Surprised at the venom toward AJ I am reading on here.
Nothing I read in that article angered me. He wasn't saying Yaya always played for no reason, for me he is making a clear implication that Yaya was a world-class player and he was not. The fact that he also talked about his improving process sort of proves it. Yes, most footballers think they are better than they are and are full of confidence, but for me, him going to Sunderland was an admission of what he is: a player who will do fine starting at a mid-table club, and a guy who is still in the process of trying to do what's best for his career.
After all the anger toward guys like Bridge, you'd think City fans would be pleased with a guy who wants to play above all else. Who derives his sense of worth not from "getting paid" or from the caliber of the club who's roster he managed to rise onto as a squad player, but from how people react to his work on the pitch. From his coaching staff's feelings about him.
Perhaps he is a partier, but as he rightly points out, he's hardly alone, and I can't help but thinkthat it might just verge on convenient that Bob could use his old "a player his age should always work to improve" line as a reason for not playing AJ because of his reputation (inferring that he was more worried about drinking and other things than football - shit, maybe he was, but MAYBE he just wasn't good enough or wasn't the type of player Bob wanted or needed).
At the end of the day, I'm glad he's gone because he didn't fit anymore. However, I'm also glad he has found a place with the Black Cats. I will remain a fan of him, as I was when he was at City. His flair was always fun to watch, and he had his faults, but I will mostly remember the smiles he brought to my face over the years (even though most of them did occur when we were 4-0 up).
Save the vitriol for the guys who really deserve it.
PS - Does anyone really think that Scott Sinclair is currently doing what's best for his career?
