As Yaya is no doubt off, here is a reminder of his...

[bigblue]

An absolute monster. To combine his size and speed with such world-class skill is unreal. Made it look like he was playing against youth players at times. Plus, he was a very intelligent player in possession, knowing when to push on and when to just keep the ball.

We would have won fuck all without him (ok maybe a single cup).

Your fuckign deluded at times mate....It is beyond argument that YAYA has been an immense player for us on the field AT TIMES, and some of those times were KEY TIMES but overall he had more shit games than good games...I dont even think thats arguable.

Crazy. Even for CAPS LOCK CARL standards thats absolutely mental. If you can watch the entire 43 minute video above (as your memory seems to be drowned in boozy anger) and still think Yaya had more shit games than good games.... there's not much else to say as I'd be talking to a brain-dead mong

And CARL, you're 10x the cunt that Yaya's agent will every be. But for you that's probably a term of endearment.

[aaron bond]

Overall, he's been great for us and was a true big game player. Had both the ability to drive the game forward with his marauding runs and retain possession for the team with his great passing range.

His off-the-field incidents with his agent always left a sour taste and it was a shame they happened.

The last 18 months he has been in gradual decline and he was abysmal this season. Pellegrini's persistence with him was a big factor in many of our poor performances. He should not have played much this season and the blame for that lies with Pellegrini.

But the FA Cup semi final, FA Cup Final, the 2 goals away at Newcastle, the incredible free kicks, the 40 yard strike away at Stoke, the one in the 4-0 win at home vs. Villa and the League Cup screamer...just to name a few...all were key in our success in recent years.

Good luck in the future Yaya. Probably 1 year too late, but now it's time for him to move on.

[nottsblue]

An absolute monster of a player. In the last 60 years, how many players like him who had his range of skills have we had? Two? Three? Not fucking many, that is for sure. A great of the modern game who is up there with Gerrard, Lampard, Vieira, Keane as the best in the game.

Yes, his agent is a massive bell end who makes Willie McKay look like a stand up decent guy, but it's what a player does on the field of play that counts. Big game? No bother, Yaya will step up to the plate and dominate. Yes, with hindsight he perhaps has stayed a season too many but that is the clubs fault.

I am not certain he will be sold though. I can see him doing a role similar to what Alonso does for Bayern. His legs have gone and there are far fewer bursting runs but his range of passing and ball retention remain excellent. If he has played his last game however, then every last City fan, man woman and child should applaud his efforts over the last six years and be thankful for what he has brought to us.

[london blue 2]

Is there one of these for Richard Wright as he's now retired?

Proper city legend.

https://m.dreamteamfc.com/c/the-greates ... e-noticed/

[aristation]

I had forgotten just how fast he was, what a shame this season made me forget.
He was an animal just unstoppable I now see how far we dropped back this season

[City64]

An absolute monster. To combine his size and speed with such world-class skill is unreal. Made it look like he was playing against youth players at times. Plus, he was a very intelligent player in possession, knowing when to push on and when to just keep the ball.

We would have won fuck all without him (ok maybe a single cup).

Your fuckign deluded at times mate....It is beyond argument that YAYA has been an immense player for us on the field AT TIMES, and some of those times were KEY TIMES but overall he had more shit games than good games...I dont even think thats arguable.

Crazy. Even for CAPS LOCK CARL standards thats absolutely mental. If you can watch the entire 43 minute video above (as your memory seems to be drowned in boozy anger) and still think Yaya had more shit games than good games.... there's not much else to say as I'd be talking to a brain-dead mong

And CARL, you're 10x the cunt that Yaya's agent will every be. But for you that's probably a term of endearment.

CAPS LOCK CARL ^^^^^
just fell over pissing myself ! :-D :-D

[patrickblue]

You cannot knock his contribution and achievements at the club but it doesn't excuse his half arsed performances under both Mancini and Pellegrini while being captain and airing his dirty laundry (through his agent) in public. It is the same with Tevez.

Dirty laundry I'd agree with, but I never saw Tevez give less than 110% on the pitch.

[Ray78]

You cannot knock his contribution and achievements at the club but it doesn't excuse his half arsed performances under both Mancini and Pellegrini while being captain and airing his dirty laundry (through his agent) in public. It is the same with Tevez.

Dirty laundry I'd agree with, but I never saw Tevez give less than 110% on the pitch.

Tevez wasn't fully committed to the club. He handed in two transfer request (the first happened in Mancini's full season in Charge and when he was team captain) and his mid season golfing holiday in the first title winning season showed that. It took Khaldoon Al Mubarak to get him back when he and his agent were angling for a cut price January move to AC Milan.

[patrickblue]

You cannot knock his contribution and achievements at the club but it doesn't excuse his half arsed performances under both Mancini and Pellegrini while being captain and airing his dirty laundry (through his agent) in public. It is the same with Tevez.

Dirty laundry I'd agree with, but I never saw Tevez give less than 110% on the pitch.

Tevez wasn't fully committed to the club. He handed in two transfer request (the first happened in Mancini's full season in Charge and when he was team captain) and his mid season golfing holiday in the first title winning season showed that. It took Khaldoon Al Mubarak to get him back when he and his agent were angling for a cut price January move to AC Milan.

I don't disagree with any of that, it's just that it never affected his performance when he played.

[Ray78]

True, Tevez did have a decent final season at City and he was workhorse when crossed the white.

[KinkyKinkladze]

An absolute monster of a player. In the last 60 years, how many players like him who had his range of skills have we had? Two? Three? Not fucking many, that is for sure. A great of the modern game who is up there with Gerrard, Lampard, Vieira, Keane as the best in the game.

Yes, his agent is a massive bell end who makes Willie McKay look like a stand up decent guy, but it's what a player does on the field of play that counts. Big game? No bother, Yaya will step up to the plate and dominate. Yes, with hindsight he perhaps has stayed a season too many but that is the clubs fault.

I am not certain he will be sold though. I can see him doing a role similar to what Alonso does for Bayern. His legs have gone and there are far fewer bursting runs but his range of passing and ball retention remain excellent. If he has played his last game however, then every last City fan, man woman and child should applaud his efforts over the last six years and be thankful for what he has brought to us.

Totally agree with this. Great post.

[PrezIke]

Became my favourite player with those runs down the middle that caused defences nightmares, brushing aside tackles like a swashbuckling tight end or running back in American football or rubgy player. His performance in our 2nd title winning season was other worldly, where it felt like every time he would take a free kick he would score, and probably has more goals in important matches throughout his tenure than anyone else during this era, and that also includes Agueeeerrooooo. He was also the ignition key to our attacking engine with his masterful build up play, vision only bested by Silva, one-twos, and capacity to switch play via those curling cross pitch passes.

I genuinely love all of the key and cult players that came in or played for us during these years, so it's always hard to pick one.

I think part of the change in attitude came after he felt slighted, and justifiably so if you ask me, after he came in 3rd behind Gerrard in some Player of the Year awards in 2013-14, when really only Suarez deserved to be ahead of him, and only slightly I'd say. He was the definition of beast that season. Losing a step in Pellegrini's second season, and another one or two this season, along with a massive ego hurt his standing with a number of fans. What some seem to forget may have been the effects of the loss of his brother that summer and how it may have led to his poor decision to react about his birthday, which his agent decided to pray upon further not thinking how he was hurting his client's standing with the fans.

Will miss the man mountain, and wish him the best wherever he goes. I hope over time fans warm up to him as I have seen in other cases of similar memory because the positives far outweigh the concerns. Yaya Touré. City Legend. Full stop.

[ENIAM NAM]

We've certainly missed him this year and the fact it is such a long video shows how good he was over the previous years. Big, big transfer window to replace him, and others, for pep.

[Im_Spartacus]

I have a suspicion he may still be around come September 1st

Whilst Pep may have bombed him out of Barcelona, that was against the backdrop of Yaya playing Centre Back, with Busquets, Xavi & Iniesta sitting in the midfield. He wasn't a centre back and wasn't going to get a chance in front of those three at that stage of his career - it was only after joining us that he stepped up his game to the level of those 3, so it was in both parties' interest to move on.

This time around, we don't exactly have Busquets, Xavi and Iniesta in the midfield, and therefore given defence has got to be our no1 transfer priority this summer, I don't think we will have enough bodies to cover for the central midfield slots, even if we do get Pogba, as I expect Delph and Fernando won't be pep's cup of tea.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I wouldn't completely rule it out Sparty as you just never know however I don't necessarily agree that defence is our priority. I think the centre of midfield is a much more pressing issue when it comes to attempting to implement a Pep philosophy on this squad.

[Im_Spartacus]

I wouldn't completely rule it out Sparty as you just never know however I don't necessarily agree that defence is our priority. I think the centre of midfield is a much more pressing issue when it comes to attempting to implement a Pep philosophy on this squad.

Perhaps so, I suppose my assumption is drawn from our ageing fullbacks and his history of having the likes of Alves, Alaba, Lahm etc covering the wings for his teams. I'm not convinced CB will see a huge amount of change - afterall, if he can get the defensive shield correct in midfield, the pressure would be very much off the centre halves.

I agree that beyond Fernandinho, we certainly need a character to do the running & closing down he requires to get the ball back - and we probably don't have that right now, although Delph would be an able deputy. I see Toure deployed as a reserve forward perhaps, just playing in a withdrawn role - his runs cause panic and space for others, and I think he's still capable of that whilst also still being a gifted footballer and playmaker

[Wonderwall]

I wouldn't completely rule it out Sparty as you just never know however I don't necessarily agree that defence is our priority. I think the centre of midfield is a much more pressing issue when it comes to attempting to implement a Pep philosophy on this squad.

Perhaps so, I suppose my assumption is drawn from our ageing fullbacks and his history of having the likes of Alves, Alaba, Lahm etc covering the wings for his teams. I'm not convinced CB will see a huge amount of change - afterall, if he can get the defensive shield correct in midfield, the pressure would be very much off the centre halves.

I agree that beyond Fernandinho, we certainly need a character to do the running & closing down he requires to get the ball back - and we probably don't have that right now, although Delph would be an able deputy. I see Toure deployed as a reserve forward perhaps, just playing in a withdrawn role - his runs cause panic and space for others, and I think he's still capable of that whilst also still being a gifted footballer and playmaker

Even if Pep was in the mood for everyone to be given a chance. His dickhead agent will hammer the nails into his city coffin soon enough.

[Foreverinbluedreams]

I wouldn't completely rule it out Sparty as you just never know however I don't necessarily agree that defence is our priority. I think the centre of midfield is a much more pressing issue when it comes to attempting to implement a Pep philosophy on this squad.

Perhaps so, I suppose my assumption is drawn from our ageing fullbacks and his history of having the likes of Alves, Alaba, Lahm etc covering the wings for his teams. I'm not convinced CB will see a huge amount of change - afterall, if he can get the defensive shield correct in midfield, the pressure would be very much off the centre halves.

I agree that beyond Fernandinho, we certainly need a character to do the running & closing down he requires to get the ball back - and we probably don't have that right now, although Delph would be an able deputy. I see Toure deployed as a reserve forward perhaps, just playing in a withdrawn role - his runs cause panic and space for others, and I think he's still capable of that whilst also still being a gifted footballer and playmaker

Even if Pep was in the mood for everyone to be given a chance. His dickhead agent will hammer the nails into his city coffin soon enough.

The agent said yesterday that he'll have news on Yaya's future in ten days.

@Sparty, I don't believe Yaya can be used in that advanced role in a team that wants to play a high press because he just doesn't have it in him to do it consistently.

[Im_Spartacus]

I wouldn't completely rule it out Sparty as you just never know however I don't necessarily agree that defence is our priority. I think the centre of midfield is a much more pressing issue when it comes to attempting to implement a Pep philosophy on this squad.

Perhaps so, I suppose my assumption is drawn from our ageing fullbacks and his history of having the likes of Alves, Alaba, Lahm etc covering the wings for his teams. I'm not convinced CB will see a huge amount of change - afterall, if he can get the defensive shield correct in midfield, the pressure would be very much off the centre halves.

I agree that beyond Fernandinho, we certainly need a character to do the running & closing down he requires to get the ball back - and we probably don't have that right now, although Delph would be an able deputy. I see Toure deployed as a reserve forward perhaps, just playing in a withdrawn role - his runs cause panic and space for others, and I think he's still capable of that whilst also still being a gifted footballer and playmaker

Even if Pep was in the mood for everyone to be given a chance. His dickhead agent will hammer the nails into his city coffin soon enough.

The agent said yesterday that he'll have news on Yaya's future in ten days.

@Sparty, I don't believe Yaya can be used in that advanced role in a team that wants to play a high press because he just doesn't have it in him to do it consistently.

Fair point, on the assumption that that's how we will play from the off, but that plan is also flawed in that Aguero is an equally lazy player in that regard.

I suspect that a high pressing approach will emerge over the season, particularly as we go through the Jan transfer window we will see it come to the fore as weeds out the one or two who can't / won't contribute - that's when I reckon we will start to see him flex his muscles over transfers out

[City64]

I wouldn't completely rule it out Sparty as you just never know however I don't necessarily agree that defence is our priority. I think the centre of midfield is a much more pressing issue when it comes to attempting to implement a Pep philosophy on this squad.

Our defence is a fucking disgrace and we need another 2 marque midfielders . That is down to Pellegrini as he has bought woefully , atrociously woefully !