Starting just half of Manchester City’s games this season, Riyad Mahrez has, for the most part, done a very good job in his role under Pep Guardiola.
Scoring six goals and picking up four assists in 19 appearances, the Algeria international is finding his old Leicester form once more, and that’s also shown for his national team.
Over the international break, the forward single handedly dismantled Togo in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier with two goals and an assist in a 4-1 win away from home.
This, along with his resurgence at club level, appears to be the combined work of both Guardiola and his national team manager Djamel Belmadi, who explained to ENTV, relayed by Competition, how he approached dealing with the 27-year-old.
He said: “As I’ve previously said, Mahrez is a player you need to love. You need to be patient with him. However, it’s also happened that I’ve had to shake him a bit. I’m just doing my job.
“It’s a shame that he’s criticised [by fans] in this way when he can change the course of a game. I don’t get why everyone’s making a meal out of this. He needs to be loved and helped.”
However, Belmadi made it very clear that he has no intention of coddling the Manchester City star, as that’s not how he approaches things.
That applies to everyone, not just Mahrez, but it just so happens the former Leicester man is his team’s biggest star.
