#26 | Riyad Mahrez - 2019/20 Performances

[Woody13]

He's a prized asset approaching an oppo penalty area, but I do wish he would do a little more than dangle a lower limb from some distance when making a challenge. But we mustn't be churlish - he won us the game despite Atko and VAR turning into apprentice Scousers and trying to nick it off us!

He is a very difficult proposition when he gets a full back one on one in the area, even though he’s always looking to come onto his left foot he can just as comfortably step over it and go round the outside. His left foot when he does cut in is deadly. We know his qualities, but his character was impressive last night.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Say what you will about Mahrez’s performances to this point with City, but last night the crowd were clearly getting restless with any little mistake he made that he could have let it effect his game. Instead he carried out trying and the qualities he does possess shone through.

Another test of character for Mahrez and he stuck to his footballing principles, backed his ability and won us the game.

He didn't win us the game. The team did. He scored a very good goal but was ineffective for long periods and his defence and some of his distribution was poor. Thats what you get from him. Flashes of brilliance and periods of ineffectiveness. The first has got to balance the second. It probably did yesterday but for me, he wasn't man of the match by any means. What are his football principles btw?

 

[Woody13]

He didn't win us the game. The team did. He scored a very good goal but was ineffective for long periods and his defence and some of his distribution was poor. Thats what you get from him. Flashes of brilliance and periods of ineffectiveness. The first has got to balance the second. It probably did yesterday but for me, he wasn't man of the match by any means. What are his football principles btw?

Yes of course the team ultimately won us the game but he scored the winning goal with a fantastic piece of individual skill, without that, who knows.

He puts effort into tracking back but he’ll never be as good defensively as what he offers us in the final third, obviously. In the defensive third he’s simply an extra body.

As for his football principles, he could have taken the safe option on many occasions in order to not make a mistake but he was brave, continued to run at Emerson, tried influencing the game with incisive passing and gave us an edge. I’m not his biggest fan and certain frustrations are understandable, but credit needs to be given where it’s due.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Yes of course the team ultimately won us the game but he scored the winning goal with a fantastic piece of individual skill, without that, who knows.

He puts effort into tracking back but he’ll never be as good defensively as what he offers us in the final third, obviously. In the defensive third he’s simply an extra body.

As for his football principles, he could have taken the safe option on many occasions in order to not make a mistake but he was brave, continued to run at Emerson, tried influencing the game with incisive passing and gave us an edge. I’m not his biggest fan and certain frustrations are understandable, but credit needs to be given where it’s due.

Yeah, I agree with credit where it is due and his goal was special and no, he doesn't hide. I suspect his game has not changed that much from when he played with LCFC. I thought it was an odd buy at the time as he wasn't a typical Pep forward and I still don't think he is or ever will be. A goal and an assist a game will make me overlook his deficiencies though ;-)

 

[Woody13]

Yeah, I agree with credit where it is due and his goal was special and no, he doesn't hide. I suspect his game has not changed that much from when he played with LCFC. I thought it was an odd buy at the time as he wasn't a typical Pep forward and I still don't think he is or ever will be. A goal and an assist a game will make me overlook his deficiencies though ;-)

Its interesting that you say his game hasn’t changed much from his Leicester days, and I tend to agree with that. When you look at the obvious improvements Pep and the coaching staff have made to some of the players, the new Mahrez certainly hasn’t been a noticeable upgrade from the Leicester Mahrez.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Its interesting that you say his game hasn’t changed much from his Leicester days, and I tend to agree with that. When you look at the obvious improvements Pep and the coaching staff have made to some of the players, the new Mahrez certainly hasn’t been a noticeable upgrade from the Leicester Mahrez.

I think its a step back as their style of play suited him far better than ours. He had acres more space at Leicester to exploit in the counter attack than he does with us faced with two banks of defence.

 

[BosnianBlue]

I'll say again. 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 starts. And he created few more goals. He scores/assissts in pretty much any game he starts. If that some fan favorite, you'd be all creaming your pants even if he sat on the centre of the pitch for the rest of the games.

He's not Fernandinho to cover whole the pitch or Bernardo to never stop running, but his production this season is phenomenal. Sterling's overall game is nothing better than Mahrez's this year, but he scores goals and never gets 10% of criticism Riyad does. Nor Bernardo does, who did fuck all this season. Bernardo's game is non existing this year, he doesn't score, he doesn't assist, creates nothing and he'll never be criticized as Mahrez is.

I'll take his goals and assists before football "expertise" of some Bluemooners any day of the week. He is one of our best and most consistent players this season.

 

[Blue Hefner]

I'll say again. 4 goals and 6 assists in 11 starts. And he created few more goals. He scores/assissts in pretty much any game he starts. If that some fan favorite, you'd be all creaming your pants even if he sat on the centre of the pitch for the rest of the games.

He's not Fernandinho to cover whole the pitch or Bernardo to never stop running, but his production this season is phenomenal. Sterling's overall game is nothing better than Mahrez's this year, but he scores goals and never gets 10% of criticism Riyad does. Nor Bernardo does, who did fuck all this season. Bernardo's game is non existing this year, he doesn't score, he doesn't assist, creates nothing and he'll never be criticized as Mahrez is.

I'll take his goals and assists before football "expertise" of some Bluemooners any day of the week. He is one of our best and most consistent players this season.

I think one of the main issues with Marhez is that most of his winning goals and assists come away from home therefore the home fans don't really see a match winning contribution. Hopefully yesterday will be the start of something

 

[quiet_riot]

I don't get your question. Looks like you are taking me on a tangent. What I said is that your mate is an ingrat of the highest order.

Fans don't owe players anything.

 

[cleavers]

He didn't win us the game. The team did. He scored a very good goal but was ineffective for long periods and his defence and some of his distribution was poor. Thats what you get from him. Flashes of brilliance and periods of ineffectiveness. The first has got to balance the second. It probably did yesterday but for me, he wasn't man of the match by any means.

Totally agree, Sterling at least puts some effort into his defensive duties even if they're not very good, Mahrez doesn't make any real effort unless he's got his back to our keeper, its very frustrating to watch, he put us in trouble a few times, with a sloppy pass or not tracking their wide player leaving Cancelo exposed and out numbered.

Its a team game, not an individual game, and that for me is often his problem, but obviously a great goal.