can't have him in the middle i'm afraid,bristol at home are aggressive and we will all need to press,it will have to be our first team midfield now,i had wanted to start first team and get it down last night to hopefully save the best players the trip,now we can't do that one game from the finalRemember back to Pellers tenure, particularly games in the champions league when was paired in central midfield with Fern. Nobody would have dreamt of playing him as a single holding midfield player then. Yaya's defensive capabilities have been a long term issue.
lol i agree but until the summer we are left with him..Kinda thinking he goes sideways this month - or maybe back.
Yaya was at his best when he had Fernandinho/Barry/De Jong playing behind/alongside him. It's not so much that his abilities/athleticism have left him, it's simply the tactics that we play. We rightly play them tactics because we're a better team for it, but people saying that Yaya is a disgrace/nowhere near good enough for this level don't understand that the reason he's not at his best is because he's not playing a system that suits him. It was only a few months ago that he was far and away the best player on the pitch in an FA Cup Semi Final which is why Pep gave him another 12 months.
Doesn't have the mobility to cover the gaps in open play, but i thought he was really important in defending set-pieces against such a big team. Got his a head on a lot of the corners/free-kicks.
No the reason why is because his legs are completly gone. He'd be even worse in a more offensive role as he wouldn't have the legs to make the first press or have the pace to go through/past their midfield. He's painfully slow these days and doesnt contribute to our play in any way.Yaya was at his best when he had Fernandinho/Barry/De Jong playing behind/alongside him. It's not so much that his abilities/athleticism have left him, it's simply the tactics that we play. We rightly play them tactics because we're a better team for it, but people saying that Yaya is a disgrace/nowhere near good enough for this level don't understand that the reason he's not at his best is because he's not playing a system that suits him. It was only a few months ago that he was far and away the best player on the pitch in an FA Cup Semi Final which is why Pep gave him another 12 months.
No the reason why is because his legs are completly gone. He'd be even worse in a more offensive role as he wouldn't have the legs to make the first press or have the pace to go through/past their midfield. He's painfully slow these days and doesnt contribute to our play in any way.
I thought he did OK against Bristol but I am in the camp that he is now not a good fit for the way we play and will be gone next seasonHis legs haven't completely gone at all, we heard the same from people on this forum a few weeks ago about Aguero which, likewise, wasn't true. He's not fully fit and fully sharp, I'd agree but that's because he's not playing regularly. Your legs don't go overnight - at the end of last season, he was one of our best players. He just doesn't play in a system that suits him. Unfortunately for him, City are a better team in that system but if he was to play in a team that suited that system, he'd still be one of their best players.
And doesn't contribute to our play in any way? 91.9% passing accuracy was the best on the pitch by any midfielder, and very impressive given the way that Bristol pressed us. He also, unusually, made a couple of important defensive headers which I haven't seen from him in years. He had a good game against Bristol, the stats bear that out.
I totally agree with this.I won't diss him but he did leave the holes they kept getting through,we have to send the big guns to brizzle now,hope he doesn't go
He was always slow, and always left holes for others to exploit, however the way we play now it can't be covered. Also, he doesn't have the explosiveness he once had - he's just not a fit for us any more. However, he was pivotal to our early successes, and for that alone the abuse he gets from certain posters is shocking.I totally agree with this.
IMO posters are either totally for or against Yaya and they may have changed their minds over the years and they may think only of his football attributes or include his (and his agents) antics off the field. I prefer to split the two- off field I have no regard for him at all. On field, he had been a major contributor to our success in the past but he is no longer a positive team player.
His game on Tuesday was a dichotomy of actions: slow, leaving gaps for Bristol to gain from, headed some great crosses against tall opponents and had a high individual pass rate even though most were sideways and only over a few metres.
All in all, I question Pep in picking him in this match against a young, tall, energetic opposition like Bristol and hope he doesn’t feature in the second leg.
Ultimately, he will leave with a mixed reaction. The longer he plays the worse his legacy will be.
I agree with all of that,he got old and doesn't warrant abuseHe was always slow, and always left holes for others to exploit, however the way we play now it can't be covered. Also, he doesn't have the explosiveness he once had - he's just not a fit for us any more. However, he was pivotal to our early successes, and for that alone the abuse he gets from certain posters is shocking.
If you're to overlook the "cake" incident and other needless turmoil and the fact that Pep felt obligated not to start Yaya until his agent apologized - sorry, formerly a great player yeah, but zero sympathy for him. If Yaya can't play up to standard - I won't be sorry if the door hits him on the way out.I agree with all of that,he got old and doesn't warrant abuse
and not forgetting the death of his brother saga. I agree, no sympathyIf you're to overlook the "cake" incident and other needless turmoil and the fact that Pep felt obligated not to start Yaya until his agent apologized - sorry, formerly a great player yeah, but zero sympathy for him. If Yaya can't play up to standard - I won't be sorry if the door hits him on the way out.