Sergio Aguero - 2016/17 performances

[Ban-jani]

Somewhat of an exaggeration against a WBA team who were there for the taking. We should really be asking ourselves why the centre-forward could not score against a team who were dead at 2-0.

It's not FIFA. His link up play was sublime and his movement and flick set up the first goal.

 

[fatbloke]

Someone has to score the goals. That's the first and foremost metric on which a striker should be measured. Up until this season he has been outstanding. Perhaps I am imagining it but I don't think he as quick as he was, and that leads to a lower goal return as you have so little time in the penalty area.

Up until jesus arrived, the claim was that City's struggle with goal scoring was down to many factors, however it seems as soon as Jesus plays he scores. It's only over a short period of games, but it's very notable that Jesus has made a big difference to City's goal scoring in the same way that Kompany has made a big difference to City's defending. You could argue if you wanted that that is because jesus is such an outstanding forward, but I think the old Kun would be close to 30 goals in the league this season based on the attacking emphasis City have had this season. We've been playing with midfielders and wingers at full back. We've done everything we can to up the goal output

"Someone has to score the goals", precisely, it doesn't always have to be Aguero or Jesus for that matter.

 

[OB1]

Well you could say both are the same then, either way I don't understand how anyone can think that his performance last night wasn't better for the team, whether or not he scored, and as I said, what he did last night could well see him score more, not less. Messi doesn't score every game, but he always does hard work for the team, and sets others up, it hasn't stopped him scoring goals.

His performance last night was hugely encouraging.

If Kun's team mates do their bit, he could both score more and assist more by adapting his game. If there is less reliance on Kun for goals, he will be under less pressure and therefore his conversion rate may rise as a consequence so that he produces more goals from less shots.

 

[herrock]

Aguero showed Pep for the first time last night that he is learning how to play how he wants him to. His work rate was outstanding, he held the ball up much better and played some great passes. I think Pep had serious thoughts about selling him, but not now.

 

[OB1]

I've just finished watching the full game and logging everything he did. I'll hold my hands up and admit that describing him as poor was wrong. But neither was he MOTM as some are claiming. That was KDB by a country mile.

Checking my notes and the good bits were:

• The assist for Yaya's goal
• His involvement in the other two goals.
• 5th minute - failed to control a difficult ball but won it back and turned the West Brom defender beautifully
• 14th minute - chases down over-hit corner and keeps it in
• 16th minute - does well to win ball and feeds Sane perfectly who fails to get his shot on target. That really should have been an assist for him.
• 27th minute - goes deep, picks up ball from Yaya and does a nice lay-off to Silva.
• 39th minute - Nice 1-2 with Silva and hits good shot but straight at Foster.
• 46th minute - powerful run from about 30 yds out and pulled ball back
• 55th minute - back in our half to win ball
• 72nd minute - shot deflected for corner
• 76th minute - nice chest down to Sane from a Jesus long ball although it's a bit too far in front of him.
• 81st minute - lovely cross-field ball to Jesus that he just fails to control.
• 91st minute - Kolarov wins ball in our half and breaks forward. Sergio picks it up and makes good run into box (but weak end product).

The less good bits were:

• Poor control on a few occasions and lost possession too easily a couple of times.
• A few times where he needed to show a bit more commitment to close a West Brom player down and win the ball. That's one area where Jesus wins hands down over him as he's really strong and determined. To give an example, in the 64th minute Sergio receives the ball about 30 yards from goal but loses it too easily. He then tries to win it back and there are 3 chances to close the player down and put a foot in but he simply doesn't show enough commitment or desire.
• There were at least two occasions where Sane was caught offside but, if he had been on-side, Sergio wouldn't have been in the right place to receive the ball.
• Sometimes he seems to be not quite aware of what's happening around him. There a few times where he should have been in a better position to prevent a pass or cut off the channel but reacted a second too late. In the 49th minute KDB played the ball towards him & it wasn't near enough. Kolarov won the ball back but it broke to a West Brom player and Sergio was too slow to close him down. Right at the end of the first half, Silva plays a beaut of a high ball into the box for Kolarov, who's racing in but Sergio isn't aware and gets in his way a bit.

I'd give Sergio a 7 or 7.5 out of 10 overall but I'd put him behind Sane who I rated 8/10 and maybe 8.5 for Jesus (KDB being a 9 or 9.5/10 in my view). Silva had one of his quieter games by his standards but was still very effective and I'd rate him about the same as Sergio. So he wasn't anywhere near as terrible as I initially thought but he wasn't quite as good as some others are making out. He's working harder, dropping deeper and some of his link-up play was a cut above what we've seen from him before. He's clearly trying very hard to change his natural game and certainly deserves credit for that but there are still times he switches off a bit. I think the odds of him being here next season are tipping in his favour.

That's a comprehensive piece of work.

I agree BTW that KDB was MotM.

It's also undeniable that Kun's touch / awareness let's him down too often when he should protect the ball. He's not alone in that: KDB is often guilty of that and I know I cursed him at least once last night on that account, despite his MotM performance.

Kun gave the performance of a man who wants to be here next year and that delights me.

 

[Prestwich_Blue]

That's a comprehensive piece of work.

I agree BTW that KDB was MotM.

It's also undeniable that Kun's touch / awareness let's him down too often when he should protect the ball. He's not alone in that: KDB is often guilty of that and I know I cursed him at least once last night on that account, despite his MotM performance.

Kun gave the performance of a man who wants to be here next year and that delights me.

I absolutely agree it was an encouraging performance and that he definitely wants to be here.

 

[OB1]

In your opinion but not everyones - there is a difference and its important.

It's irrelevant to the point I was making. If you want to wrap yourself up in pedantry and semantics, knock yourself out but I bored of this. You clearly, didn't get the point I was making and I've tried to explain; my bad if my English is not clear enough.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

Just to add my voice to the chorus of praise for Sergio last night. There was a drive, energy and dynamism about him wherever he was involved. He harried, pressed and tackled with an enthusiasm that was most impressive and Pep was justly almost speechless - " he played like I never saw. Wow!" IT would be an act of folly, even criminality to let such a player leave.

 

[Exeter Blue I am here]

That's a comprehensive piece of work.

I agree BTW that KDB was MotM.

It's also undeniable that Kun's touch / awareness let's him down too often when he should protect the ball. He's not alone in that: KDB is often guilty of that and I know I cursed him at least once last night on that account, despite his MotM performance.

Kun gave the performance of a man who wants to be here next year and that delights me.

I could have happily taken KDB, Ya Ya, Kun or Kompers for MotM last night. They were all superb. I went with Vinny though. All season long I've watched 6ft 3' bullies hold our defenders at bay and give their team mates a counterattacking platform, but the return of our leader has changed all that. Rondon spent the entire game on his arse cos of VK, completely cowed.

 

[blue dallas]

Not one of you has come up with an argument. Until you do, I'm keeping my opinion, until he scores a couple against watford.

He's got 31 goals this year and was banned for SEVEN prem games

How's that for an argument.