The Mahrez Saga

[Brown Nose]

 

[camberwell fox]

I like all of that reasoned argument but you appear to have forgotten that he went awol from training, possibly failed to turn up for a game, missed training again and has a **** for a friend who leaked his limp depression story to Sky.

Having said that we are far richer with him in our team as he is, without doubt a mercurial genius.

I forgive him in the blink of an eye.

p.s. Man City are a club of ****s.

 

[Volpone]

You ask what he has done wrong. Well not turning up today for one thing and therefore being fined £200k.

 

[City Fan]

Given that nearly all of them did down tools doesn't that mean he did?

At least the rest picked up their tools in February rather than leaving them on the floor for the entire season, and then for the start of the next.

 

[Jeff]

Man City deliberately decided to try us out on deadline day presumably because they saw us get bullied by Drinkwater and Chelsea in August and thought that they could do the same.

Or they decided they wanted him as soon as they found out how bad Sane's injury is.

 

[Brown Nose]

Given that nearly all of them did down tools doesn't that mean he did?

No, I don't think they did at all. The whole horror show of the pre-season, combined with the collective hangover, a team found out, terrible recruitment, an expressed focus on Champions League over Premier League, as well as several other things, were the root cause. Some players let themselves down badly towards the end of Ranieri's reign, but Mahrez wasn't one I'd include in that.

 

[pork pie fox]

You ask what he has done wrong. Well not turning up today for one thing and therefore being fined £200k.

Or was he asked to stay away? I’m not saying he was, just that we don’t know.

 

[City Fan]

Some players let themselves down badly towards the end of Ranieri's reign, but Mahrez wasn't one I'd include in that.

Of course you wouldn’t...

Blinkered.

 

[Micky]

He is a footballing genius and I doubt we will see anything as good for a long time.
He has acted like a silly little boy and he will now have to suck it up and get on until the summer.
Out of all of this, I am so proud that our owners held firm and refused to give in to the superpowers.
When Riyad does go in the summer I hope we still get a mega fee because he will be worth every penny.

 

[Skitzo]

we'll sell in the £60m-£70m range in the summer

 

[silly fox]

This saga is the future of modern football......at least it will be whilst there is so much money in the game. No party comes out of this smelling of roses.

 

[fitz]

No, I don't think they did at all. The whole horror show of the pre-season, combined with the collective hangover, a team found out, terrible recruitment, an expressed focus on Champions League over Premier League, as well as several other things, were the root cause. Some players let themselves down badly towards the end of Ranieri's reign, but Mahrez wasn't one I'd include in that.

10 players marking him, right?

 

[homer]

we'll sell in the £60m-£70m range in the summer

Well we would have done last summer

But not now, thanks to Man City's arrogance

And not next summer either, after all this shitstorm

The price has been set, and everyone knows it.

Apart from Mahrez and his deluded agent, obviously

 

[Skitzo]

I think we'll do it just to get rid of him next summer as he will only have 2 years left on his deal and avoid yet another tantrum

 

[popillius]

I'm a consistent defender of Mahrez. In fact, I love the guy so much that he'd have to do something pretty horrendous to make me forget the joy he has given me over the last four years.

I've therefore held off making any judgement on the current situation until the truth becomes clearer. It still isn't definite what has gone on, but it is now not difficult to follow the chain of events.

We all know Mahrez wants a move to one of the 'big six' teams in England or Barcelona. It has been his wish for 18 months and I don't have a problem with this, or him expressing it. Therefore, it is all about what our owners and Mahrez do if any when any of those clubs make an offer for him.

I don't accept the argument that Mahrez downed tools last season. He was no more or less below his best than pretty much any other player. He's been our best player this season, as (in my opinion) he was in our title winning season. His skill, style, and creativity have always stood out. However, I've also always seen a true team player, who seems to show genuine affection for his team mates and is fully integrated into the core group despite having a different religion and culture to most of them. It is far from irrelevant that his colleagues love him.

Mahrez expressed a desire to go in summer 2016. The owners and Ranieri persuaded him to stay and sign a lucrative new deal with talk of some gentlemen's agreement about being allowed to leave in summer 2017. He didn't have to do this, but he did. He could easily have agitated himself away then, just like Drinkwater did.

In summer 2017, the only team that made an offer was Roma and it was derisory. He was valued at £50m and nobody came close. Roma were also not on his list of teams so I didn't expect any trouble from him by turning this down and we didn't get any. He did make a tit of himself on deadline day, not because I think he wanted to go to Roma, but that he was hoping one of his favoured teams came in with a late offer.

So fast forward to this January, and 30 days of total silence when it came to Mahrez and a move away. He said nothing, his agent said nothing, and no club came in for him. Man City deliberately decided to try us out on deadline day presumably because they saw us get bullied by Drinkwater and Chelsea in August and thought that they could do the same. The problem with this is that Man City ticked all of Mahrez's boxes so he was always going to be very keen on the move - and I don't blame him for that either.

Man City then offer 'last summer' money. Our owners were asked what our valuation was and they replied £80m (I think Rob Tanner's account of the money involved is most likely to be accurate). Man City then pissed about with inept offers well below this and eventually attempted to throw in Patrick Roberts (Man City fans seem to think it was) as a make-weight replacement. At no point did Man City get anywhere close to our valuation. I'd venture that our owners would have compromised a bit, but Man City weren't going to get north of £70m and so the deal died.

Mahrez witnessed all this with completely understandable despair. He'd been waiting around for 18 months for this chance, here is was, and it was all going to shit. I don't blame him or his agent for trying a few tricks to try to make things happen. However, our owners toughed it out and that is to their great credit. Ultimately, a big club is created by big actions.

Man City have been very poor in all this. If they aren't serious, either keep quiet about any interest or don't go there at all. We all know that they could have paid the asking price without a care but they decided to stay well below. Maybe they were deliberately softening us up for signing him this summer. I hope our owners have nothing to do with them then too.

Mahrez is again the victim. What of any substance has he done wrong beyond expressing a desire to (in his eyes) improve himself? I trust in his good sense and expect that the players that love him will reintegrate him and the fans that currently hurl abuse at his supposed behaviour will cheer him the next time he dances through an opposition defence. Maybe this will all happen as early as this weekend.

Support our owners and their judgement. Support our best player through another emotional roller-coaster he's been through. And then let's all enjoy him for a little longer.

This is excellent. An honest, well thought out response which shouldn't be lost in all the anger that is floating around here.

Why are so many people willing to believe what some journalists are writing to sell papers? Mahrez has been much maligned by many without any cause or reason that we are absolutely sure of other than he asked to leave to fulfil his dreams of playing for a club of his dreams. This is the only fact we know.

I'm not suggesting we should get the violins out for him or that we should have sold him, the owners were fantastic during this whole saga, but to vilify him on the basis of a few spurious headlines and snippets from 'Sky sources' or equally unreliable 'news' outlets is both unfair and naive. All this bollocks about his 'last tantrum' is as baseless as the rubbish being spoken about him now. He was no worse than anyone else last season and he was a lot better than some. Like BN writes, it'll be these same folk who will be chanting his name the next time he puts on a show.

If he is failing to turn up to training or refusing to play then he will be dealt with as Ulloa was but until that point, we don't know of anything that he has done for sure which allows for the type of criticism he is receiving.

 

[camberwell fox]

This is excellent. An honest, well thought out response which shouldn't be lost in all the anger that is floating around here.

Why are so many people willing to believe what some journalists are writing to sell papers? Mahrez has been much maligned by many without any cause or reason that we are absolutely sure of other than he asked to leave to fulfil his dreams of playing for a club of his dreams. This is the only fact we know.

I'm not suggesting we should get the violins out for him or that we should have sold him, the owners were fantastic during this whole saga, but to vilify him on the basis of a few spurious headlines and snippets from 'Sky sources' or equally unreliable 'news' outlets is both unfair and naive. All this bollocks about his 'last tantrum' is as baseless as the rubbish being spoken about him now. He was no worse than anyone else last season and he was a lot better than some. Like BN writes, it'll be these same folk who will be chanting his name the next time he puts on a show.

If he is failing to turn up to training or refusing to play then he will be dealt with as Ulloa was but until that point, we don't know of anything that he has done for sure which allows for the type of criticism he is receiving.

Great post Pop.

 

[fitz]

This is excellent. An honest, well thought out response which shouldn't be lost in all the anger that is floating around here.

Why are so many people willing to believe what some journalists are writing to sell papers? Mahrez has been much maligned by many without any cause or reason that we are absolutely sure of other than he asked to leave to fulfil his dreams of playing for a club of his dreams. This is the only fact we know.

I'm not suggesting we should get the violins out for him or that we should have sold him, the owners were fantastic during this whole saga, but to vilify him on the basis of a few spurious headlines and snippets from 'Sky sources' or equally unreliable 'news' outlets is both unfair and naive. All this bollocks about his 'last tantrum' is as baseless as the rubbish being spoken about him now. He was no worse than anyone else last season and he was a lot better than some. Like BN writes, it'll be these same folk who will be chanting his name the next time he puts on a show.

If he is failing to turn up to training or refusing to play then he will be dealt with as Ulloa was but until that point, we don't know of anything that he has done for sure which allows for the type of criticism he is receiving.

So if it's all bollocks it would be wise for the club to say so? Our manager made a point that they'll need to bum him etc to cheer him up. No denial of his antics or that he's been on the skive has been made, odd I think if it's not true.

 

[bloo]

Indeed, it would be very easy for the club to issue a statement saying 'we knew where Mahrez was all along because we gave him leave to make himself scarce'.... or did I miss that one?

 

[popillius]

So if it's all bollocks it would be wise for the club to say so? Our manager made a point that they'll need to bum him etc to cheer him up. No denial of his antics or that he's been on the skive has been made, odd I think if it's not true.

Why on earth should they? It's not the job of the club to engage with this kind of press at all. As far as they are concerned the matter is closed. If others want to jump on a bandwagon created by bored journalists that is their choice. Whatever has happened will be dealt with internally as it should be.

 

[popillius]

Indeed, it would be very easy for the club to issue a statement saying 'we knew where Mahrez was all along because we gave him leave to make himself scarce'.... or did I miss that one?

It wouldn't be easy at all. All that kind of nonsense would do is keep the story in the press for other journalists to play with. If it is about ease then the easiest thing for the club to do is ignore all the rumours and get on with trying to win football matches - perhaps some of the more hyper-sensitive fans should do the same.