Imo mahrez has been our best winger this season. Only gundogan has scored more goals than him this season, he is 30 but has never relied on pace so has at least 3 years left at the top of his game. He is never injured, pep trusts him hence why he always starts in big games, his ball retention is fantastic, his first touch is the best in world football, his finishing is good and now his work rate is where it should be. It would be extremely foolish and short sighted to sell one of our better players. If we get Messi great but it should not be at the expense of mahrez
#26 | Riyad Mahrez - 2020/21 Performances
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That’s it in a nutshell, I remember when he anhialated us for Leicester, he was unplayable, he was predictable, yet couldn5 stop him.when we signed him he had to get used to a team of stars rather than he being one of two or three stars who had to do everything.
Yes, certain games he’s seemed slack, but in the run we’ve had he’s proved unplayable and scoring goals from nothing, just when we need it.
I see Real Madrid picking him up and him being a major player, whereas in our system he will always be a great player in a great team having t9 compete for his place all the time.we will get amazing money for him, but at times we will regret letting him go.
Tugay One Cup
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PannickAtTheDisco
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No, he didn't. That's why we lost 2-0.
Tugay One Cup
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I think Garth is just agreeing with your logic.
You're basing your view on the current squad and not what the squad will be next season. If Messi arrives then Mahrez is redundant, old and on high wages.
it would be amazing if he got injured at all considering he's only played about 50% of our games since he arrived, he has an incredibly light work load. Does he start all big games? Not really, he didn't start Monchengladbach or Spurs or Chelsea, it's about 50/50.
In form he's excellent but if Messi arrives why would you use him? His work rate and defensive effort is really poor, so you certainly aren't going to play him with Messi unless you want to carry 2 players.
If the summer goes to plan, we'd have wing options of Messi, Sterling, Bernardo, Foden, Jesus, Torres and I don't see why you'd keep Mahrez with those options especially when there's probably a good market for him, he's 30 and eating up money.
He's not going to score goals like Sterling, he's not got the work rate that we might need to carry Messi like Bernardo, Foden or Jesus, he's not a long term young player like Jesus or Foden or Torres, he's not positionally versatile.
If we kept him and got Messi, we'd end up selling him in 12 months because he's unhappy at sitting on the bench for 80% of games and it'd be for 1/4 of the price we'll get this summer.
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Your going off the assumption we will get messi I’m basing my opinion on the fact that I don’t think messi will leave Barcelona. Looking more deeply into the situation with Mahrez I note he only has 2 years left on his contract after this season, maybe he will fancy a new challenge who knows but I certainly don’t think we should force him out.
I do take your points re versatility and it is a very good point. I just don’t see who we realistically sign this summer to fill the void left by Mahrez. Do we go for grealish and push foden to the right side with Grealish operating from his favoured left side? I guess if we signed grealish it would also free up Bernardo to play rw but would he produce the same amount of goals as Mahrez does? And besides other than age is Grealish really that much better of an option than Mahrez?
If we where to sign Messi I don’t think he would play RW for us, he doesn’t posses the work rate to fit into a pep side anymore Imo. The thought of wingers and full backs running at a isolated Walker or cancelo doesn’t bare thinking about, we may get away with it against the lower sides but the better sides would exploit this. Only way Messi fits imo is as a striker at the expense of aguero. Say what you want about Mahrez but compared to Messi he is like Kante when it comes to tracking back.
Anyways whatever happens I trust the club to get it right
OK so end of conversation.
I made it abundantly clear I was basing this on if Messi comes, if you think he's not there's nothing to talk about.
I already said if Messi doesn't come, Mahrez will stay.
Manchester_lalala
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I said the same the other day. He’s keeping his value high at the minute which is good for any plans the club have. If Messi comes available, Mahrez will leave I think. There will be no shortage of clubs wanting to shell out £30m-£40m this summer.
Fair enough mate, have a good one
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