Hmmm I don't see what seeing blue shirts in the box has to do with it. Every Navas cross either hits the first defender (90%) or ends up in row Z of the stand on the far side (10%).Navas is limited, however must be frustrating that everytime he's on the byline and looks up to put a cross into the box, there is normally one City shirt to try and seek out amidst a sea of about 6 or 7 oppposition players.
I am a bit of a Navas hater (although I admitted when he had that nice run of form for about a month earlier this season), but he actually has 11 assists in the league over the last 2 seasons.
The most unfathomable thing for me is being reminded that he scored 4 his first season with City. How the fuck did that happen? It feels like an eternity ago -- I can't remember a single one of them.
Simply he has been our best player bar Joe this season and nearly every time we have played good football or recovered a game he has been a very big part. Not only out hardest working player but the one who creates the most space for others
I am as frustrated as the next man when it comes to his complete inability to score and have never been a huge fan.
That said, before the Arsenal game I saw the stats rolled out regarding City with and without Kompany this season. 2.5 points per game against 1.5 and 1 goal conceded against 16 and it got me thinking. What would the same stats look like when playing with or without Navas. For all his faults it seems our performances are better with natural wide men and Silva as a 10. Against Arsenal the difference was immediately clear when he came on. (I realise Silva went off but the point stands, I think.)
Is it Navas in particular or merely a case of actually playing players in the correct position. Maybe a little of both but Silva out wide is a crime IMHO. When we bought De Bruyne I assumed we were looking at a Navas type, quick direct wide who could also shoot and even score! However I only see Pellers trying to shoe horn the 11 best players into the starting 11. May mean sacrificing Yaya but what happened to 2 holding 2 wide Silva at 10 and Aguero up top? I know it's a bit prehistoric but under Pellers it seems to have yielded the best results.
If there are any statos out there that can do a Navas in/out comparison I would be intrigued.
Unfortunately though a winger who shits himself when through on goal isn't a good sign.Simply he has been our best player bar Joe this season and nearly every time we have played good football or recovered a game he has been a very big part. Not only out hardest working player but the one who creates the most space for others
He's started 10 PL games, won 8 lost 2