Wilfried Bony plays too far forward for Manchester City
Wilfried Bony has struggled mightily at Manchester City and the reason is, he’s forced to play too high to provide space to their other attackers
When Wilfried Bony signed for Manchester City from Swansea two years ago, the thought was he’d provide excellent cover for Sergio Aguero up top. After all, he was a proven Premier League goal scorer in his days for the Swans so the thought was he could easily replicate that form with City’s superior talent. Unfortunately, all hasn’t gone according to plan for either the club or player since his arrival.
When you see Bony out on the pitch it’s pretty easy to guess where he needs to play. His body type screams out-and-out striker that thrives on service into the box. Those that make that assumption are half right. He is a dangerous striker who can wreak havoc when he’s in the box, but that doesn’t mean he should only be deployed in the six yard box.
That’s the mistake that Manuel Pellegrini and Manchester City have made with their Bony purchase. They bought him with the idea that he was a better version of Edin Dzeko. A physical, but skilled striker who had the ability to play outside the penalty area but would thrive near the keeper. That was a perfect description of Dzeko but it’s a misread of Bony’s style and talent.
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Yes, Bony’s brawn makes him a handful for opposing defenders inside the box, but that’s not where he’s most comfortable. He thrived at Swansea by receiving the ball further back on the pitch, towards the number 10 for Swansea, and then playing the ball from there. He often took a pass from someone like Gylfi Sigurdsson further away from goal than most strikers would prefer, and would play it quickly off to another attacker. That allowed Bony to use his subtle, quick movements to find dangerous space where he could snap off a shot. Often those shots came from outside the penalty area. That’s where he’s most comfortable and where he’s enjoyed the most Premier League success.
At City, he doesn’t have that same freedom. They simply have too much talent in the attacking midfield to allow Bony the freedom to drop deep to touch the ball. Think of Manchester City and Swansea as two different factories. Swansea, the smaller organization needed more well-rounded players to be successful. Just as smaller shops often need their employees to take on diverse job responsibilities. Manchester City, in contrast, is a giant factory. They thrive on specialized labor to reach peak performance. They want Bony to work almost exclusively in the box and do his damage there. They have other, more specialized attackers in the midfield to handle the ball further from goal.
This specialized labor is good for City, but bad for Bony. He doesn’t thrive as a one trick pony. He was so dangerous for Swansea because he had the freedom to drop deep, play in the box or do anything in between. He was unpredictable for opposing defenses and it made the game more interesting for Bony. At City, he looks disinterested and utterly out of rhythm.
It’s not Manchester City’s fault that Bony isn’t functioning at a high level for them. He’s the wrong fit to play as a single striker with their abundance of talent at attacking midfield. They need a striker who’s just going to field good service in the box and convert that service into goals. It’s a great role for some players, just not for Wilfried Bony.