When discussion turns to the most important player in
Manchester City’s most recent memory, there is a list of predictable
candidates. Sergio Aguero has helped elevate the club from project to
superpower. Yaya Toure has ensured that they have become a force to be
reckoned with. Vincent Kompany continues to provide a window into how
far City have come in such a short space of time. Wilfried Bony acts as a
sobering reminder that money does not guarantee success.
None have played a more integral role than David Silva.
Signed from Valencia in summer 2010, the Spaniard has been the one
constant amid an era of change in Manchester. When Aguero has struggled
with injuries, Silva has shouldered the burden. When Toure has battled
against inconsistencies, Silva has stepped up. When Kompany has been
missing, Silva has provided leadership. Where £28million Bony has failed
in every sense to live up to his price tag, the £24million spent on
Silva has been repaid time and time and time again.
The midfielder’s importance to the cause has rarely been
more conspicuous than in this season. Manuel Pellegrini’s extended
swansong continues to threaten a descent into insignificance, something
which a 0-0 draw with Norwich
does nothing to mitigate. The 30-year-old made 105 passes – at least 20
more than any other player. He had 127 touches – at least ten more than
any other player. He Spaniard made four key passes – no other player
made more than one. Silva created opportunities, but his team-mates let
him down. Again.
It is no coincidence that City’s struggles correlate with Silva’s
battle against injuries. “David is coming back from a long – I can’t say
an injury because it is a pain in his ankle,” said manager Manuel
Pellegrini earlier this month. “He is trying to improve as much as he
can, but he continues to play not 100 percent comfortably. He is still
feeling the pain.”
And yet the Chilean is still playing him. Silva himself described his
time spent on the sidelines as “frustrating” back in January, but his
manager has merely compounded the problems. Much as Aguero and Kompany
were not afforded recovery time before him, Silva has been asked to play
as soon as he has returned to training. After a summer in which he
failed to adequately strengthen his side, Pellegrini has no-one else to
blame. And after a January where he continued to overlook the problem,
it becomes obvious as to why City did not seek to renew his deal at the
Etihad Stadium.
When Jamie Redknapp and Thierry Henry can pinpoint where your tactics
are failing, you know there is a problem. The message from the Sky
Sports pundits at half-time at Carrow Road was simple: Get Silva in
central positions. The injured Spaniard featured out of position on the
left wing in the first half, yet still created four chances; no other
player created more in the full 90 minutes.
Most alarming for City is how Norwich decided to deal with their star
man. Within four minutes, Silva was the recipient of a particularly
robust challenge from Canaries captain Russell Martin. Ryan Bennett was
booked for a similarly full-blooded tackle 20 minutes later. The
Spaniard found himself both isolated and targeted in the first period.
Raheem Sterling’s introduction for Bony midway through the second
half allowed Silva more freedom, but, despite the Spaniard’s best
efforts, Norwich stood firm. With no viable alternative to Silva in the
squad, another tireless 90 minutes is unlikely to aid his recovery.
Nine players have played more minutes in the Premier League than
Silva this season. The same number have started more league games. Jesus
Navas has featured for just 23 fewer minutes. But Silva has contributed
more combined goals and assists than any City player aside from Aguero
and Sterling. Only Mesut Ozil and Riyad Mahrez have provided more
assists throughout the whole league, and both have enjoyed much more
regular game time. Just six players have created more goalscoring
chances, despite all playing considerably more often.
Silva is struggling with injuries, but it is not necessarily the
midfielder who is out of form, it is his team-mates. The former Valencia
man created 2.7 and 3.1 chances per game in the 2013/14 and 2014/15
seasons. This campaign, that tally is 3.2. He is having the same amount
of shots, completing a similar amount of dribbles and making a similar
amount of passes. But while Silva has remained consistent, his
team-mates have regressed.
Silva is the most important player in Manchester City’s recent
history, but he will surely play a massive part in their future, too.
While Aguero is discussing his departure, Toure is expected to leave
and Kompany is struggling to regain his form, incoming boss Pep
Guardiola could conceivably look to build a dynasty around Silva. And it
won’t be with him on the left wing.
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