Yaya Toure

[Metaphysical]

Yaya's poor form can't be written off completely, but you can't see Pep hasn't been odd with how he's used him recently and it's certainly not helping him pick things up. I don't like taking what the media says at face value but truth or not, do you think the rumors linking Yaya to every club in Europe which have been around since last season ended are potentially having some sort of effect on him?

I doubt it.

he was linked to every top club in europe last season and we won the treble and he was a big part of that. like I said, yaya is not the problem. never has been. he's out of form right now so has lost his place (not even that, he still gets plenty of games). he'll get a chance to re-stake his claim at some point and my bets are he'll do it.

And Yaya has been less of a liability than Chyg so far. And why does Keita get a free pass for being unable to play with Yaya? I don't understand the reason he can't adapt his game to work with Yaya, their skills don't have any rational reason to cancel each other out.

keita doesn't get a free-pass. keita has been scoring goals and contributing at the sharp end of attacks. he's earned his place in the starting lineup.

and I've explained before why the midfield suffers with the keita/yaya combo.

xavi/iniesta/yaya: xaviesta are hyper-creative, yaya isn't creative.

4 creativity points

xavi/busquets/yaya: xavi is hyper-creative, busquets is creative, yaya isn't creative.

3 creativity points

xavi/keita/busquets: xavi is hyper-creative, keita isn't creative, busquets is creative

3 creativity points

xavi/keita/yaya: xavi is hyper-creative, keita and yaya aren't creative.

2 creativity points

Home to Mallorca? Midfield provided nothing attacking wise (except for Biscuits and his nice header) Away to Osasuna? Midfield was poor.
Everyone knows Keita and Yaya together are a terrible mix. Noone is arguing that. But majority of Yaya's first team chances this season have been alongside Keita. He's played either Yaya or Biscuits. Keita has suddenly been given this starting role every game because of a few goals, when the general play in midfield has not been benefited by him.

okay so you've picked two games: one of which keita scored in, rounding off a lovely team move (didn't see the game so I can't say more than that). and the other in which xavi didn't start and we were still winning by the time he came on. I was at the game, the midfield wasn't firing on all cylinders but we had mallorca contained and we created enough chances to be well ahead at the break. yaya was the weakest of our midfielders.

oh, and for the record xavi/yaya/iniesta was our midfield against rubin at the camp nou.

 

[Gnegneri]

If we have a LW at our disposable, the overplaying Keita problem will be solved automatically.

 

[Metaphysical]

If we have a LW at our disposable, the overplaying Keita problem will be solved automatically.

dingdingding! we have a winner!

I have to admit I thought a LW was superfluous, but then that's coz I figured we'd sign cesc. we needed one or the other.

 

[zanela]

Even Yaya is good at playing that Box-To-Box role! In fact with his fierce runs & powerful shooting Yaya could be more useful!! IMO Pep played Keita way too much, though he's been in tremendous goal-scoring form, he should have been given some more rest at the same time, occasionally, testing Yaya in that position... Some body even pointed out yesterday that Keita's injury might be because of him being over-played, it's true the lad's got some point!

+1


You cant expect a player to do wonders in CL when he is being inconsistenly played in the league. CL is a demanding tournament & a player needs as many mins every week to do well in it...And u also cant expect a player regardless of experience or talent, to just need one game to get going. Even the best player player in the world is struggling to find form even when he is being played every week. Same with Xavi. One needs to be played more to gain confidence & to get back to his best...Yaya is no different.
Also, we all 've our favs. There are some Xavi fans, Messi fans, Zlatan fans, Keita fans & some Touré fans. But, lets not start calling each other fanboys 'coz at the end of the day we are all culés & we want the best for our club.

Anyway, does any1 've figures of Yaya's current salary 'coz if i remember correctly, Gascherano's agent & our club had agreed on a 5M for him. Now, if that is true, i'm expecting/hoping Yaya is being paid 5 or more. And, if it isn't, i see no reason y that overrated wanker who has won nothing yet in Europe or done much should be paid more than a player who has been one of the key contributors in our recent success

 

[Cal-FCB]

keita doesn't get a free-pass. keita has been scoring goals and contributing at the sharp end of attacks. he's earned his place in the starting lineup.

The fluidity of our play from the midfield is worse because Keita doesn't get involved enough in building attacks. He times his late runs very well, but they should be a bonus, not a substitute for creativity.

and I've explained before why the midfield suffers with the keita/yaya combo.

xavi/iniesta/yaya: xaviesta are hyper-creative, yaya isn't creative.

4 creativity points

xavi/busquets/yaya: xavi is hyper-creative, busquets is creative, yaya isn't creative.

3 creativity points

xavi/keita/busquets: xavi is hyper-creative, keita isn't creative, busquets is creative

3 creativity points

xavi/keita/yaya: xavi is hyper-creative, keita and yaya aren't creative.

2 creativity points

Agree with your points system however you have missed out the defensive points. 2 of which would go to Yaya, one to Keita.

okay so you've picked two games: one of which keita scored in, rounding off a lovely team move (didn't see the game so I can't say more than that). and the other in which xavi didn't start and we were still winning by the time he came on. I was at the game, the midfield wasn't firing on all cylinders but we had mallorca contained and we created enough chances to be well ahead at the break. yaya was the weakest of our midfielders.

Keita finished the move but then after that our play was poor. The lack of spark from the midfield hindered our chances. I'm not saying Yaya's form is great, but Keita has caught the eye through his goals, which Yaya isn't there to do.

oh, and for the record xavi/yaya/iniesta was our midfield against rubin at the camp nou.

Thought you may mention that. Compare the chances we created there to away in Rubin with Keita in the side. Very different match (I know there are many other factors, I'm just saying) and Keita was very poor.

Agree we need a LW. Titi's absence has forced Pep's selection midfield wise, and Andres hasn't really done that well there.

 

[Metaphysical]

if it's about fluidity of play then yaya's "defensive points" mean nothing.

but y'know, I'd like to move away from this notion that keita isn't creative or his isn't capable of seeing a pass because that's all bullshit. what he is not is hardwired to play the game on the deck with short passes: i.e. our style of football. he's not trained to keep the ball - he either wins it back, or gets rid of it (via shooting or a direct pass). this direct style of play is what makes him an asset to the side, he's different to our other players. of course this also makes him a bit of a problem if the rest of the team isn't being as creative as normal for whatever reason. it's something we have to adapt to if we want to make the most of his talents (like we had to adapt to the huge gaps dani would leave when he attacked) and we are doing that, really, by using busquets as DM.

and you can't compare rubin away to rubin at home. if anything we needed LESS of our usual play in russia because the grass they had let grow totally hindered us. xavi was rubbish because he just couldn't get a grip of the way the ball would hold up. and when xavi's rubbish you know you're in trouble as a passing side. we only looked good away when we played it direct to zlatan.

 

[La Furia]

if it's about fluidity of play then yaya's "defensive points" mean nothing.

but y'know, I'd like to move away from this notion that keita isn't creative or his isn't capable of seeing a pass because that's all bullshit. what he is not is hardwired to play the game on the deck with short passes: i.e. our style of football. he's not trained to keep the ball - he either wins it back, or gets rid of it (via shooting or a direct pass). this direct style of play is what makes him an asset to the side, he's different to our other players. of course this also makes him a bit of a problem if the rest of the team isn't being as creative as normal for whatever reason. it's something we have to adapt to if we want to make the most of his talents (like we had to adapt to the huge gaps dani would leave when he attacked) and we are doing that, really, by using busquets as DM.

and you can't compare rubin away to rubin at home. if anything we needed LESS of our usual play in russia because the grass they had let grow totally hindered us. xavi was rubbish because he just couldn't get a grip of the way the ball would hold up. and when xavi's rubbish you know you're in trouble as a passing side. we only looked good away when we played it direct to zlatan.

Everything you said is correct but Yaya himself has been proven to be able to move on the ball and successfully move to a more attacking role, he doesn't do it frequently because he rarely plays with Busquets and Biscuits is less likely to be the disciplined one staying back, but it's not like Yaya is all defense.

 

[Cal-FCB]

The defensive points matter Meta because if we're saying neither Keita or Yaya is that creative, who is better defensively? Yaya. Who is better finishing? Keita. It depends what you class as more important in that midfield role. Yaya also provides an option to pass to more than Keita. Keita just wanders off at times, it's weird.

 

[Gnegneri]

It's cool now, Henry is back (holding onto wood cause the bloke is playing with France again, qualifying will garantuee him another WC so is able to shine outside Barcelona) so we'll see how it turns out after the break.

 

[La Furia]

That's the thing, Yaya is above and beyond the best compliment to Xaviesta, at least until Biscuits shows he can be a more disciplined player.

 

[veryfatchocobo]

Yeah. With Xaviesta, there needs to be Yaya. With Xaveita, there needs to be Bisquits with gravy.

When Yaya's with Xaveita in the middle, the gravy's lost. Xaviesta will melt and evaporate the gravy that Bisquits brings.

I think Pep's doing an amazing job really. He realizes if Keita's playing, Yaya shouldn't be with him. Also to note, he should consider benching Busquets with Xaviesta. I just hope he realizes that Yaya should drop with the Back 4 when Xavi and Iniesta have the ball though. All space is lost when there's a bus + teammates in the way of those two.

I still say we have a better option at LW than Henry with a guy whose name is Bojan....

 

[FlyLo]

Yea we were unlucky that both Bojan and Henry were injured at the same time. Iniesta won't be moving to the LW if either stays fit.

 

[Benzema10]

That midfield oh my God how could Lyon not win the Champions League with that ?

we dont had THE striker requiered infront

Shame for Lyon. Mind you was Paul le Guen not manager at that time ?

yes it was Paul Le guen.

 

[el tren]

Great about the comparison to Iniesta, I thought that when i saw El Tren's statistical analysis a few pages up. I don't want to disrespect El Tren's commentary by comparing it to that clown Justin because at the very least it gives us something to think about ...

Honestly, can you pls start reading posts properly? I mean what "analysis" are you talking about? I did NOT analyze the statistics, nor did i conclude anything from them in the form of "Busi > Yaya b/c the stats say so". So pls dont interprete things into my posts that just arent there.

What i instead DID was posting the stats, summerizing them (like "Yaya fouled more then Busi" for example - which is no analysis!) and expressing my surprise. B/c there is a reason for it: I actually have the opinion that Yaya is the "better" DM and are thus quite amazed that the stats arent verifying this. That must not mean much, b/c statistics might be able to indicate sth or give hints, but they are just too limited and too much dependant on various variables to be sufficient for a conclusion. And that is why i would never base an opionion solely on statistics.

I hope i made myself clear here.


Now sth much more debatable: I got the feeling somehow that Yaya might indeed leave during the winter window. I doubt its b/c of his contribution or skills, i guess its more the need for an offensive player and the financial situation that wont make a purchase able w/out cashing in on one of the current players. So basically Pep could demand an additional offensive player but will only get him with money from selling one of his current players. This is obv highly speculative, as i esp. dont know the budget planning. Although spending a net 80M on transfers so far didnt improve it a lot i guess ...

But it would make sense: i think its fair to say that we actually struggle more offensively than defensively atm and thus could use an additional offensive player, be it a (left) winger or a creative (attacking) midfielder. I mean i would absolutely prefer keeping Yaya (i.e. i would like to have both), but if i had the choice between him and a LW/AM of similar quality i would tend to the latter. Add to that his absence during the ACN and the apparent intention of Pep to build up Busquets and you have some more indications.

Once again: this is highly speculative, but i would actually take a bet here as i think this scenario is not very unlikely.

 

[Metaphysical]

I think the possibility of yaya leaving may have something to do with milito's recovery.

if he makes one and is able to play then we have another defender in the squad. if however he doesn't recover then we may need to keep yaya for cover in all areas (especially as chysus can't play in europe).