My theory on Riyad Mahrez

[ZeGuy]

2 hours ago, TiffToff88 said:

Before you jump on my back and accuse me of being rash or using him as a scapegoat for our perceived poor performances lately*, Hear me out, and bear in mind I've had this opinion of him for a very long time, even during our incredible title winning season:

 

Ok, here it goes: Riyad Mahrez is the most overrated player I think I've ever seen in a Leicester City shirt.

 

Yes, OK, he has his magic moments and was vital to our title winning team of last season, but lets be honest, he tries to do far too much by himself and more often than not this tends to end badly. with him either losing possession of the ball trying to do one too many clever tricks, or simply running the ball into dead ends. I have honestly never understood what all the hype is about with him. He is definitely not a team player, and at times like this, I believe we need team players more than the apparent individual "brilliance" Mahrez is supposed to possess.

 

I'm well aware that I'm going to be in a vast minority with this opinion, and I hope he goes on to prove me wrong this season, I really do, but I just can't see it happening.

 

*For the record, I don't believe we have been unacceptably poor, but more a case of we were spoilt last season and too many fans expect us to be pushing for higher things again this year.

I might be new on this forum but I rarely read so much nonsense in one post. 11 assists, one of the best first touch I've ever seen, good game vision, Leicester City's playmaker, Premier league's Best Player (vote from his pairs) unanimously recognized as one of the main reasons for the most improbable winning title in football history, still one of the finest wingers in Europe despite his stuttering form and you consider him to be the most overrated player in LCFC's shirt?

 

Are you high?

 

[HankMarvin]

His been shit this season, but so have most of the team.

So it's hard to judge him alone.

[ZeGuy]

1 hour ago, HankMarvin said:

His been shit this season, but so have most of the team.

So it's hard to judge him alone.

He's far away from his last season's level but he's getting some unfair stick. As long as people don't understand that he's no workhorse and can't BOTH backtrack/defend and dictacte the game, he'll be an easy target. Attacking players risk more and are bound to lose the ball at some point. 

 

You need to be totally lucid when you're going on 1 on 1 to beat your opponent. That's not something you can do when you're constantly back tracking.

 

Then as only real attacking threat, with almost no support from the RB and midfielders glued before the defense and exiled on a wing, the opponent has an easy job by doubling him up. The 4-4-2 without Kanté is wasting him because he must get the ball in his own half. Hoof balls don't help either.

 

Just to clear things up: I'm german and following Leicester City's incredible parcours since November 2015. I genuinely like the guy because he got one of the most beautiful first touches I've ever witnessed. l also played a bit as  a winger

[AlgerianFox]

Every ball he touched against wba.

[Simi]

So much drivel in this thread. A few of you don't even deserve to watch Mahrez play. He toasted Nyom several times and put several quality balls in the box, including the assist for the goal, which a lot of you seem to have forgotten.

 

Yes he loses it sometimes when trying to beat the man, but that is part of the player he is. He keeps defenders guessing and occupies opposition. We got the ball to him at every opportunity yesterday because it was working for us so frequently. 

 

I just cannot fathom how some people form their opinions.

[filbertway]

The guy is ridiculously talented, I'm starting to lean towards Ranieri having to shoulder the blame, Riyad is being shackled at the minute. He'd look so good in a team full of good footballers.

 

Think he needs to be looking to release the ball quicker at times, but a lot of the time he's receiving the ball and has nobody within 30 yards of him.

 

Wouldn't mind seeing him on the left and Gray on the right. They both then have the option of coming inside or going around the outside.

[Zaid]

He switched wings for a few minutes in the second half, looked quite dangerous, trying that against Watford must be worth a shout

[Guest CityFan 06]

I thought Mahrez was our most creative player on Sunday. It was a good cross for Slimani, and those pair keep linking up which is positive.

[Domsdad]

Has probably the best first touch in the Premier League. Can shoot with both feet - goal v Man City away- and can put a cross in with both feet. Can't think of anyone else, other than maybe KDB, who has that ability. Once others in the team start performing then they will take the attention away from Mahrez.

[the fox]

2 hours ago, TiffToff88 said:

Before you jump on my back and accuse me of being rash or using him as a scapegoat for our perceived poor performances lately*, Hear me out, and bear in mind I've had this opinion of him for a very long time, even during our incredible title winning season:

 

Ok, here it goes: Riyad Mahrez is the most overrated player I think I've ever seen in a Leicester City shirt.

 

Yes, OK, he has his magic moments and was vital to our title winning team of last season, but lets be honest, he tries to do far too much by himself and more often than not this tends to end badly. with him either losing possession of the ball trying to do one too many clever tricks, or simply running the ball into dead ends. I have honestly never understood what all the hype is about with him. He is definitely not a team player, and at times like this, I believe we need team players more than the apparent individual "brilliance" Mahrez is supposed to possess.

 

I'm well aware that I'm going to be in a vast minority with this opinion, and I hope he goes on to prove me wrong this season, I really do, but I just can't see it happening.

 

*For the record, I don't believe we have been unacceptably poor, but more a case of we were spoilt last season and too many fans expect us to be pushing for higher things again this year.

I can't believe a Leicester city fan just called mahrez that. Are you sure you are not a spurs fan?. what am I saying. Even spurs fans are not that clueless. You talking like he is playing with world class players like his peers ( hazard. Coutinho. Özil and KDB). Let's start buddy. Mahrez had the best goal+assists tally in one season in the PL compared to them. Let's go to their strikers. Let's talk about last season. Hazard had Costa. Coutinho had /firmino/sturridge. KDB had kun and ozil has sanshez. And mahrez uhmmmm. Let's think. OK. We have vardy and.. OKAZAKi. Let that sink in. And let's talk about the midfield this season. All have world class midfielders. (Henderson.kanté. matiç. Fernando. Fernandinho. Granit. Cazorla etc  )But what does mahrez have. albrighton. king and amartey. That is a championship midfield. Mahrez has Albright on to help him from the other wing. KDB has Silva. Raheem. Nolito. Hazard has Pedro and mosses. Özil has Sanchez and coutinho has manè and lallana. And for the full-backs. Özil has Hector. Hazard has azbi. KDB has sagna and coutinho has clyne. Mahrez has Simpson (his is good on defense but can't attack). So instead of calling the only Leicester city player that got the player of the year overrated. You should look to the subpar players that he is playing with.

[Wymsey]

With rumours in past that he's a Barca fan and if Barca make a bid either LCFC or Mahrez wouldn't refuse in January would he be tempted to go?

Barca is the one worrying me as their style is one he would thrive in.

 

Out of Kante and Mahrez (yes different players), Mahrez would be a bigger miss as he's developing very strongly imo.

[Guest Col city fan]

Cant believe anyone has called Mahrez the most overrated player in a City shirt. This forum gets ever more bizarre.

Mahrez is world class. I said that before last season started and am saying it again.

If you got him playing for Barcelona, Madrid, even Arsenal or Liverpool at the moment, he'd not look out of place.

When playing in the same side as Kante, he flourished and it's no coincidence. If he was playing week in, week out in a free flowing team, getting forward with pace, finding spaces and exploiting them (like we were last season) he'd look brilliant.

Christ, I don't half read some crap on here.

[lee7]

On 2 November 2016 at 22:42, Koke said:

He looked better as a CAM when Ranieri made that tactical change tonight.

 

In my opinion  Mahrez has way too much defensive responsibilities in a 442. And when we get the ball we hoof it 50 yards. It's no wonder games often pass him by. 

 

Put Hazard or De Bruyne as wingers in a 442 and you'd see them struggle. 

 

I know he scored 17 goals last season in a 442 but atm we're not getting the best out of him. A run of games as an attacking midfielder night suit him.

He's wasted defending in and around our own 18 yard box! Id much prefer him to be relieved of those types of duties giving him more energy to build an attack with.

[TiffToff88]

It's not like I called him sh*t. He's obviously a very good player on his day. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't think he's as good as a lot of people seem to think he is.

 

There's a difference between crap and overrated.

[ZeGuy]

5 minutes ago, TiffToff88 said:

It's not like I called him sh*t. He's obviously a very good player on his day. But that doesn't change the fact that I don't think he's as good as a lot of people seem to think he is.

 

There's a difference between crap and overrated.

If you truly can't understand why he's so highly rated then I can only feel sorry for you. 

[fuchsntf]

Well put Col..   We are not getting forward enough, too much back passing, no other player driving forward.

Mahrez not getting into scoring positions, because at the moment, hes our only known threat from deep.

Our midfield at present is misfiring, we have always made it work, with less possesion, but we are

too slow moving forward at the same regularity as last season. We are not driving through, too many then

expect Mahrez to be the permanent release. If we can get Musa or Gray, into some rhythm, then get that

midfield to be more mobile and forward drive like WBA, then our star player can be a danger quicker and

upfield. IMO  he c again was our best player, there was nobody there to help him, other than Simpson.

[HankMarvin]

1 hour ago, Col city fan said:

Cant believe anyone has called Mahrez the most overrated player in a City shirt. This forum gets ever more bizarre.

Mahrez is world class. I said that before last season started and am saying it again.

If you got him playing for Barcelona, Madrid, even Arsenal or Liverpool at the moment, he'd not look out of place.

When playing in the same side as Kante, he flourished and it's no coincidence. If he was playing week in, week out in a free flowing team, getting forward with pace, finding spaces and exploiting them (like we were last season) he'd look brilliant.

Christ, I don't half read some crap on here.

Was that the Kante effect though, Hazard currently excelling - Mattic second in the assist table with 5.

On his day Mahrez has showed glimpses of being world class. Not sure i have seen much to suggest he his world class this season tbh

[Arriba Los Zorros]

4 hours ago, TiffToff88 said:

Before you jump on my back and accuse me of being rash or using him as a scapegoat for our perceived poor performances lately*, Hear me out, and bear in mind I've had this opinion of him for a very long time, even during our incredible title winning season:

 

Ok, here it goes: Riyad Mahrez is the most overrated player I think I've ever seen in a Leicester City shirt.

 

Yes, OK, he has his magic moments and was vital to our title winning team of last season, but lets be honest, he tries to do far too much by himself and more often than not this tends to end badly. with him either losing possession of the ball trying to do one too many clever tricks, or simply running the ball into dead ends. I have honestly never understood what all the hype is about with him. He is definitely not a team player, and at times like this, I believe we need team players more than the apparent individual "brilliance" Mahrez is supposed to possess.

 

I'm well aware that I'm going to be in a vast minority with this opinion, and I hope he goes on to prove me wrong this season, I really do, but I just can't see it happening.

 

*For the record, I don't believe we have been unacceptably poor, but more a case of we were spoilt last season and too many fans expect us to be pushing for higher things again this year.

No, sorry, but this is wrong. Far too much responsibility is on his shoulders. Every game he is asked to score or create goals single handedly whilst being marked by 2 or more men, he is given the ball by the team and expected to create magic but not given the freedom or possession of somebody like Hazard or Silva.  More often that not he succeeds. Compare this with the dross output and one-dimensional play coming from our other wing, from the much more loosely marked Musa, Albrighton or Gray for some perspective. If he leaves us in January we are in serious trouble.

[ZeGuy]

1 hour ago, TiffToff88 said:

15 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Was that the Kante effect though, Hazard currently excelling - Mattic second in the assist table with 5.

On his day Mahrez has showed glimpses of being world class. Not sure i have seen much to suggest he his world class this season tbh

Guess who's playing on Hazard and Matic's side? 

[HankMarvin]

Just now, ZeGuy said:

 

surprise me

[ZeGuy]

5 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

surprise me

Dunno, look at Chelsea's usual starting XI. Hint: His name begins with a K and ends with a É.

[HankMarvin]

 

 

1 minute ago, ZeGuy said:

Dunno, look at Chelsea's usual starting XI. Hint: His name begins with a K and ends with a É.

25 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

Was that the Kante effect though, Hazard currently excelling - Mattic second in the assist table with 5.

On his day Mahrez has showed glimpses of being world class. Not sure i have seen much to suggest he his world class this season tbh

 

[lgfualol]

Kante was putting PEDs in our players' food. Explains Chelsea being good.

[ZeGuy]

19 minutes ago, HankMarvin said:

 

 

 

Yeah I already read what you wrote, just thought you didn't. You still don't see the effect?

 

Kanté:

more balls intercepted=less danger for your own defense=more opportunities to counter.

can himself take the ball 10-15 meters forward without chickening out before passing to the attacking midfielders= faster game build-up which means less time for the opponent to reorganize its defense=more space for the attacking players=more opportunities to create a goal chance.

 

That's why Hazard shines, that's why Mahrez shined. With the current slow build up when Mahrez receive the (predictable) pass, mostly in his own half or just past the half line, he already has at least two men on him and must run 10-20m more, because he must now back track (which he didn't much last season because Kanté was there) Furthermore the passes are generally hoof balls he must first take down which also costs even more precious seconds. That's situations even Messi would have a hard time to deal with.

 

Playing counter supposes to get the ball in the opponents half as fast as possible in the best possible conditions (with the least possible, short, low and precise passes). That's why Kanté was crucial. 

 

[HankMarvin]

1 minute ago, ZeGuy said:

Yeah I already read what you wrote, just thought you didn't. You still don't see the effect?

 

Kanté

more balls recuperated=more opportunities to counter=less danger for your own defense

can himself take the ball 10-15 meters forward without chickening out before passing to the attacking midfielders= faster game build-up which means less time for the opponent to reorganize=more space for the attacking players=more opportunities to create a goal chance.

 

That's why Hazard shines, that's why Mahrez shined. With the current slow build up when Mahrez receive the (predictable) pass, mostly in his own half or just past the half line, he already has at least two men on him and must run 10-20m more. Furthermore the passes are generally hoof balls he must first take down which also costs even more precious seconds. That's situations even Messi would have a hard time to deal with.

 

Playing counter supposes to get the ball in the opponents half as fast as possible in the best possible conditions (with the least possible, short, low and precise passes). That's why Kanté was crucial. 

 

you thought i didn't read what i wrote?>

when i said kante effect, it was hardly a negative was it??