Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Silva a shining light at City but he falls short of joining the legends
DAVID SILVA is a very good player — a special player, in fact.
But I’m struggling to buy into this notion he will be remembered as one of the Premier League’s all-time greats. He’s not in the same bracket as Dennis Bergkamp, Eric Cantona, Thierry Henry or Alan Shearer. Not quite. And I’d have Didier Drogba, John Terry and Frank Lampard ahead of him, too.
All were dominant over several years and demanded your attention, whereas Silva has shone at times but never on a consistent, three or four-year basis like the others. That is probably because of his injuries. I accept that, but still they have to be factored in.
When Bergkamp was in his pomp at Arsenal he was central to everything they did. Henry scored great goals and did it with a swagger for the Gunners. Cantona was the genius who brought it all together at a great Manchester United side, while Alan Shearer bludgeoned his way into that group with his sheer volume of goals. As for the Chelsea trio, they won a trophy every year, and in some years more than one. Silva, on the other hand, goes almost quietly about his business. Don’t get me wrong, it’s very good business.
But he doesn’t dominate games, or seasons, like they did, which is why I can’t quite put him up there with Cantona, Bergkamp and Co. I’m not sure I’d even have him down
as City’s greatest player, as Jamie
Carragher said at the weekend.
What about Sergio Aguero?
He has been a phenomenal goalscorer and will go down in football folklore for the title-winning goal against QPR in 2012. But, like his team-mate, I still can’t quite put the Argentinian in the same bracket as those all-time greats.
If City’s team last season had Henry in it they would have won the title whether or not they had defensive frailties, and that’s the sort of difference I’m talking about.
Silva and Aguero are two-time Premier League winners and deservedly so. Yet considering how much City have spent in recent years and the players at their disposal, two should be par for the course really.
So what happened in the 2012-13, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17 seasons? Like Silva, Aguero had his injury problems. But for that, there might not be any debate.
Because, if you’re asking me if both have the quality of those other guys then I’d say, yes, absolutely.
But the levels of consistency the very, very best in the league have had? No, they don’t.
They are special, but not quite special enough.