Now Pep will see the real Mahrez
I’M FINALLY READY TO FIRE SAYS WINGER
RIYAD MAHREZ admits he struggled to justify Pep Guardiola’s faith in him after a club-record £60million transfer from Leicester City to the Etihad.
But the flying winger insists he is now confident he will show the Spaniard his title-winning swagger for the rest of the current campaign.
Guardiola pushed the boat out to land the Algerian in the summer of 2018, two years after the Foxes landed their improbable title triumph.
Yet in that first season he struggled to gain a regular spot in City’s starting XI, beginning just 14 games from 38.
“Last year, when I arrived, the manager trusted me and believed in me, but I didn’t make the difference as quick as they thought I would,” he said.
“And at a club like City, they don’t have time to wait. There are 20 top players, so I was on the bench when others were performing so it was a bit difficult for me to come back.”
This season Mahrez has looked much more like the player Guardiola believed he had bought, starting 15 games out of 29, scoring seven goals and providing seven assists.
And the winger has vowed that when the Premier League restarts he will hit the ground running.
“I played well towards the end of the season [in 2018-19], and I started this season differently,” he said.
“When I’ve played, I’ve been performing so the confidence is here. When I arrived at City, I noticed how everyone sits back so you have to think differently. “You have to deal differently with your opponent and, in my case, the left-back, because he’s always in front of me. “They also always have help around him, with a midfielder or the winger, so you have to change your play and your movement. “You have to adapt to this. That took me a little bit of time but now I feel I’m set up very well.” City resume their domestic campaign 25 points adrift of leaders Liverpool and the loss of their title is a formality. But Mahrez is keeping everything in perspective as football and sport emerges from a difficult period. “With what has been happening the past few months, it makes you realise as a footballer what a beautiful job you have,” he said. “You have to love what you’re doing and you have to enjoy the life you have. My love started when I was young, and obviously it was my dad who brought me this passion of the ball and I was playing every day. I just loved it.” Mahrez added: “I’m always looking to play – I have balls everywhere in my house, so I always try to be in contact with the ball.”