It’s Super Bowl week. So it only makes sense that while we talk about football (soccer) we also talk a little bit about football (the American version).
In 2011, Peyton Manning was still a member of the Indianapolis Colts. He had led his team to two Super Bowls and one victory in 2007 against the Chicago Bears. Manning was an MVP and one of the best Quarterbacks the league had ever seen.
His ability to read a defense, anticipate where his receiver would be, and then send a pass to the exact spot for his teammate to make the catch was a God-given talent that few other players could emulate. We knew he was great but I don’t think anyone quite knew just how special he truly was until 2011.
In 2011 an injury put Manning out of commission for the entire season. He missed all 16 games and was forced to watch his team fall apart while he was powerless to help.
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The Colts went 2-14 and finished with the worst record in the NFL.
Just two seasons after making it to the Super Bowl, the Colts were at the bottom of the NFL barrel and never came close to resembling the team they were with Manning leading the way.
We all knew Manning was good, but until we witnessed how dreadful his team was without him, we failed to comprehend just how exceptional he truly was. It took his absence for us to truly appreciate his talent.
Earlier this Premier League season many EPL pundits, myself included, criticized Yaya Toure for his sub-par play for Manchester City. The defending champions started off slow, and it was Toure who took to brunt of the blame.
After a few rough weeks, the Cityzens started to turn things around and after falling behind the league leaders Chelsea by eight points, the team from the blue side of Manchester had turned it around to pull even in the table with the West Londoners.
There was no question that Yaya Toure was playing better, but few gave him credit for helping turn the fortunes of the club around.
On January 1, 2015, Manchester City and Chelsea were all square, both on points and goal difference. Now, less than a month later, the two clubs will meet at Stamford Bridge and if Chelsea prevail, their lead will once again balloon to eight points.
In their last two matches, Manchester City dropped two points in a draw against Everton and all three points in a loss to Arsenal. Currently five points behind the league leaders, City will need to pull off a miracle on the road to keep the race tight.
Man City Square
So what happened? How did City’s fortunes get turned upside down? Although many factors may be contributing, one can argue that the absence of Yaya Toure has played the biggest role of all.
Toure, who is out possibly until the middle of February playing in the African Cup of Nations, has missed the last two EPL matches in which City dropped five points. He also missed their home loss to lower league side Middlesbrough in the FA Cup.
Manchester City has not won a match without Toure since April. Before the loss to Arsenal, when City went on their run to get back into contention, City had an 11 match unbeaten streak. The only two matches they failed to win were draws against Burnley and Everton.
And what was the common factor in both those draws as well as the loss against Arsenal?
No Yaya Toure.
Toure may have been highly criticized earlier in the year, but for someone who has often been described as the quarterback of Manchester City, maybe just like Peyton Manning, we needed his absence to realize just how essential he is to his club’s success.
Unlike the Colts did in 2011, City has enough talent that even without Toure, eventually they will win another match. But with a trip to Chelsea on the horizon, by the time Yaya returns, he and his club may be looking at a second eight-point deficit of the season.
If City fail to get a result against Chelsea, a result that would surprise no one, City will go from a tie atop of table to an eight point deficit in just three matches.
I personally failed to realize just how important Peyton Manning truly was to the Colts; I made the same mistake with Yaya Toure and Manchester City.
If the defending champions hope to retain the crown, there is no longer any doubt that they will need Toure. But by the time he returns will the gap already be too much to overcome?
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