Mahrez

[camberwell fox]

Mahrez wants to move to a bigger club than us. I understand anyone being sad or disappointed about this.

However, the constant criticism of him following any appearance, whether he's good or average. whether he's perceived to 'try' or not, whether he runs about or not, whether he doesn't track back enough or not, whether he's too greedy in possession or not, because he doesn't score a 'worldy' every game, is not the way to handle it.

Mahrez is a brilliant player. He was less brilliant last season than the one before but he's still brilliant. He did brilliant things against Arsenal that none of his team mates (or the likes of Gray) are capable of. Yet his performance was (as usual) highlighted and criticised. This criticism is completely without foundation or rationality. The stats show that he was our second most effective player on the night after Vardy. He worked as hard as anyone and he was creative.

You may just as well have criticised that useless lazy lump Vardy for only scoring goals. Or say that Vardy's heart is clearly not in it because he didn't stop Giroud's header.

Be angry with Mahrez's agent touting him around Europe like a cheap TV. Be upset that we're likely seeing the final days of a great player in a City shirt. But don't lower yourselves to inventing reasons to dislike him or lessen his brilliance.

Beautifully put BN.

 

[Lako42]

Arsenal won 4-3. There you go.

So Mahrez was shit then?

 

[fitz]

He didn't run about at all on Friday and was very lazy.

There we go, someone has said it...only to make this discussion a bit less mental.

 

[fitz]

In all seriousness though he wasn't that bad. Did well considering he had Oxlade and Chamberlain doubling up on him all game.

 

[Micky]

So Mahrez was shit then?

No the defence was.

 

[FOX Franks]

Cheers Roma, but, you can er, **** off thanks. Who do they think they are offering way under the asking price and "setting a deadline"?

 

[Lako42]

View attachment 13794

Cheers Roma, but, you can er, **** off thanks. Who do they think they are offering way under the asking price and "setting a deadline"?

I think they are using the lack of demand as a good excuse to offer a lower amount.

Can't blame them.

 

[popillius]

Mahrez wants to move to a bigger club than us. I understand anyone being sad or disappointed about this.

However, the constant criticism of him following any appearance, whether he's good or average. whether he's perceived to 'try' or not, whether he runs about or not, whether he doesn't track back enough or not, whether he's too greedy in possession or not, because he doesn't score a 'worldy' every game, is not the way to handle it.

Mahrez is a brilliant player. He was less brilliant last season than the one before but he's still brilliant. He did brilliant things against Arsenal that none of his team mates (or the likes of Gray) are capable of. Yet his performance was (as usual) highlighted and criticised. This criticism is completely without foundation or rationality. The stats show that he was our second most effective player on the night after Vardy. He worked as hard as anyone and he was creative.

You may just as well have criticised that useless lazy lump Vardy for only scoring goals. Or say that Vardy's heart is clearly not in it because he didn't stop Giroud's header.

Be angry with Mahrez's agent touting him around Europe like a cheap TV. Be upset that we're likely seeing the final days of a great player in a City shirt. But don't lower yourselves to inventing reasons to dislike him or lessen his brilliance.

Perfect.

There has to be a villain for some reason though. It's Mahrez at the moment, even though that makes no sense at all.

 

[Lako42]

Perfect.

There has to be a villain for some reason though. It's Mahrez at the moment, even though that makes no sense at all.

It makes sense.

His standards have dropped remarkably for about a year now.

The issue is that people call him incredible, magic, the best player in the clubs history, but then they judge his reduction in performance along with our other players, who clearly aren't as good.

If he's as utterly incredible as many on here make him out to be then it is only right that his performance drop be judged in accordance with his own majestic standards.

He's fell massively short, and I am not taking into account the one game this season, which would be unfair.

 

[Micky]

It makes sense.

His standards have dropped remarkably for about a year now.

The issue is that people call him incredible, magic, the best player in the clubs history, but then they judge his reduction in performance along with our other players, who clearly aren't as good.

If he's as utterly incredible as many on here make him out to be then it is only right that his performance drop be judged in accordance with his own majestic standards.

He's fell massively short, and I am not taking into account the one game this season, which would be unfair.

As have the rest of the team - which may have something to do with his loss of form.

 

[popillius]

It makes sense.

His standards have dropped remarkably for about a year now.

The issue is that people call him incredible, magic, the best player in the clubs history, but then they judge his reduction in performance along with our other players, who clearly aren't as good.

If he's as utterly incredible as many on here make him out to be then it is only right that his performance drop be judged in accordance with his own majestic standards.

He's fell massively short, and I am not taking into account the one game this season, which would be unfair.

My point was more about the absurdity of how far some people are willing to criticise him regardless of what he does.

Okay, he hasn't been as good as he was in the title winning season but neither has he been anywhere near as bad as some like to imagine. His performance against Arsenal was of a good standard. Him and Albrighton were the only players looking to create something for Vardy whenever they could but he was criticised so heavily you'd think he strolled around scratching his balls for 90 minutes. Without him in that pitch, we'd have been beaten far easier.

As for his decline in form, there are loads of reasons that are being forgotten. The possible poor management of him early last season when it looked like he was being shoe-horned into roles which didn't suit him at all, the lack of any support from midfielders around him who were all poorer than they had been, the loss of Kante who did all of the tidying up allowing him more freedom to roam and the need for him to be more defensively aware (which he was despite numerous ridiculous assertions that he wasn't) because the back four were not performing and last but not least, just for City Fan, the awareness of opposition defenders and the marking of him this created. These are not excuses, he too perhaps showed a little less willingness to chase after the ball having lost it and he may have been guilty of trying to do too much sometimes but in the end, he was still better than most last season and still looked like one of the only players who was capable of opening up defences, even if it didn't happen too often.

I'm not saying he is at his glorious best but he could easily be there with decent support around him. If we end up keeping him, fans must forget the shit way his agents have managed this whole transfer debacle and remember the world class player he can be, get behind him and watch what he does each game rather than what they think he doesn't do.

 

[Micky]

My point was more about the absurdity of how far some people are willing to criticise him regardless of what he does.

Okay, he hasn't been as good as he was in the title winning season but neither has he been anywhere near as bad as some like to imagine. His performance against Arsenal was of a good standard. Him and Albrighton were the only players looking to create something for Vardy whenever they could but he was criticised so heavily you'd think he strolled around scratching his balls for 90 minutes. Without him in that pitch, we'd have been beaten far easier.

As for his decline in form, there are loads of reasons that are being forgotten. The possible poor management of him early last season when it looked like he was being shoe-horned into roles which didn't suit him at all, the lack of any support from midfielders around him who were all poorer than they had been, the loss of Kante who did all of the tidying up allowing him more freedom to roam and the need for him to be more defensively aware (which he was despite numerous ridiculous assertions that he wasn't) because the back four were not performing and last but not least, just for City Fan, the awareness of opposition defenders and the marking of him this created. These are not excuses, he too perhaps showed a little less willingness to chase after the ball having lost it and he may have been guilty of trying to do too much sometimes but in the end, he was still better than most last season and still looked like one of the only players who was capable of opening up defences, even if it didn't happen too often.

I'm not saying he is at his glorious best but he could easily be there with decent support around him. If we end up keeping him, fans must forget the shit way his agents have managed this whole transfer debacle and remember the world class player he can be, get behind him and watch what he does each game rather than what they think he doesn't do.

No, it would make much sense to slate, berate and boo him. I am sure some numpty idiots will do anyhow.

 

[Lako42]

No, it would make much sense to slate, berate and boo him. I am sure some numpty idiots will do anyhow.

I'm not doing any of those things, I'm trying to have a discussion.

It's hard when people bring out the emotive language just because not everybody thinks he's as good as he should be.

Why aren't there any clubs wanting to pick him up?

Are they also all being overly negative regarding him or are they watching him closely and seeing things that may match with my own viewpoint?

 

[City Fan]

and last but not least, just for City Fan, the awareness of opposition defenders and the marking of him this created.

Well I feel privileged.

My question is this...do you believe that opposition managers in the 15/16 season didn't see his talent throughout the season and try to get their teams to be more aware of him and mark him more closely? Do you think they said "don't worry about marking him closely this season boys, lets wait for next season"?

Clearly not. There was no difference in the point you mentioned between the 15/16 season and the 16/17 season. He was treated no differently by opposition teams.

Yes ok there's many reasons (as you accurately went through) as to why he didn't reach the heights of 15/16 last season. But please don't give me this same old bollocks about the awareness of opposition defenders.

 

[Cambridge_fox]

I like tits

 

[popillius]

Well I feel privileged.

My question is this...do you believe that opposition managers in the 15/16 season didn't see his talent throughout the season and try to get their teams to be more aware of him and mark him more closely?...

No, but then that's not what I said. I said that opposition defenders were more aware. This means that, as they had already played against him, seen for themselves his strengths, had a chance to assess which way best to nullify his threat overtime by watching copious videos and drawing on their past experiences, they were then in a different position to be able to defend against his brand of football in a different and more effective way.

If you genuinely think that the way defences handled Mahrez last season was the same as the season before then you weren't watching or have completely forgotten both seasons entirely.

 

[Robin127]

Some of the way defences handled Mahrez last season was helped by the way he often played.

 

[Micky]

I'm not doing any of those things, I'm trying to have a discussion.

It's hard when people bring out the emotive language just because not everybody thinks he's as good as he should be.

Why aren't there any clubs wanting to pick him up?

Are they also all being overly negative regarding him or are they watching him closely and seeing things that may match with my own viewpoint?

I didn't say you had or were. Unfortunately there are some people that are doing those things.

 

[popillius]

I'm not doing any of those things, I'm trying to have a discussion.

It's hard when people bring out the emotive language just because not everybody thinks he's as good as he should be.

Why aren't there any clubs wanting to pick him up?

Are they also all being overly negative regarding him or are they watching him closely and seeing things that may match with my own viewpoint?

For the record, I think your discussion of Mahrez and the position you take on the matter makes far more logistical sense than a lot of the utter made up rubbish from some other posters. I don't necessarily agree with some of it but I can at least see where you are coming from.

I think other clubs aren't coming in for him because his form did seem to drop, on that we can agree. They don't care about the reasons really, why should they, but I think we will see someone taking a £40m punt on him before the window closes and if successful, they will get a bargain (relatively speaking in this crazy market).

 

[City Fan]

No, but then that's not what I said. I said that opposition defenders were more aware. This means that, as they had already played against him, seen for themselves his strengths, had a chance to assess which way best to nullify his threat overtime by watching copious videos and drawing on their past experiences, they were then in a different position to be able to defend against his brand of football in a different and more effective way.

I'm sorry but you're barking up the wrong tree there.

Surely if what you said above was the case for Mahrez, it would be the case for every footballer. How is it that some footballers can perform year in year out? Is there no video footage of those players? Do the opposition only play against these players once and then just disappear off the face of the earth?

Non argument.