Manchester City’s Yaya Toure blasts ‘unfair’ criticism of last season’s form

Posted Wednesday, August 12, 2015 by theguardian.com

• Toure starts new season with two goals against West Brom
• Player insists his performances in 2014-15 were ‘not bad at all’

Manchester City’s Yaya Toure blasts ‘unfair’ criticism of last season’s form
Manchester City's Yaya Toure celebrates with Bacary Sagna after scoring his side's second goal against West Bromwich Albion.

Yaya Toure says Manchester City’s belief and intensity made Monday’s 3-0 victory at West Bromwich Albion seem easy.

Toure scored City’s first two goals, the 32-year-old’s fine display one of many in Manuel Pellegrini’s side. Vincent Kompany registered the third, diverting David Silva’s 59th-minute header beyond Boaz Myhill.

Asked if West Brom had made it too simple for City, Toure said: "No, we made it easy because we played our own football with the belief and intensity. In the first half maybe we were able to score four goals. In the second half we just controlled the game and it was a brilliant goal from Kompany."

Last season Toure appeared likely to leave the club due to differences with the hierarchy. He also suffered criticism for a perceived failure to reach his usual high standards. Yet the midfielder pointed to his goal record and how he led Ivory Coast to February’s Africa Cup of Nations triumph.

"I think last season people are talking all the time," he said. “For me I’m quite surprised. Last season was not the best season for us, but second in the table I think is not bad at all.

"There’s been a lot of criticism about me but it’s not been a bad season. Twelve goals and I won the Copa for my country; it’s not bad at all. I know what I want, I know what I have to do, I don’t care what people are saying about me.

"I’m not back – I’m always there. People have to understand football is not talking about one player, it’s about the team. The team did a massive job [against West Bromwich], we played very well, against a difficult side. West Brom have a good manager, good players and experience in the Premier League and the team played brilliantly. Full credit to the team.

"Sometimes people have to understand we are human beings. Things can go wrong [even] when you are fully focused in your job, you love your job and want to win all the time. My job is to make people happy and myself happy as well.

"Sometimes people criticise you unfairly. But we don’t care what they say. I love my job, I love playing football and I don’t worry about what people are saying about me."

City welcome Chelsea to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday. They know victory will put them five points ahead of the champions after José Mourinho’s team drew with Swansea City in their season opener. “Now we have a massive game on Sunday against a direct rival. I hope it will be a good one for us,” said Touré.

City’s performance was the most convincing of the expected title challengers on the opening weekend. "The Premier League is very tough, there’s a very long way to go. There’s 37 more games. Sunday is going to be tough again, and after that we have Everton. I think it is a strong start. We are fully focused this year. We want to do it for the fans, for the chairman and Sheikh Mansour [the owner], who are doing a lot to make this club great.

"It was a great start. I hope this year is going to be fine for us. The important thing is we have a target. That is to bounce back like we did two seasons ago. We have to keep working hard."

Of his second goal, which involved an exchange with Wilfried Bony, Toure said: "My goal was nice, it was a one-two with Bony. My team-mate with the international team. We know each other well. It was a great goal."