Samir Nasri

 

Manchester City

Attacking midfielder - France

2010/2011 Mid-season: 40
End of 2010/11 - Start of 2011/12: 21
2011/2012 Mid-season: 70
End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13: 77

End of 2011/12 - Start of 2012/13:

Looking back Nasri's rise all the way up to the number 21 place following his 2010/11 season was too dramatic and quite simply it was a period of sensational form that he hasn't been able to replicate since. Certainly not over a longer period. And maybe never will?

That season he finished 6th in the league in successful dribbles averaging 2 per game. Up from 1.6 the season before (last season the 11/12 he finished at just 0.8) and most importantly turned that great looking flair into brilliant individual goals and real playmaking. Quite simply the kind of decisiveness you associate with an elite player, but absolutely, in retrospect I should have shown a little bit more restraint from automatically translating that very (brilliant) spell of form into Nasri's true level as a player.

So what is truth about him? One interesting thing I noticed when looking at his various OPTA numbers was that in both 2009/10 and 2010/11 where he was respectively 13th and 6th in successful dribbles per game in the league, he was very rarely fouled compared to other top 30 dribblers.  In fact of the 60 players and their respective seasons making up if you will those two top 30s, only Ryan Giggs in 2010/11 was fouled less! Then if you look at last season where his 0.8 dribbles per game is only good for modest 56th in the league, in the top 60 only Gabriel Obertan is fouled less, while Ryan Giggs once again is similar sharing Nasri's getting-fouled-rate at just 0.5 per game.

Now someone reading this might think, that's a good thing and it somehow speaks to his advantage as a player (he is not a diver bla bla) but getting fouls must be good. For starters freekicks are dangerous, Nasri himself is pretty good at creating chances from them, and generally I think the getting-fouled statistic is one of the best (most real most reliable) indicators of what attacking players give the opposition problems. Who are difficult to control if you will, certainly indicating a player who is threatening.

Of course context is everything and naturally a goalscorer of the poacher-box-type will see less fouls simply because of where he will have the ball the relative few times that he does and then there are also those few (in fact perhaps just Messi and he is still fouled much more than Nasri) who are so brilliant that they are able to shrug off fouls and consistently manage to become even more dangerous staying on their feet.
In fact I actually do think Nasri himself has very good balance and close control with some underrated strength when he's got the ball (protecting it) but overall I do think his abnormal low getting-fouled-rate compared to so many others raises some questions about how threatening he really is individually with the ball at his feet. Even if it's something that doesn't takes away from what we know about him, that he can thrive in small spaces with skillful touches and passes (he has always been one of the most accurate in the league) and that he can assist or provide the finishing touch on delicate goalscoring (combination) moves, it still hurts him when comparing him to attacking players further up the list, even if all it really means is that he lacks pace over more meters than just the first few and can't take advantage of, or create bigger space, for himself so to speak.

Nasri's teamwork is something that has always puzzled me. I thought he generally did well and used his characteristics for the benefit of the team for Arsenal in the Fabregas-possession-years. There is no doubt Nasri enjoys the ball and won't mind grabbing responsibility.  You can't really criticize his short-passing game but in central midfield, and deeper when grabbing buildup responsibility like he sometimes does, including for France, I haven't been a big fan of his work or even found his contributions very helpful to his team, and it seems he needs a Silva or Fabregas to get over a hurdle of predictability and too often sheer nothingness. He will be part of ball-retention sure but he is not a particular good, creative or constructive distributor in deeper midfield and very rarely, whether it's horizontal or vertical, execute longer passes. It's hard to imagine it's anything technique related, even if he is not a specialist in that area, so I'm guessing it's something mental (football intelligence/tactical) related.

Without the ball Nasri seemingly has what it takes to counter-press well. Even if his stamina isn't the greatest, and I'm not even sure about that to be honest but it's definitely not an outright weakness or anything.
I do believe he has the physical tools to provide value and has done so as well for periods over the years but again it's been too inconsistent and whether it's ball-pressing or more reactive defensive positioning Nasri does have something of a bad record of not providing enough to team-defense. Even being a negative. A liability. I strongly suspect it's been poor mentality a lot of the time, but even if I'm totally wrong and instead it's physical, it's something that should definitely improve when you look at the countless of good (and comparable) attacking players in today's game that also provide consistent value defensively.  The best examples of course, and take your pick, being so many of the Spanish players on this list.


2010/2011 Mid-season:

Well, the last line of the 2009/10 season writeup below sums it up rather nicely and Nasri have of course delivered hugely when it comes to those things this season, making his rise up the list dramatic.

 

2009/2010 Season:

Nasri is one of the players seeing the most swings in rank on this list having been ranked something like at least 20 places lower and also as much as 30 places higher.

For much of the season once again I wasn't really that impressed with Nasri game in and game out, his consistency, but at some point during the second half of the season he really started to make his mark on the team, and at times in the injured Fabgregas absence, even making it his own with performances suggesting a much higher ranking. But whether it's the surroundings fault or not, then following that great spell Nasri kind of fizzled out once again and I don't think you can say yet that he's really made his mark in the Premier League. At least not to the degree that his great talent arguably suggests that he should.

Nasri has well known impressive technical skills including being a good passer of the ball and has ball control with enough agility to be a good dribbler in small apces. He has good acceleration on the first few meters and I think his work-rate is underrated.
Fitting Arsenal he is comfortable central, functioning well even in narrow conditions displaying what is vital for Wenger's vision, some very good ball retention skills on and off the ball, while on the wing he perhaps isn't the most effective so far.

His superior technical skills put him ahead of quite a few better performers this season and whether it's with or without Fabregas playing alongside him, he deserves some credit for his part in Arsenal still being able to enforce their style against the large majority of teams on their way to third place behind Chelsea and Manchester United, where remember, they were close much of the way, but overall I'm still missing that great spell of difference-making effectiveness that's required to really catapult Nasri up the rankings.

Emmanuel Adebayor

Manchester City

Striker - Togo



Original 200 writeup:

Definitely talented enough to be ranked even higher.

He is blessed with physical and technical tools to such an extent that it puts most other strikers to shame and that elusive excellent size/technique combination that I think is so valuable, alone almost should ensure a better ranking.

However his work rate and especially team work with and without the ball, making the players around him better with passing and not least movement is at best uneven, and pales in comparison to higher ranked similar talented forwards.

For me personally I thought this was nicely illustrated in how the club he left, Arsenal, looked for much of the year now without him. With his physique and technical capability in many ways Adebayor looked like an ideal center-forward on a team like Arsenal who controls possession but it quickly became surprisingly clear that without him up front there was suddenly both better movement and team work. Players complementing each other instead of, to put it rather harsh (it's not like there weren't good times too) just Adebayor himself.

For Manchester City it's been similar. There have been games with great individual performances from Adebayor. Full of impact. Not least the infamous game against his former club Arsenal but also plenty where it has looked like he was doing more harm than good with poor attitude and a work rate left seriously wanting.

With teammate Carlos Tevez in the lone centre-forward role as well performing much better than Adebayor it will be interesting to see what the future brings.

I'm sure he will still get games should he stay at Manchester City but it has become pretty clear that in a standard 4-2-3-1 at least, it's not really worth "sacrificing" Tevez into a further back forward (certainly not wide) role just to make room for Adebayor. For someone even better though, well maybe!

In theory him and Tevez could still work great, and did at times, in more like a 4-4-1-1 with Tevez behind in more of a free role, where I think he is great, but with Manchester City rapidly bolstering their lineup, an excellent player like David Silva also is now on board who in recent years has played a more or less a free role behind a striker (rather than as a wing).

New (Mario Balotelli) and old (Robinho) could also still make their way making starting attacking places even more elusive but at least until Roque Santa Cruz is sold (Mark Hughes always willing) and Balotelli not bought yet (still with something to prove as a centre forward anyway) he should at least be first alternative to Tevez as the man up top.

The 300 update:

No, he has since that writeup managed to underachieve enough in order to not even be the first alternative to Tevez anymore.

Tevez of course has his own destructive situation brewing at City, but for Adebayor at least it seems a simple case of manager Mancini simply having lost remaining confidence in Adebayor adding any value to the team.

If things go very wrong with Tevez who has requested a transfer, for an example him not playing and no great replacement coming in, they could be forced to look to Adebayor once again, but ideally they'll look to get rid of him in January already.

High wages and all, can they find a taker?

James Milner

Manchester City

Midfielder/Winger - England



Original 200 writeup:

Milner is a very versatile and complete midfielder able to play left,right and central who is strong both physically and technique wise.

He has the kind of range to his passing meaning that whether playing as a winger, where many players are far more flashy, but less effective, or as a central midfielder, he is virtually a guarantee to assist goals.

Even though he is capable when it comes to dribbling and has pace to be a transition threat into open space, there are of course wingers who are more gifted in those areas, but Milner uses his technique intelligently and with the way he can kick the ball often doesn't need any time, or to create much space for himself at all, in order to make good deliveries.

He is also good on set pieces.

Milner has fantastic work-rate and is reliable defensively. Not only covering his wing but there also is enough rugby-like robustness to his physique that he can battle his ground centrally as well. How many good wingers can make THAT claim? And overall his team-work is intelligent and exemplary.

The 300 update:

There is a lot to like about Milner. Not least for his coaches.

Fans on the other hand he has a tendency to leave wanting a lot more.

For his new club City I think the problem is that the one very good thing he has to offer when it comes to attacking play, his sharp deliveries, they don't really have the best conditions to come forward at this particular team.
In fact I don't think it's really part of City's attacking play and neither should it be when players like Silva and Tevez prefer a different kind of build up and among the central midfielders, the prime attacking threat there, Yaya Toure, also prefer the through balls.

Without great pace or dribbling on the wing it's not like Milner can afford to wait kicking the ball either if he wants to create and that would result in not least Tevez and Silva not seeing enough of the ball where they're dangerous. These are just very different players to complement than what was around him at Martin O'Neill' very direct Aston Villa team.

To complete the misery Milner isn't fast enough either to be the kind of transition threat that you associate with a winger on an excellent team.

That leaves the solid contributions from him in the form of tireless workrate and teamwork but you just feel that for this team that would be better suited central. From there he could also start counter attacks rather than slow them down.

City of course have a very strong squad and Milner does seem to have lost his place on the wing in the first choice lineup to make room for better attacking players such as the trident of Silva, Tevez and Balotelli.

Exciting winger Adam Johnson should be first reserve there I think while Milner hopefully will continue to improve as a central midfielder. That's where I think his future lies on this level and down the line with his versatility he could be a great fit in the Mancini preferred three-men central-midfields.

Mario Balotelli

Manchester City

Forward - Italy



Original 200 writeup:

In record time one of the most controversial players in Italy who right from day one almost has found himself caught up in often very negative attention from the surroundings. Fans, coaches, fellow players and media, take you pick, feeling all provoked.

How much of that is the color of his skin and how much of that is his personality, or both, is a discussion for another time, I'll focus instead of what is the 19 year old's astronomical talent for which the sky seems to be the only limit.

Balotelli probably has the best size/pace combination-potential out of anyone. That alone of course is massive and can lead to greatness.
He is big and technical enough to at some point develop into an excellent box presence and he is more than fast enough with and without the ball to take advantage (and find for himself even) space anywhere on the pitch.
So far due to Mourinho's mostly 4-3-3 tactics it's the latter taking place on the wing that's been more common and often impressive enough in itself, but I think it's once we'll see him more as a striker (whether second or centre-forward) instead of wide, that the real magic will start to happen.

The only thing still lacking there is bit too much of a winger mentality sometimes, even when central, where he doesn't always play up to his size so to speak and gets out muscled where he really shouldn't and either goes down or give up. Even if it will often result in a foul, which is rarely a bad thing no matter how unpopular, I think he could play stronger.

There is also no reason for him not to start improving in the air where he should have all it takes to become a dangerous weapon as well.

As a wide forward on the attacking front there are really few complaints. His work rate could be better, as well as his decision making, actually that's more general weaknesses, but his pace and technique overall makes him very good out there.

It's defensively that he just can't do what Mourinho wants from his wide forwards and more than anything it's that which has often kept him out of the 4-2-1-3 starting lineups, where especially against good teams Mourinho wants that fluidly to transform into a 4-5-1 when defending then right back when attacking, and Balotelli like many others before him, for Chelsea as well as Inter, tried and tested by Mourinho, overall was a hindrance to that working on a high enough level. At least the very high level needed to win a treble.

It's sometimes blurred by his erratics but another very positive sign I'm seeing from Balotelli adding to his athletic gifts, is some real final third creativity. I don't know if he picked it up from Ibrahimovic or what, but he does seem to have some real playmaking ability expressed through delicate touches and passes setting up teammates.

Also worth noting of course is his powerful shot.

So if one was to sum it all up, technically and athletically Balotelli is a very good player already and with upside since he'll only get stronger, but predictably enough for a 19 year old and perhaps especially for one under such scrutiny, and unique pressure you could say, the holes in his game are all mental related.
How, when and if that area will improve is another impossible discussion but hopefully it's more maturity related, than it is unwelcome surroundings unwilling to change that are holding him back.


The 300 update:

Not surprisingly Balotelli is off to a turbulent start at his new home in England.

There have been times he's shown a very high level and other times where it's been pretty dismal.

Injuries and suspensions already haven't helped either and for the time being it looks like Balotelli's biggest challenge will be to control his temper in the Premier League environment. Not least when it comes to not getting the freekicks he normally did, his short patience has really been put to the test. A test failed too often.

Then there is his partnership with key player Tevez who likes to move around a lot. Balotelli needs to take better advantage of the space that leaves, especially in attacking the box without the ball. Out wide he is fine but box play could be better.

Nigel De Jong

Manchester City

Defensive midfielder - Netherlands



Original 200 writeup:

A pure defensive midfielder who doesn't offer much at all in attack.

I've noticed I've used the term two-way player quite a lot when describing various midfielders, well here finally is someone I can call a one-way player!

De Jong has one of the best work rates of everyone and his athleticism gives him good ball winning ability.

Importantly his short passing game is secure and he has good tactical movement consistently defending his position throughout a game.

He'll be a key player in Roberto Mancini's likely project of installing better defensive discipline or balance into what's mostly been a wild Manchester City side and also at the World Cup for Holland De Jong's defensive contributions will be vital playing behind plenty of attacking talent.

The 300 update:

De Jong is still the same, maybe I'm even under valuing his consistency, but has of course since the original writeup through some high profile instances won himself quite the reputation of a dirty player.

Fellow countryman Van Bommel is still dirtier I would say. With a lot more to his repertoire than brutal tackles.