MADNESS TO LEAVE OUT BEST STRIKER

SERGIO AGUERO had a great deal of time to soak up the impressive atmosphere in Barcelona last week.

Much more time than he wanted, considering he was sat on the substitutes bench for most of Manchester City’s biggest game of the season.

Aguero must have had stomach ache as a result of taking the hardest kick in the guts possible from Pep Guardiola.

There was genuine shock among the media when the teams were announced and Aguero’s name was listed with the replacements. It made no sense.

Barca didn’t have to contend with their rival’s most feared star and, lo and behold, Guardiola’s men went on to blow several chances that Aguero would have gobbled up.

Lurking

Guardiola has the right to pick who he wants. He’s the boss – and how he’s proving it.

He insists there is no problem between him and Aguero and that the Argentine striker has a big future at the Etihad.

He can talk round the issue as much as he wants, but deep down it is obvious there is a problem lurking in the background.

Guardiola has stated in public several times that he wants more from his star striker, despite the fact he had scored 11 goals in nine games heading into yesterday’s draw with Southampton.

Aguero believes the Spaniard is too picky.

But however you dress up the situation, the fact remains that Aguero was deemed dispensable. He was not needed in the Nou Camp.

The Etihad movers and Sheikhs treat Guardiola like a god. He can walk on water as far as they are concerned.

But he can’t. He is human and makes mistakes, like last week when he got it wrong.

Whatever tactics Guardiola chooses to use, Aguero has to be included in them somehow.

Games like the Champions League clash in Catalonia were made for Aguero. It’s the stage his supreme talents deserve to be shown on.

Aguero is one of the few players on the planet good enough to play for Barcelona, or Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for that matter.

At the age of 28, he is also reaching the peak of his powers.

It appears those powers are not strong enough to guarantee Aguero a place in Guardiola’s starting lineup, which will be a huge concern to him.

He will have taken a long look around the Nou Camp and thought to himself “this is the sort of place I want to be at”.

Aguero should be appreciated. Instead he will be feeling confused and neglected because his iconic status within the Etihad counts for little where Guardiola is concerned.

Guardiola insists Aguero – and not him – will decide when the time is right to leave the club.

That’s not exactly a ringing endorsement of how much he wants to keep him, is it?

Players like Aguero need to feel wanted and valued. There’s much more to it than paying him £250,000 a week.

Guardiola is in danger of driving his most lethal marksman into the more loving arms of a big rival – and if that does happen he will only have himself to blame.