How many times does he get a full-back helping him out in attack? him and Sterling?
they are left to face a 3v1 or 2v1 the majority of most games.
No David Silva = even with Natural Wingers,
It won't work.
Sam Lee explained it well on his Article.
https://t.co/aqcBYh9bDC?amp=1
We sold our only natural left winger.I won't be reading Sam Lee in a hurry. Our attacking play is completely undermined by playing Sterling on the left and the only tangible solutions are you either don't play him, or you switch him back to the right. Our whole play is undermined by him being out there, it doesn't work. Inside forwards are killing us.
We sold our only natural left winger.
we are moving in a new direction but don't have the balance required yet.
So a lot of our players are struggling across the entire XI
Going back to Pep's first season with us we all said that we needed a player that would give us plan B when teams had 10 men sat behind the ball. Indeed that was a pattern under Pellegrini as well. The idea was having someone who was different and that could change the dimension of our attacks. We bought Mahrez to fulfil that role and I, like many others, thought it was a great bit of business. The title winning teams of the next two years had Mahrez not being a first choice and I recall Pep saying he was sorry he hadn't had the minutes he deserved. We had Sterling and Sane attacking with pace and power coupled with prime Silva and Ferna in midfield. The following year when Kev got injured Bernardo stepped up - he was unbelievable - think about his performances against Liverpool which were perpetual motion and quality.
This year Riyad has become a regular and has had a decent season no one can deny that - some of his quality is top drawer but I for one have an issue that I struggle to get past. There are times when he goes missing for long periods in a game. He also is far too greedy and those who say he is clinical in front of goal - I just don't see that when you consider the positions he gets the ball in. Tonight was classic Mahrez - I don't think he dribbled past a defender more that once and on that one occasion he chose to shoot from a tight angle rather than pass. When we bought him we knew he wasn't the type to tackle back so we can't have complaints about that side of his game. Indeed Sane didn't work at times, he just seemed far more devastating when we attacked.
I know there will be many who will disagree strongly with the above and we can look at goals scored, defensive errors etc. I really don't want to sound as though I don't like him as a player because it's clear he has an abundance of qualities - Perhaps he is the right player at the wrong time?
I also know that we still have the chance to win the CL and FA cup - something that would be incredible and I would love it if he proved me wrong and really made the difference in those final two or hopefully four huge games. He has the talent, but I am left with the feeling that Riyad has some brilliant moments but not enough. So don't shoot the messenger, it is only my opinion and one that could be wrong - after all Pep picks him more than most so perhaps I don't see what I think I see ha!
And therein lies the issue in the league - we will finish possibly 26 points off the title. You win as a unit, you lose as a unit.I think he's been brilliant this year and by far our second best player this season behind KDB. Definitely top 5 in the league this season for me.
Mahrez plays in moments, he has half a dozen a game. When one or more of those moments turns into a goal or an assist, people on here go mental about how good he is. When nothing comes of those moments, he is lazy etc etc. For me, these half a dozen moments per game are not enough unless he is delivering 25+ goals a season e.g Salah. 85 minutes per game of not being involved, or running back towards our own goal and barely beating a full back, is not enough from a winger in this side. It was fine at Leicester in a team that had 30% possession, it doesn't work at City, we need far more than this.
I don't think he is going to change his ways at this point in his career and I think the team suffers having someone of his type in it. I say this as someone who was delighted when we signed him....I thought he could be our Salah.
Would you prefer Bernardo there managing about 7 goals and assists during his one apparently great season out of 3?
I don't think we have the answer to the right wing/forward problem in the squad. Perhaps Foden but thats a lot of pressure on a kid and I would prefer to see him at 8 anyway. I would prefer us to get back to what made us so potent in 17/18, quick wide men, playing on their correct wing, who like to get in behind the opposition, not inverted wingers who are obsessed with cutting in and slowing down the play. For me, this only works if your full backs can get forward and deliver ala Robertson and TAA. Mendy might be able to do this, Cancelo might be able to do this. Zinchenko and Walker, no chance.
Unless Pep is willing to bite the bullet and put Sterling back on the right, I think we have to buy a new right winger and not because Mahrez is bad but because our whole style of play has to change (for the worse) to accommodate him.
Mahrez has more goals + assist per 90mins in the PL this season than Salah. He’s been fantastic and has been let down by others.Mahrez plays in moments, he has half a dozen a game. When one or more of those moments turns into a goal or an assist, people on here go mental about how good he is. When nothing comes of those moments, he is lazy etc etc. For me, these half a dozen moments per game are not enough unless he is delivering 25+ goals a season e.g Salah. 85 minutes per game of not being involved, or running back towards our own goal and barely beating a full back, is not enough from a winger in this side. It was fine at Leicester in a team that had 30% possession, it doesn't work at City, we need far more than this.
I don't think he is going to change his ways at this point in his career and I think the team suffers having someone of his type in it. I say this as someone who was delighted when we signed him....I thought he could be our Salah.
Mahrez has more goals + assist per 90mins in the PL this season than Salah. He’s been fantastic and has been let down by others.