Player improvements & declines.

Throughout the season there’s been a natural, ongoing conversation amongst City fans – as there would have been with fans of all sporting teams – about which player has improved and which of those have taken a step backwards from last season. 

 

In fact, I’ve found those conversations increasing in recent weeks; particularly surrounding certain players and possibly because we’ve gone through an intense period of fixtures from the build-up to - and over - Christmas to yesterday’s game (we actually have a week off this week!).

So, it got me thinking…

Whilst having a rare, quiet’ish Sunday today - and having watched yesterday’s game and enjoyed our performance very much indeed - I just thought I’d have a look at my personal, end-of-season player ratings from last season and, compared to what I think most of us would agree on this season so far; it makes for interesting comparisons, I think.

First of all, last season’s article.

Had a read / flick-through?

Okay, so what is that suggesting?

Ederson – 'Same as' really.

He’s "Mr Steady-Eddy" almost all of the time and I think City fans still love him and perhaps more-so. Alert, brave and dynamite with his feet, which is all that I I noted at the end of last season!

Danilo – Again, pretty much ‘same as’.

Mr 7/10 is about right this time round too and it’s useful to have him around to provide cover / relief on both flanks in a season where we’re still pushing on 3 out of 4 fronts (having put one in the bag already).

Vincent Kompany – I don’t think we’re quite seeing him as an 8/10’er (I have him down as a scoring a 7 on average at the moment) but the comparisons of-him coming back into games in the final quarter of the season are remarkable.

Aymeric Laporte – Missive improvement!

Shame he suffered injury recently because this guy has now ‘slipped into the Premier League grove’.

Benjamin Mendy – Carbon copy report!

Injured…again…but perhaps sits on a slightly higher mark than last season (from me) whenever he did play at the beginning of the season.

Nicholas Otamendi – Not quite as good.

Still a solid player to have available and does little wrong. But I’ve both noted – and scored so far – that he’s not been quite as consistently good nor the stalwart I had him down as last season.

John Stone – Jury still out, I would suggest.

Still injury prone, still gets around a 7 (7.5 at the mo - some very good early season performances had him higher back then) from me this season so far. Another carbon copy report so far…

Kyle Walker – Big decline!

And, interestingly, my end-of-season posting noted a decline in the last few games of LAST season, which is something I had completely forgotten about. Pressure of the England campaign that was, then, coming up? Injury niggles? Mmmmmm…

Kevin De Bruyne – Way below-par for our superstar midfielder.

Injuries have plagues him though and, like Kyle, is possibly suffering World Cup Blues. I suppose when you get a rating (from me) as 9.5 * there’s always a chance you’ll see a season of decline but, through no fault of his own, he's dropped a couple of point-notches so far. I’m convinced that even when he’s been deemed fit to play he’s been carrying something and that appeared to surface again yesterday when he went down and was withdrawn…

Fabian Delph – "Mr Where Are You" is ‘down 2’ also.

Similarly, seems unfair to mark as he’s hardly kicked a ball but he too has not been the player / saviour he was last season.

Brahim Diaz – N/A.

Fernandinho – Exactly ‘same as’ from me at the moment!

Come back soon fella!

Phil Foden – A few more appearances and slight improvement.

Ilkay Gundogan – Same as Phil!

Exactly the same as he sees more game time and goes up in my ratings, which will be published after the season.

Leroy Sane – Bit of an erratic season.

Some games outstanding, some games he's looked lost for ideas. Overall, he’s gone down a notch-mark at the moment. Still love the talent-packed lad though…

Bernardo Silva – Improved some MORE!

Had a little icky patch after weeks of very, very fine performances but has bounced back again in fine style in recent weeks! He's moved up slightly from a very good rating last season. I hope that is maintained, at the very least, in the next couple of months!

David Silva – Awesome…but fading a little.

He was not only tremendous last season but started just-so this campaign-round too! But, then, has slid somewhat in recent months; possibly due to having to play more than his legs would like in order to cover other absences? Perhaps. Down on last season but has improved again in the last couple of games and will always be a City hero forever, of course.

Raheem Sterling – “…is top once again”!

‘Same as’, actually - some superb performances intermingled with a few duffers sees him on course to receive the same, high mark from me as last season.

Yaya Toure – N/A…although if I was to rate his studio work in his first (as far as I’m aware, at least) appearance a few weeks ago on one of the sport-channels that was showing one of our live games, then he’d get 1/10 (for appearing at least and for his first effort). Did anyone see it? Could anyone understand him?

Oleksandr Zinchenko – Improved some more.

Actually, I didn’t realise I’d given him a very good mark of 7.5/10 last season. He’s currently sitting on a 7.5 * from me this season and if he carries on the way he’s been playing in the last few games then he’ll push on even higher than that!

Sergio Aguero – Almost the same.

Currently sitting on 0.5 less (from me) than-he-ended-up-with last season. Some AMAZING games mixed with a few 'off ones' and 8/10 so far for our striking hero is still a crackin’ score; especially for a player who, yes, has a lot of creativity around him but who-also often has to put in a 'hell of a shift' in a system that nearly-always sees him as ‘the 1’ in our various, fluid formations.

Gabriel Jesus – Just off.

Almost on the same mark as last season. Took a while for him to get traction when-given his chance but then he did so big time! Since then, he’s back to being our second striker and has-had a niggly-injury since.

I don’t rate the manager, as I do the-players on a running, game-by-game basis but, what I will say at this stage, is that Pep has got one trophy 'in the bag' (and retained a trophy for our club the first time in our history) and appears to understand the Premier League much better; despite that ‘wobbly period’ that nearly span our season 'off its axis'.

He’s doing very, very well again.

What do you think? Agree on the whole or not? Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read!