26 | Riyad Mahrez - 2022/23 Performances

[SebastianBlue]

Takes 1 game for people to get back to hating Mahrez. He wasn't even that bad, his primary use is the outlet switch, he killed them dead like only he could but he had nothing on, no support and nobody in the box so it goes back gets recycled to the other side and he waits for the next switch. Needed to come off but its just a simple instance of the game not suiting him than him being shit.

Yeah, see my comment earlier in the thread. We literally just changed who was in that position/role (using the same tactics as the first half) and we immediately were substantially more threatening.

As you said, he’s not shit, but he was in ‘FFS’ mode today, unfortunately.

 

[SebastianBlue]

This, mahrez was class in the first half, from where I was sat pretty much all our attacking play went through mahrez

I would check the stats and rewatch the first half and I think you might find that you’ve perhaps pointed out the issue we had.

 

[SebastianBlue]

His numbers last season were fantastic, so it's clearly not what we get every week. the issue is we're a side that focuses our attack heavily on the left hand side, we use the switch and his ridiculous touch to get out and open things up but we rarely focus our sustained attacks down that side so he or whoever plays on the right is always going to be less involved than the left winger.

The problem today was we moved the ball too slowly around the back and as a consequence, we couldn't get the ball to our attackers high enough up the pitch which meant we were 10 yards outside the area for most of the game. when the big switch came, mahrez had nothing on, he beat his man a few times first half played a couple of good balls across and nobody got on the end of them because we started too far out for them to have time to support him.

Normally, when we're playing well, that switched ball comes to him and he's got an inside option and a crossing option by the time he controls it, that wasn't the case today and so he was ineffective.

If we're talking more general and not specifically today, could he take his man on more? Perhaps, but I don't think that's what Pep wants, if he loses the ball after the play is switched they've got a completely wide open side to counter into as our entire midfield are on the left wing. I still firmly believe Mahrez will have the most assists for Haaland by the end of the season once that flat delivery of his gets synced up to Haalands movement.

Well, either Bernardo was ignoring Pep’s instructions completely (very unlikely), or he was given the freedom to take his man on whilst Mahrez wasn’t for… reasons?

Beyond that, Pep is on record many, many times explaining that he wants his wingers to take risk with the ball because the best possible place to lose the ball (I.e. take risks) is near your opponents corner flag, especially in our system, so your argument there falls flat.

I understand wanting to defend a player that regularly gets unwarranted criticism but there’s clear indication he did not play well today. And his name is Bernardo, in the exact same role, with the same tactics.

 

[gaz76]

I would check the stats and rewatch the first half and I think you might find that you’ve perhaps pointed out the issue we had.

Check the stats? I was sat on the front row of the wing he was playing on, he never stopped wanting the ball, his touch was first class and it was a good performance, it was done a couple of meters in front of me.
I will back my eyes on this one ta, thanks for the input though

 

[ninjamonkey]

Well, either Bernardo was ignoring Pep’s instructions completely (very unlikely), or he was given the freedom to take his man on whilst Mahrez wasn’t for… reasons?

Beyond that, Pep is on record many, many times explaining that he wants his wingers to take risk with the ball because the best possible place to lose the ball (I.e. take risks) is near your opponents corner flag, especially in our system, so your argument there falls flat.

I understand wanting to defend a player that regularly gets unwarranted criticism but there’s clear indication he did not play well today. And his name is Bernardo, in the exact same role, with the same tactics.

I don't have a particular desire to defend him or anybody, I simply don't believe he was as bad as others are making out either today or over the last 12 months. Do I think he played well today? No, he was ineffective and had to come off but he wasn't shit either.

He has his share of responsibility for that but there were circumstances that prevented him from having an impact on the game as ive stated earlier. (the same applied to Foden too)

Bernardo wasn't playing the same role and tactics, mahrez was still on the pitch in his role for the first goal, Bernardo received the ball much further forward with options ahead of him the two problems we were having from our wide men first half. After the first goal, momentum is all with us and the games entirely different.

 

[Barcon]

I didn't think he had a particularly bad game but I did feel like he was the player that needed to come off if we were going to win this game.
I think the Cancelo substitution was a master stroke.

 

[applejuice]

Calm down guys.
I don't think that it is a Mahrez vs Bernado problem. It is more like 2 left footed inverted winger without much pace playing on the same side. We usually have KDB or Walker to offer overlapping. But in the first half no one came and Walker was....busy in the midfield. :D

- Bernado's first assist in last Newcastle game, both KDB and Walker overlapped.
- Bernado's first goal today Walker overlaps. Mahrez ran into the box and took some players away.

So when KDB moved to the right and made more overlapping and underlapping runs. The right side suddenly came alive.

I saw similar struggle from Grealish&Cancelo pair on the left side times and times. It is never a good idea to have a pair of same foot on the same side...

I think that rather than trainig our fullbacks to be midfielders, perhaps some old school overlapping will help more?

 

[domalino]

I don’t see a huge role for him in this side. He only started 14 league games last year and I expect that will stay the same or even drop some more despite his non-involvement in the World Cup.

Bernardo is better at taking on defenders in a tight game, Alvarez will work harder, Foden offers more pace, more effort and better ball security so he will play on the right sometimes when Grealish is fit again. Palmer will play domestic cups.

The biggest problem he has is he only plays one position, and it’s the one where we have the most competition with our best players.

Still, he will be a very useful squad player for the next year or two.

 

[Isaac the Forgemaster]

It's not a good match for Mahrez but he's not poor as some people criticised.

Mahrez was almost the only player on the right flank during the first half. Walker was in the middle most of the time and De Bruyne didn't come to the right side frequently, which left Mahrez isolated. It's impossible to ask Mahrez to play like a typical winger when there was no attacking midfielder around and no fullbacks behind. The only job he was asked to do was to stand on the weak side, wait for the switch pass, hold the ball and don't lose it.

You could easily find there were much more players on the right flank since the start of the second half. Walker was not always in the middle, while De Bruyne and Bernardo Silva spent more time on the right. Then Mahrez took two defenders away with his off-the-ball running and there was the goal from Silva.

Every player in the team has his role under Pep's system. They contribute to the team by strictly following what Pep asked them to do. If Mahrez is that shit like some haters said, Pep won't keep him here for more than four seasons.

 

[Newman Noggs]

I'm not a big Mahrez fan but I forgive him most things when I see him control the ball from a long crossfield pass.