Midfielders

Gareth Barry
Apps: 47 (34 PL)
Goals: 1
Assists: 3
For a long time, I was convinced Barry was a duck egg - another classic example of a player who's supposedly in the team to win the ball back and ends up giving it away instead. His lack of pace was ruthlessly exposed by Mesut Ozil at the World Cup and he was even worse for City in the seasons before and after the tournament. Another overpriced Hughes signing! However, this season he was much improved - perhaps he had more of a rest or worked on his fitness, because although he is still quite bulky and sometimes has the turning circle of an articulated lorry he turned in some excellent performances and provides an important base for the more attack-minded players in our midfield. At 31 though he's not going to get any quicker and I'm not sure how long he'll be good enough. He should have another season or two in his legs, but he's one we need to think about replacing I feel.
Moment that defined his season:
Any of his blocks, tackles and interceptions in the Arsenal game at home - Nasri was given MOTM in a blatant attempt to rile the Arsenal fans, but it was Barry who was dominant that day.
Keep hold/get rid?
We need to hang on to him for another season or two, but I can't see him lasting longer than that - too slow and cumbersome.


De Jong
Apps: 36 (21 PL)
Goals: 1
Assists: 0
A player who was brought in to do a very specific job at that point in time and chosen once Diarra chose to go to Madrid, the Lawnmower quickly gained a cult status among fans for his tackling and all-round energy (and fouling). He played a key role when he first arrived - Hughes (!) choosing to pay £16m at Christmas for a player we could have got on a free at the end of the season - but his star has waned. I'm afraid he's too negative for our team - there are times when the ball is loose on the edge of the box and you wish it had fallen to anyone else in the team apart from him. His passing is always sideways, and his tackling is not as effective as it should be if that's his only job in the team. Almost half of his appearances last season were as a sub and frankly I can't see that changing in the future. A shame because he's a warrior and prepared to sweat blood for the cause but our style of play has moved on and he just slows the play down too much.
Moment that defined his season:
When he was brought on for Nasri against Newcastle - it showed that his only real role in the team is to free up Yaya to play a more attacking role. Of course, this tactic worked but not really thanks to De Jong - he's another player who I really feel we can improve on.
Keep hold/get rid?
As I said, I think we can do better - he doesn't offer enough going forward, and we are too good to have a player only in the team to do one thing. I'd much rather see a Colin Bell/Steven Gerrard-type player, who can tackle and defend but also go forward. If only Michael Johnson hadn't drunk away his talent. I think we could probably get decent money for Nige so I say get rid and use the transfer fee to balance out the FFP.


Adam Johnson
Apps: 41 (23 PL)
Goals: 7
Assists: 4
A bit of a funny season for Johnson - he was mainly restricted to sub appearances and cup games (he only started 10 times in the league) but scored some excellent goals, set up a few and won the odd penalty by 'anticipating contact'. Publicly chastised by Mancini for his effort, the season ended on disappointment after he missed out on the Euro squad, which was largely put down to his lack of competitive football. It is a pity that he doesn't get to play more, as he is skilful and can be a joy to watch - it's a bit of a shame for the neutral (and the England fan) that we don't get to see a bit more of an exciting young English talent. I have to agree with Mancini though - he can go missing, and you do need every player to put a shift in at all times. Perhaps he also suffers from the style of play that Mancini uses, as we don't really play with wingers so the team can look unbalanced when he's playing. He's a good player to have in the squad, but is he going to be happy playing a bit part forever?
Moment that defined his season:
His public dressing-down by Mancini after the Wolves game. It must be a bit dispiriting for AJ to hear that after scoring or setting up a goal but Roberto knows what he's doing, and if he's underachieving then the manager is obliged to do it if it's necessary.
Keep hold/get rid?
I like him, even though he's a bit lightweight and can drift in and out of games. I feel like he's actually more effective when he starts matches, as he hasn't got the pace to make the impact of someone like Craig Bellamy coming off the bench. It might be better for him to go somewhere else but I would like him to stay - he gives us something a bit different, and his trademark goal curled into the top left corner from the right-hand side (like against Sunderland a couple of seasons ago or Blackburn the season just gone) is always a pleasure to see.


James Milner
Apps: 37 (26 PL)
Goals: 3
Assists: 6
Yet another player who was overpriced, Milner was not a signing to get pulses racing. The fact that he was picked at the Euro mainly because he was the most trustworthy defensively of our midfield options says a lot about him - he works hard and does a job for the team without having the flair or the pace to really give defenders problems. That said, I am a big fan - despite what we paid for him, I think he's been excellent. He's best playing more centrally, where his positional awareness and work rate are most effective, and it gives him the chance to make runs into the corners which are more likely to unsettle the defence than if it was him trying to go round a defender one on one. Did a good job when required, and his versatility and general commitment make him a valuable member of the squad.
Moment that defined his season:
Probably his assist for Balotelli's first against United at OT - it was a dominant display by Milner and this capped it.
Keep hold/get rid?
Definitely keep - he's not quite in the first choice XI but it's a squad game these days as they say.


Samir Nasri

Apps: 45 (30 PL)

Goals: 6

Assists: 9

His transfer was fractious to say the least, with City pulling off a bit of a coup by signing a player that United were after. Perhaps for that reason alone you could say that it was important - United showed they needed midfield playmaker and Nasri might have been the player to do it. He was inconsistent though - he had a bit of a tendency to go missing at times, and his attitude can be poor. When he's on form, though, he is a delight to watch, especially when combining with the likes of Silva and Aguero to bamboozle opposition defenders with their mesmerising, intricate passing and subtle movement. He started his City career with three assists in one game - more than he'd managed in the previous season for Arsenal - and he scored some very important goals, notably at home to Spurs and Chelsea and a nerve-settling second away at Wolves. He was involved in the goal at home to Arsenal, but the choice of him as MOTM was more to rile the Gooners than a true reflection of his performance. When he's good, he's very very good, but he needs to work on his consistency and application - I could have throttled him in the last game of the season when he let the ball go out of play when it was a QPR throw. We did win the ball back through Lescott and then go down the other end and score though, so I can't be too cross. 

Moment that defined his season:

Because his season involved a generous amount of antagonising Arsenal fans, and looked like it was going to be a disappointment but then delivered in the end, I'm going to go for his Twitter bet with Piers Morgan that he would win silverware before Arsenal did. It showed his confidence in City's 'project' as well as his confrontational personality.

Keep hold/get rid?

While he's not in the top echelon of players (Hart, Kompany, Yaya, Silva, Aguero) he is a great talent. Perhaps we should sign another attacking midfielder to keep him on his toes and stop him going missing quite so often. Mesut Ozil?

David Silva

Apps: 49 (36 PL)

Goals: 8

Assists: 19

At the start of the season, I felt that if we were going to win any sympathy from the neutral we would have to play attractive football, and City duly delivered thanks in no small part to Silva's artistry. His first season in English football was very good, but his performances last season, especially in the first half of the year, were masterful. A return of 19 assists is simply phenomenal, and the goals he was involved in were not only plentiful but crucial in many matches. His interplay with the other midfielders is hypnotic, and his touch and vision and his assuredness on the ball make him a frightening prospect for opposition defenders. His influence on the early form that led us to dominate the majority of our matches in the first half of the season cannot be understated, and although there was a part of the season, maybe the third quarter, where his performances dipped slightly and there were reports he was carrying an injury, he battled through, and provided assists from corners for two of the most important goals of the season in the last few games - Kompany at home to United and the Dzeko's on the last game of the season. He's the type of player that fans of other clubs love to watch, and is rightly idolised at the Blues. Scoring a goal in the final of the Euros must be satisfying as well. 

Moment that defined his season:

There were so many moments of skill, flair, imagination and invention that it is hard to choose just one, but his pass, volleyed 30 yards over his shoulder from the halfway line, that set up Dzeko for the sixth goal at Old Trafford takes some beating. It was a sumptuous, breathtaking piece of technique that helped to underline our superiority over our nearest rivals for the title, and Silva makes a significant contribution to that superiority. 

Keep hold/get rid?

Silva is in the group of players who are virtually irreplaceable - if, say, Barca or Real came in for him I couldn't imagine the starting bid being less than £50m, and City would probably view that as insultingly low. He is one of the players that I will be boring the grandchildren about in years to come, and it is a privilege to see him play for the team I support. 

Yaya Toure

Apps: 44 (32 PL)

Goals: 9

Assists: 9

In terms of both physique and influence, Yaya is a colossus. He had already earned his place in the City pantheon of greats with his exploits in the 2011 FA Cup semi and final, but he did not rest on his laurels - the way he dominates the centre of the park is exhilarating, and his desire and athleticism must terrify both defenders and attackers when he lopes towards them. He is the perfect foil to our other attacking players, his physicality and energy perfectly complementing the wizardry of Silva and the industry of Aguero, and it was no coincidence that our least convincing period of the season came when he was away at the African Cup of Nations. It is a slight concern that there is another one this season, but even with the possibility that he will miss a month of next season I wouldn't swap him for any other midfielder in the world. He can always be relied upon to step up when the team most need him, and his goals secured vital points in key games - the winner away at QPR, the equaliser against Stoke, and of course the two goals away at Newcastle. His role in our Plan B has been well-documented, with De Jong being brought on the free him up to rampage forward in typical lungbursting style, and this is priceless for City when we need a goal. What a player.
Moment that defined his season:
As I said, he always seems to score important goals, and few were more important last season than the two away at Newcastle. We needed him and he delivered.
Keep hold/get rid?
I wouldn't swap him for anyone. Right foot, left foot, inside the box, outside the box, he can strike it from anywhere; no there player can dominate a game the way he does. Deserves to be considered alongside Vieira and Gerrard as the best ever midfielders in the Prem.