I like Mahrez, and he does get me on the edge of my seat at times! but he his not playing anywhere near like last season, and i honestly believe he will not be here next season. and believe that will be best for all parties.
He will only improve if he plays more. At the moment it can be hard for Shakey to give him a start because Mahrez and Albrighton are working hard and deserving of their places, but we have had games that have been crying out for his direct approach - particularly against Atletico. The difficulty for him is because he comes on so infrequently he feels he has to make an impact and over compensates by trying to take on the opposition on his own. That decision making seems to have improved recently when he could have gone on and taken a shot himself but chose to square it to Slimani who just managed to squeeze it under the keeper (was it against Everton?). He had a good game that day and was withdrawn for what I assumed would be to save him for some part in the Atletico game, but we haven't seen him since. He is said to be well thought of at the club, but I'm wondering by whom.
Obviously by the coaches and the manager. Who would you have instead - only alternatives on the right wing is Musa and Albrighton who is much better on the left imo.
Musa is not really a wide player - for me he is a straight Vardy sub. Personally I'd like to see Mahrez used more as a number 10 and have Albrighton and Gray as the wide men or Albrighton and Chilwell as wing-backs perhaps - with Fuchs moving centrally into a back 3? ... it's great to have the options.
I'd like to see Amartey as CB - need someone with some pace as we must have one of the slowest back 4s in the league.
Arguably we are the only side that can play without pacey defenders seeming we play so deep to allow space for the counter, not often a team gets the ball over the top of our defence for someone to run onto.
Mahrez will be one of those "you don't know what you've got until it's gone" type of players. We'll sell him, and then in a few weeks, everyone will be all "Oh we're lacking creativity, why did we sell Mahrez!?" Yes, he may get tackled when trying to take someone on, yes he may give the ball away when trying an ambitious through ball... What, do you want him to never try these things? He can spend the game passing the ball backwards, making short passes so he has 100% pass completion... Is that what we want? If he never gave the ball away, he would be playing for Barcelona already and no doubt have a few Ballon D'ors to his name! Mahrez is good, but Lionel Messi, he is not...
That rogue comma means you don't think Lionel Messi is a good player. Is that what you really mean, Jack? 'Cos I think the lad has potential.