Samir Nasri’s stock has never been higher than this summer following a great season at Arsenal. The Frenchman was mooted as the missing link to both Man Utd and Man City’s title hopes this campaign. His creativity, movement and quality in the final third are without question. However, what may be, though, is his role in Mancini’s plans, which since the debacle away at Bayern Munich, has been reduced to one on the periphery.
The Bayern Munich game appeared to mark a watershed moment for Mancini for several reasons. While not choosing to ignore the moment that hogged the headlines (and still does) with Carlos Tevez’s apparent refusal to come on as a sub, two sub-plots have also come to light.
Kolo Toure was unfathomably restored to the first-team line-up despite a six-month absence in the place of Joleon Lescott. An error so great that it threatened to put paid to any hopes City had of qualifying out of a difficult group, with the Ivory Coast defender’s ring rustiness notable. The other being that this was the final point in which Nasri’s name became a guaranteed starter on the team-sheet.
Nasri made his debut at White Hart Lane on the 28th August in a 5-1 demolition, with the new signing blending into the squad fantastically well setting up three of the goals in the process.
Against Wigan he came off the bench with half an hour left to play and was integral in increasing the 1-0 deficit. He started the next two games against Napoli and Fulham, with Adam Johnson coming on as a late sub for him both times, before starting their next league game, the 2-0 win at home to Everton.
However, since the Bayern game, in the eight games that have proceeded it, he has started just four of them – against Wolves in both the league and the Carling Cup and against Villarreal in the home and away ties in the Champions League.
He came off the bench after 27mins against Blackburn away from home, was an unused sub against Aston Villa at home, he came off the bench with the job already done against Man Utd with the scores at 3-1 and 15mins left on the clock and was an unused sub against QPR.
Since the Bayern game, by which time he had settled into the side superbly and was a regular, he has seen just 347 minutes of football in the next eight games across all competitions. Only 177 minutes have these have come in City’s last five league games. His role has rather unquestionably been reduced, but why?
The recent resurgence of James Milner may have something to do with it. Milner offers industry and a degree of creativity. His all-action style has been ideally suited to difficult league ties against the likes of Aston Villa and QPR.
Whereas the Bayern game may have marked a watershed moment, the real turning point came with Mancini’s preference for Milner over Nasri for the 6-1 humbling of fierce rivals Man Utd at Old Trafford. The shock result of the modern Premier League era.
Manc Citeh – Menos Que Un Club
tu madre tiene un gran ano
Mi madre está muerta por lo que no tan grande en realidad.
ha ha ha….we[arsenal]just dont care…..
James Milner has responded to the signing of Nasri, in a positive way, by stepping up his game. Nasri is doing the same. His time will come; it’s a long season, and there are plenty of games and competitions in which he will be able to shine.
Players can learn a lot by being left on the bench.
Let the money grabbing ass rot on the bench. He might well win the world footballer of the year award that he so graves and believed he could achieve with shite on the bench. Ha! ha! ha!
Big fish in small pond,nasri will leave manchester city in frustration,mark my words.
Five points clear at the top of the prem, won 10, drawn 1, averaging 3 goals a game, destroyed United and Spurs and playing beautiful football to boot.
Can anyone really question Roberto’s selection criteria?
R u being serious, every city fan knows he has been carrying an injury, granted he’s not going to play as many minutes on the pitch as he did at arse, but that’s due to the FACT city have got more strength in depth than any other club in the premiership!! Think before you decide to write these stupid, utter garbage articals….
In football stars are easily 4gotten,if he continue to play occasionally by summer it wil be bye bye Na$ri
No injuries in the City squad? Do some research mate. De Jong has only recovered from an injury, still not 100%. Aguero has a groin strain that he has been carrying for about 8 weeks now and Nasri has tendonitis which flares up every now and again. Stop talking nonsense.