Why Doesn’t Riyad Mahrez Play More?
April 12, 2023
A game-changing, match winner when he’s at his best, Riyad Mahrez is known for his stunning skill, effortless technicality, and his wand of a left foot. Yet despite his obvious talent and exceptional performances, he has played the fewest minutes by City wingers under Pep Guardiola, rendering the Algerian as somewhat of an enigma among pockets of the City fanbase. So why isn’t he playing more and does he deserve more minutes? On the heels of an early substitution against Southampton and a DNP against Bayern Munich, we dug deeper into the matter.
In his debut season at City (18/19), Mahrez was the least played forward, only starting 28 matches in all competitions. The following season followed the same trend, with a slight exception in 20/21. In seeing what made him thrive at Leicester and how he’s transitioned to his time at City, we think it boils down to two key factors: lack of “excellent” versatility and his distinct, at times predictable, style of play.
Currently, our winger room leaves a bit to be desired. Not in terms of quality, but natural fit. Truth be told, we have one “natural,” first team winger in the squad. Phil Foden, Jack Grealish, and Bernardo Silva - what do these have in common? Midfield profile players who are technically good and intelligent enough to play on the wings. Guardiola’s affinity for midfielders is well-documented, stating reasons like control and possession, which are obviously a key component of his philosophy. Foden’s future is in midfield, Bernardo is a midfielder, and Grealish, while effective on the wing, possesses all the qualities that a left-side eight or a traditional ten would need in order to thrive in said positions. In comparison, Mahrez plays one position at an excellent level - right wing. While his “wingmates” can put in a 10/10 in different positions all over the pitch, Mahrez’ inability to be excellent anywhere else but in the right wing position is a conundrum that Pep hasn’t been able to solve, choosing rather to bench him entirely instead of playing him elsewhere on the pitch. Because Mahrez lacks this “excellent versatility” compared to our other three wing options, he’s not as adaptable or fluid in Guardiola’s system.
How many times have we ooh’ed and ahh’ed as Riyad danced down the right side of the pitch, cutting inside onto his favored left foot, driving across the box, and scoring a beautiful curler, top bins? When it works, it’s devastating. The only issues are that everyone, including our opposition, likely knows it’s coming and when it doesn’t work, it generally leaves us vulnerable. Against Southampton, Mahrez was simply overwhelmed by Southampton’s youthful energy and press. In the midst of fasting for Ramadan, the 32-year old clearly lacked the legs to beat players off the dribble and protect possession. This led to a 56’ substitution for Bernardo, whose relentless energy revitalized the squad.
Even with a slight physical decline, an in-form, confident Mahrez is one of the best in the world with the ball at his feet, running at defenses, playing direct football and making use of his signature cutback. Stepovers, nutmegs, body feints, Mahrez plays with flair and he isn’t afraid to dip into his bag of tricks. Incredibly fun for fans to observe but Pep seems to see it from another lens. As we touched upon before, Guardiola has consistently demonstrated a preference to players who keep control of the ball. His comments this season about Phil and why he is not ready to play in midfield yet, Alvarez needing to mature.. These are clear instances of Pep referring to his preference for balance and control, until the element of chaos needs to be introduced into the game. And in these key situations where control or chaos is needed, Riyad’s fit can be called into question as well.
At the expense of expressing himself on the pitch, Mahrez’ style of play adds what Pep might consider as a completely unnecessary and avoidable element of risk. Against a skillful, pacey team like Bayern, this could be why Bernardo was preferred. A stepover gone wrong, a stuffed cutback, and a lightning-fast counter usually follows. And in those exact situations, Mahrez isn’t exactly known for his defensive contributions, whereas Grealish and Bernardo would be tracking back like their lives depended on it. It’s almost as if Riyad’s greatest strengths amplify our greatest weakness: personal freedom and footballing expression at the cost of the team’s solidity and structure.
There are moments when this individual brilliance is exactly what fits the bill. While the league requires a psychotic level of somewhat robotic consistency, cup competitions, specifically the Champions League are where the biggest players shine brightest. And it’s in that competition that Mahrez has solidified “Champions League Mahrez” as somewhat of a folk legend among the City faithful. On European nights, individual flair and excellence could be what takes a team over the line, balancing the lines between control and chaos and injecting flair into the game at key points. For a player like Mahrez who thrives in these moments, tournament matches and specific moments generally seem to be the optimal setting for him to fully shine.
Playing consistently in a Guardiola squad is never a given and we commend Riyad for his professionalism and patience, even with somewhat limited playtime. Because of his attitude and abilities, it’s natural to feel he deserves to be on the pitch more. However, considering our system and Pep’s expectations, it appears that he’s being utilized exactly how and when he should be at his point in his career. And judging by his happiness at City, he seems to understand it too.