Player topic : Yaya Toure (2015/16)

[afro2007]

Yaya is an exquisite footballer. He really does not get the credit he deserves really for the contribution he has made for us. I appreciate his legacy maybe tainted in the eyes of some due to the birthday cake affair, but imo he has been our most important player for a while now.

In regards to the direct comparison with David (who along with Sergio and Yaya are in my lifetime the 3 most important and best City players) I have tried to be pragmatic. David looks silky smooth and glides across the pitch making it look so effortlessly easy while Yaya sometimes looks like he is dying on his feet. If you compare what both are capable of doing with their feet then Yaya wins for me.

Yaya's touch is immaculate, so is his short and long passing. He is just as good as David in tight spots and getting out of trouble. They both have fantastic vision and Yaya is just as good as David in putting the ball through. His pass recently where he put KDB through (I may be wrong here) with the outside of his foot while not even looking was just astounding. Then there is the barnstorming runs, superb goals, free kicks and ability to win a football match on his own, which although David has shown he is capable of doing, he goes not do it on the regular basis of which Yaya seems to step up to the plate.

I appreciate you are not going to agree with me mate. Both players will rightly go on the become modern era legends for us. It comes down to which style you prefer as both are top quality footballers. David has not been one bit of trouble for us and the model professional. Yaya has had his ups and downs but hes been a fantastic player. I just think Yaya has been that little more effective at key times and he has more to his overall game than David does.

Don't also forget the pass he gave to Nasri to score against Everton,I don't really appreciate this critics which are not constructive to me.

 

[afro2007]

I'm amazed by how you comparing your own players that plays for the club like they are competiting each other for the Ballon'dor. A fan indeed.

 

[fatbloke]

I actually agree with him. Technically speaking of course.

Yaya can do almost everything better. Better finisher, passer, better ball retention, equally as creative (if not more so), better passing range, better from set pieces.

Silva is just better than him without the ball and his defensive lapses go un noticed given they are higher up the pitch.

The amount of fans that don't take into consideration movement or positioning on and off the ball, in attack and defence baffles me.

You can have all the technical ability in the world but its no good to anybody if you're not in the right place at the right time to receive the ball or don't make runs to create space for your teammates. Barcelona (Messi excluded) and Bayern have got very similar players to us individually but it's how they work as a team in terms of movement and positioning that makes them so much better than us.

 

[sh249]

I actually agree with him. Technically speaking of course.

Yaya can do almost everything better. Better finisher, passer, better ball retention, equally as creative (if not more so), better passing range, better from set pieces.

Silva is just better than him without the ball and his defensive lapses go un noticed given they are higher up the pitch.

I'd go: finisher - Yes; passer - No; better ball retention - Possibly; equally as creative - No; better passing range - Yes; better from set pieces - Yes

 

[stalyblue75]

I'd go: finisher - Yes; passer - No; better ball retention - Possibly; equally as creative - No; better passing range - Yes; better from set pieces - Yes

Agree but I'll add one more thing to this
Taking responsibility and delivering the goods in difficult situations - Yaya wins hands down

But it's a bit academic. They both play for us, they are great players, they play well together, both have their (minor) faults. One gets crucified (by some) week in week out. The other seems to be untouchable.

 

[sir baconface]

But it's a bit academic. They both play for us, they are great players, they play well together, both have their (minor) faults. One gets crucified (by some) week in week out. The other seems to be untouchable.

But why?

 

[domalino]

Would I be right in thinking that the media have access to these stats?

They won't have access to City's analytics but they all have OPTA which the club will use as well.

However this stat doesn't surprise me at all.

The media are swimming in distance covered stats these days, and # of high intensity sprints. You see it every week in an article about Klopp or Spurs this season.

So if Yaya is so lazy, as has been the narrative for so long on programs like MNF - why haven't they produced the stats to show it? You can just imagine the smug face on Carragher as he shows us that Henderson or Dele Alli run 5km more per game, and sprint 3x as often, but for some reason they've never shown it.

So hearing that statistcally, Yaya runs as far as anyone in our side doesn't surprise me at all, nor should it anyone else when we see him cover box to box every week. Even in his poor performances he still runs up and down the middle 60m of the pitch almost non-stop, especially with our propensity to get counter attacked.

He's not lazy, he's just old, and overplayed. He was never the most mobile compared to someone like Lampard, but for some reason Pellegrini has not bought any player who could potentially play a similar passing role in midfield and take some of the game time away from a player who needs a rest.

 

[Steve68]

He's not lazy, he's just old, and overplayed. He was never the most mobile compared to someone like Lampard, but for some reason Pellegrini has not bought any player who could potentially play a similar passing role in midfield and take some of the game time away from a player who needs a rest.

He does need a rest. But stats don't tell everything. Yaya may do a lot of running. But the problem with the way he is being played a lot of that running is slow paced loping back upfield when what is needed in a central midfield 2, is sprinting back into position so you can be part of the play.

Like all great players, he hasn't lost his skills, he's just lost some legs and agility. He cannot burst forward and get back like he used to. It's up to the manager to manage his game time and manage the role he's asked to play.

A last hurrah in a slower league would probably be a good move for him. And if he did move on it wold be with all our thanks for what he's helped us achieve. At his peak with us he was astonishing.

 

[domalino]

He does need a rest. But stats don't tell everything. Yaya may do a lot of running. But the problem with the way he is being played a lot of that running is slow paced loping back upfield when what is needed in a central midfield 2, is sprinting back into position so you can be part of the play.

Like all great players, he hasn't lost his skills, he's just lost some legs and agility. He cannot burst forward and get back like he used to. It's up to the manager to manage his game time and manage the role he's asked to play.

A last hurrah in a slower league would probably be a good move for him. And if he did move on it wold be with all our thanks for what he's helped us achieve. At his peak with us he was astonishing.

I agree he's lost some legs, but why aren't we playing him like a 32 y/o? Is there another 32 year old box to box midfielder at the highest level who plays 180 minutes a week?

He should be playing every other game and if we did that I genuinely think we'd see his performances shoot back up to something approaching his best, because the mind is willing, but the body isn't able to do that role anymore - and things like sprinting back into position, or a lapse in concentration when you're marking are the first things to happen when you're knackered.

I still think the best thing the club could do this summer is to offer him a bench role at a much reduced wage. If he doesn't want it, fine, but if his ego could take the bit part role, he'd be a force of nature to bring off the bench - in practically any scenario because as both an attacking substitution to get a goal or trying to choke out a game with possession, he'd be fantastic.

And he's clearly a big leader in the dressing room as well as on the pitch, you can see that from the way the other players speak of him, and if the personal relationship is OK, having a player who is familiar with Guardiola's training methods would be a bonus too.

 

[Metalartin]

I'd go: finisher - Yes; passer - No; better ball retention - Possibly; equally as creative - No; better passing range - Yes; better from set pieces - Yes

I don't know how anyone could say ball retention because Yaya goes to ground more than Silva when he's trying to retain the ball, Silva is the best in the league at placing himself between ball and man not allowing them to get near the ball and passing is debatable(Silva consistently trying the trickier balls more often). Consistency should be added as an attribute which Silva wins hands down, finding space too IMO(movement), on Yaya's side he's much faster getting up the pitch with the ball, and stronger to hold off challenges to get by players but we see both of these happen maybe once a game these if we are lucky these days. Also it was clear against Arsenal for me that some games it would be better if he maybe came off the bench, Sagna had one of his worst games this season for me(everything was coming down the right) not being able to stop any crosses from his side and it's no coincidence that in-front of him was Yaya offering very little protection or assistance. Imagine if Delph instead was there for most of the match, we shut them out and were able to bring Yaya on in the 2nd half to do the kind of damage he did in the last 10 mins.

I'd agree it's not laziness, possibly fitness but people need to understand taller players are like this(tall and bulky) they tire quicker and age quicker more often than not. I'm not sure how much a new strict diet would help or whether he would be willing to do it, people are forgetting his age though he does need cover so he can be rested some games.