In all seriousness your comparing the EPL with the MLS, where the game is equally fast, probably faster actually, with more technically gifted players.
Okay if the criteria is players that can "still run 90 in arguably the best league in the world" let's stick with 32+ year old midfielder's that came to the MLS a season after playing considerable min for a top flight team in one of the top leagues in europe (arrival age):
1. Lampard (36)
2.Pirlo (36)
3. Gerrard (36)
4. Kaka (32)
5. Schweinsteiger (32)
Comparing to midfield players is important because history has shown +32 year old attackers that come to the MLS from top leagues tend to do better than their midfield counter parts (Examples: Villa, Drogba, etc). At their peak all of those players listed were better than peak Yaya and if you're going for Jersey sales more well known. The contributions across the group vary but none of them had wildly successful MLS runs. Why would we do the same thing with Yaya.
I think the more technically gifted part you point out is key and why midfielders like Yaya have historically struggled in the MLS. Every player on an EPL team is a threat that needs to be marked and accounted for which allows guys like Yaya the room they need to operate. In the MLS teams can focus more on the higher skill players with a lot less risk because many of their teammates don't have the ability to consistently punish them for doing so. Add in the fact that most top tier EPL teams have at least one spot filled with an Ozil/David Silva/Hazard/Juan Mata type player that's out there 95% for offense and 5% for defense and there is even more space. Now contrast that with the RBNY press, every player on the field is way way less skilled than a typical EPL starter but every one of them including their striker BWP is running around on D kicking people.
A team wouldn't dare press MCFC as high as RBNY presses in every MLS game because it would be 4-0 in the first 5 min when Sane/Aguero/Jesus/Sterling etc would get the ball in a ton of space and convert at a super high rate. Contrast that with NYCFC, RB can press all day knowing the CBs can double Villa our only sure finisher and even if given space the other options Maxi, Wallace, and Harrison won't punish them for it consistently. It's not about the skill of a guy like Yaya or the speed of the game it's more about the skill levels of the players around them.
Would you say Schweinsteiger was the most successful? Yet he struggled to make an impact in the EPL. This doesn’t mean Yaya would be successful, because football isn’t an exact science. All I am saying is he still has something to offer if he was signed.
You're not alone in being absolutely against it. But we're looking at a reporter we consider unreliable tweeting this based on unnamed "MLS sources." That's a step behind unnamed NYCFC sources. I'm not sure there's a conversation happening that's worth getting upset with.I’m furious this is even a conversation. To me this is CFG trying to do Yaya a solid and get him a few more paychecks.
How am I the only one livid about this?
Someone needs to dig up the game tape of City v. Wolves in the League Cup this year. Yaya was absolutely destroyed in the midfield. Wolves were running circles around him. This man hasn’t produced in over 2 years!!! Since Yaya has moved to defensive mid he has been a liability. He will continue to be that liability here.
Shit the guy nearly quit one of the largest clubs in the world over birthday cake. Imagine this dude flying coach to play Houston in a half empty stadium? Fuck out of here. And factor in he probably won’t get here until July destroying team chemistry? Imagine how the youth will look up to this primodanna? I’m good.
This signing at DP level would be an absolute disaster. Anything more then a bench player and bench player salary shows that this club has no ambition to truly win. I’m furious this is even a conversation. To me this is CFG trying to do Yaya a solid and get him a few more paychecks.
How am I the only one livid about this?
Rename this to: The Yaya Toure Rationalization Thread
We'll finish third at best and lose in the knockout next year if Toure is our third DP.
If it's true that we're trying to sign Yaya I'm going to ask CFG to sell the team. If they make this mistake once fine we learn from it and move on but are we seriously going to do this again?!?!? Once Villa retires this team is fucked unless if CFG gets their shit together and realizes this league isn't a fucking joke where you can just sign whoever the fuck you want just to keep him in the "City" family.
I got to disagree with you. His chant is so legendary when I looked pissed at school someone asked me what happened and I told him that NYCFC were in talks to bring in Yaya if he cares. He than began singing the chant... Very awkward moment to say the least.And Yaya Toure isn't Pirlo. Yaya won't sell jerseys and won't put butts in seats.
I got to disagree with you. His chant is so legendary when I looked pissed at school someone asked me what happened and I told him that NYCFC were in talks to bring in Yaya if he cares. He than began singing the chant... Very awkward moment to say the least.
Henry was a playmaker. Yaya is not Henry.
Did you watch Henry in MLS? Have you ever even watched MLS? Yaya is not close to creative in the way Henry was.Wait, Yaya is not a playmaker? Y'all got jokes, huh?
Yaya is the definition of playmaker.
Henry was a goal scorer, who could also create for others, where as Yaya is a playmaker who can also score (from free kicks and penalties he's amongst the best there is in the world - he has yet to miss one pen for Man City in his entire career, and in 2014 was single handedly carrying the team scoring 20 goals and many from free kicks, but he is also a threat to score from open play if you give him any space outside of the box)
I wonder how much some here know Yaya's game.
He is on the decline, duh, that's why he's going to be available, but he can more than handle the pace of MLS at this point.
He is a beast aka Man Not Machine (was his nickname) with the ball at his feet, using deft touches playing one-twos, incredible curling cross pitch passes, and generally just keeping the ball and creating for his teammates. He will score goals with his incredible power and technical ability, is a leader, and should be a significant upgrade on Pirlo this past season.
His effort on the pitch was questioned two seasons ago, but some of this was also due to being put in the position of having to be a player he could not be based on the tactics employed under Pellegrini who put him in a two man midfield that left him exposed. He has lost some pace, and it looks like he doesn't run hard the entire game, saving his energy for bursts, but as a holding midfielder with 3 central midfielders, which Pep switched him to last season, he did very well. Going into last season many expected him to be shipped out, but he came back, worked hard, got into great shape and became a key player at 32-33 years old.
Man City still want to keep him around for a reason, and he can only not get in because the pace of Pep's style is very high now, with Fernandinho also playing at a very high level, and Pep wanting Gundogan to get game time now as well, both of whom are better, younger and faster than him now.
Yaya is as a very passionate and firey player on the pitch from what I have seen, and heard, and in fact sometimes arguing with refs and standing up for his teammates. So this idea he is laid back is completely false. He's considered a great character and outspoken about global topics off the pitch, like Henry was, but some of his mistakes have been very focused upon off the pitch instead, of which one cannot deny he did do to himself.
I believe he would do very well for us and is 4 years younger than Pirlo, so I think we could get at least 2 years from him. Add him to the team this past season and I think we would have never been out of it after the first leg against Columbus.
The idea of being against DP's because of their age is mostly useless anyway, as you can't get this kind of quality younger. He'd be here to help us to get over the hump, and I have little doubt he could do it.