Why City would be foolish to let Milner go
The summer of 2010 was a huge year for City. Key recruitments came in the form of Aleksander Kolarov from Lazio, Yaya Toure from Barcelona, and David Silva from Spanish side Valencia. And let’s not forget the capture of Mario Balotelli from Inter Milan, too. Perhaps the emphasis that was put on these important purchases left fans forgetting just one player. His name was James Milner, and he joined from Aston Villa for a sum of £26 million in the very same year. But few were to expect what the Leeds-born lad was to bring to the Etihad.
Since joining from the Birmingham side five years ago, Milner has made 118 appearances for the Champions, scoring 14 goals. He made his debut in August 2010 in a comfortable 3-0 home win over Liverpool, acquiring one assist. He has appeared 37 times so far this term, notching 4 goals in the process, including a double against Sheffield Wednesday to keep City temporarily in the FA Cup. Under previous manager Roberto Mancini, Milner’s first-team oppurtunities were limited and, despite featuring over 40 times in his first season under the Italian-and another 73 before Roberto’s departure, there was some speculation about Milner’s future. However, since Manuel Pellegrini’s arrival in 2013, he has made a total of 81 appearances under the Chilean, rivalling the likes of Samir Nasri and Jesus Navas for the first-team place. But once again, Milner’s future at City seems to be up in the air.
Nearing the age of 30, Milner is well into the last year of his contract, and has been reluctant to sign a new one due to concerns over his playing time at the club. Regarding his contract situation, Milner was quoted as saying after the Champions League victory over Roma: ‘Hopefully it will be sorted soon’; and despite ongoing talks with Milner’s representatives since then, an agreement has failed to have been reached and talks have stalled over the Englishman signing a new deal. This has led to rival Premier League sides Liverpool and Arsenal beginning to monitor Milner’s situation, and there has also been interest on the continent, with clubs in Spain and Italy also closely watching proceedings. If Milner were to run out his contract, then he would be allowed to leave for free at the end of this campaign. And an internationally-acclaimed free agent under the age of 30 is clearly going to be an attraction for the likes of Liverpool, where he would arguably gain more first-team experience, especially with the imminent departure of Steven Gerrard on Merseyside.
I believe that City should do everything in their power to keep hold of Milner, despite the complications that have arisen over the midfielder signing a new deal.
Milner is a much underrated player. Throughout his time at City, he has not necessarily made the back page on every occasion, but has slowly become an integral part of some of City’s key results. His work-rate can never be questioned: he covers unbelievable amounts of ground and his enormous stamina means he can contribute well for the entire 90 minutes, making him an invaluable part of City’s side.
His goals aren’t bad, either. His amazing brace against reigning European champions Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena in 2013 helped City on their way to a round-of-16 clash with Barcelona; he bagged a memorable goal at the home of bitter rivals Manchester United at Old Trafford in the same year to set up an impressive 2-1 victory in the derby, and, as already mentioned, he notched a second-half double against Championship side Sheffield Wednesday earlier this season to move City into the fourth round of the FA Cup. He possesses a powerful right-foot which enables him to score these goals, but he is also perfectly capable of using his weaker side to add to this.
Versatility is another important aspect of Milner’s game. He is able to play in a number of different positions; even occupying the right-back area once under Roberto Mancini. He can play on either wing, but is arguably more useful as a central midfielder, although his chances there this season have been limited with David Silva and Yaya Toure regularly keeping him out of the team. And even during City’s ‘striker-less’ stage – in which all three forwards were suffering from injury – Milner filled the gap and played as the number nine for a number of games whilst Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko and Stevan Jovetic were all out. And whatever position you put Milner in; you know he will put in a shift.
When Milner is on the pitch, you know that the game is in safe hands. He is comfortable in possession, and will always work his hardest to win it back if he were to lose it. He is, if you like, a proper old-fashioned footballer- he can take a tackle, and it is extremely rare that you see him dive, which has become a key part of today’s game. He just gets up and gets on with it, which is exactly what you want to see from your player.
Only time will tell what results from this speculation surrounding Milner’s future, but I’m sure I speak for all City fans when I say that he will be missed if he were to leave us. The reality that he could depart to another Premier League team for nothing makes it even more hard to take for the City faithful, but there is still time for the Englishman to come to an agreement with City and hopefully sign a new deal in the coming months. If not, then we wish him all the best. If so, then we’re glad to have such a key player continue with us.
The pen’s in your hands, James.
