Very good article, clear, concise and not obscured by anything.
The Yaya situation was predictable and expected when we signed Pep. The fact that he is older and the way Guardiola's wants the team to play always meant that at this stage, it will be always be difficult for Yaya to get involved in this team, regardless of his talent. His omission from the champions league squad, for me at least, signified that he was not part of the manager's plans going forward but I thought (or hoped) that there will be opportunities over the course of the season for him to contribute.
The press conference from Guardiola yesterday and him rightfully calling out the agent now signifies that Yaya Toure will not play for us again, things may change but it is highly unlikely now and so the timing of your article was spot on. It is a big moment but there will be a lot to talk about when he finally leaves... a lot of issues concerning Yaya Toure, who I see as one of the ground breaking footballers in recent times. But we will cross that bridge when we get to it.
Toure and his agent go back a long way and in many ways I can understand his loyalty because of how Seluk helped him get to the very top from where he started. But whatever grievances he may have, justifiable or not, the behaviour of the agent has been corrosive, unacceptable and detrimental not only to Yaya but also to the bottom line, which is the image of the club and Yaya has to take responsibility for that. Seluk is his agent and there have been ample opportunities for Yaya to put an end to this ''Seluk and the media '' debacle. So the comment from Guardiola is more of a signal of intent rather than a call for an apology and it definitely signals an end of an era.And also a change in the attitude of future agents and even players towards the club. It draws a line. but hopefully it won't be a source of distraction this season.
In terms of Yaya's legacy, as I said, there is a lot to talk about, and it is all about being able to look back retrospectively. People 10 years - 20 years from now being able to look back.. and what will they remember? Football prevails over all and his impact on the football pitch (and also out of the football pitch e.g charity work and so on) and the way he vandalized flawed perceptions and stereotypes of footballers in terms of their roles in the football pitch and capacities will not be erased or denied and that ultimately is what his legacy will be based upon when the dust settles.
