Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini has insisted that midfielder Yaya Tour will once again be the player he was when the Citizens won the Premier League in 2013-2014, following the Ivorian’s starring role in their first league victory of the season
Manchester City began their Premier League title assault with an emphatic 3-0 win away to Tony Pulis’ West Bromwich Albion side, with Ivory Coast midfielder Yaya Tour getting his name on the scoresheet.
Citizens manager Manuel Pellegrini admitted that the former FC Barcelona man endured a tough season in 2014-2015, but is confident that he will return to his best form this season as City look to snatch the Premier League crown back from current holders Chelsea FC.
“We are going to see the same Yaya we saw two seasons ago” – Pellegrini
The Manchester City manager was delighted with Yaya Tour ‘s performance in the Citizens’ comfortable win at the Hawthorns on Monday night, and is looking forward to seeing more of the same from the Ivorian throughout the rest of the season.
Pellegrini is quoted by England’s Mail Online as saying: “‘I am sure we are going to see the same Yaya we saw two seasons ago when we won the title and I’m happy about that.
FT: West Brom 0-3 Manchester City – Pellegrini’s men fire early warning to title rivals http://t.co/TSx3nzjKXB pic.twitter.com/GotVUEyfB6
a MailOnline Sport (@MailSport) . August 10, 2015
“Last season was a strange one for him what with the death of his brother and other things. I don’t think he was properly focussed and we have spoken about that. But I don’t think he deserved the amount of criticism he received. Maybe it wasn’t his best season but he’s still an important player here.
“Last season his head wasn’t right and that made things difficult. Yaya knows what happened last season. We had a conversation and we agreed a lot of things. I think he’s going to be a very important player for us this season.”
Yaya Tour can be the driving force behind Manchester City’s title charge
Although the 32-year-old endured a disappointing season last term, there is no doubting his ability when he is fully focussed and playing at his best. Yaya Tour still remains amongst the best midfielders in the league when in full flow, and if he can be consistent with his performances throughout the season, the Ivory Coast international might just be the driving force behind a Manchester City title bid.
The former FC Barcelona man can be an imposing, authoritative presence in the centre of the park for City, but needs to step up in the bigger games in the Premier League as well as the Champions League.
Tour has been accused in the past of shirking his defensive responsibilities, and the midfielder will have to ensure he carries out his defensive duties when required if City are to stand a chance of winning the league, or indeed going into the latter stages of the Champions League.
However, there a lot of positives to take away from his performance in City’s opening fixture, and the club’s fans will be hoping to see the Yaya of old once again this season.