TheCable

Yaya Toure, the Cote d’Ivoire and Manchester City player bosses the midfield for his country and club but have you ever wondered how he would have fared against four fiery midfield battlers from the past?

Wouldn’t it make for a fiery – oops, that word again – duel if Toure meets Roy Keane in the midfield?

Ever imagined who would come off worse after 90 minutes – if both remained on the pitch till the end – in a Toure and Patrick Vieira encounter?

Can you guess what would happen if Toure faced a pit bull in the mould of Edgar Davids?

And would the Ivorian have made the difference and won the midfield battle against Sunday Oliseh say in the Tunisia 1994 Africa Cup of Nations quarter final clash between his country and Nigeria?

Toure won his fourth Africa Player of the Year award in a row but would he have won against those four?

Welcome to our Time Machine as we take you and Toure on tour!

Note: The result was arrived at without the benefit of OPTA stats which our Time Machine couldn’t recreate!

PERFORMANCE INDICES

Strength and energy: The ability to work in all corners of the pitch with the same determination and power in the 90 minutes as in the first

Positioning: The creative sense to make space and probe defences with telling passes

Shooting: The aggression to support the attack and to shoot decisively when given the chance

Technical skills: The ability to control the ball instantly and the flair to trick opponents in limited space

Ballwinning: The tackling ability to win the ball from the opposition and quickly switch defence into attack

TOURE V OLISEH

STRENGTH AND ENERGY

Like Toure, Oliseh offers a combination of height, strength and ability to run with the ball and make that killer pass in the entire minutes of the game. The Ivorian, though, has the tendency to tire out and suffer lapses in concentration which he showed in this match. Overconfidence?

POSITIONING

Of all the adjectives one could use to describe Yaya Toure, “unique” is surely the most accurate. But that doesn’t apply to him alone. Oliseh is unique in his positioning which enhances his ball distribution.

SHOOTING

Oliseh’s shooting ability outstrips those of Toure. The Nigerian is best remembered for his explosive shot from 25 yards that earned the Super Eagles a 3-2 win over Spain at France ’98 World Cup. He showed similar traits in this gruelling encounter.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Oliseh showed some flashes of his qualities and technical abilities but Toure comes top here! He can sit deep, break up attacks, play simple balls and generally do the leg work. On his day, like this day, he’s unplayable!

BALL WINNING

When it comes to 50/50 duels for the ball Oliseh, not Toure, is the man you want in a tussle. Oliseh has the character and desire to take risks but Toure is not too far off.

RESULT

The battle for midfield supremacy between Oliseh and Toure was an enthralling contest but the Ivorian emerged victorious!

TOURE V KEANE

STRENGTH AND ENERGY

Keane’s indefatigable, snarling presence in Manchester United’s engine room is brought into this face-off. Toure is not a lightweight either and put up a stellar performance.

POSITIONING

Keane is more of an organiser and he put this skill to good use.

SHOOTING

Shooting is not their forte but Toure has an edge – a slight one.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Keane is more than just a tidy defensive midfielder, strong in the tackle and unyielding in possession, shielding his back four and prompting the more talented players around him with the accuracy of his delivery. His relentless determination to win more than made up for his just-a-little-above-average technical skill. Toure outshines the master here.

BALL WINNING

Keane has an edge in this area. In nine out of 10 times, the former United captain is sure to win the 50/50 battle for the ball like he did in this clash.

RESULT

Indeed, with the absence of OPTA stats one can’t really paint a graphic picture of their duel but if an all action midfielder is what you are after then Keane is your man. If a cool, calm and collected player is your garri and groundnut then Toure is your man.

TOURE V VIEIRA

STRENGTH AND ENERGY

Toure is central to Manchester City’s attacks, a box-to-box midfielder who exerts influence all over the pitch and when he does perform at the top of his game, he’s very difficult to stop. But if there’s anybody that could stop him, it’s Patrick Vieira and he did it in this game. The former Arsenal captain is capable of surprise bursts of power of his own. Most strikingly, he is hugely technically accomplished. He could defend and attack.

POSITIONING

Vieira’s ability to defend and attack in equal measure boils down to his good positioning. Toure is no novice in this department, though.

SHOOTING

One can’t choose between the two here. Average.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Pigeonholed as a defensive midfielder during his time with Barcelona which restricted his game, Toure has shown since he moved to England that he has far more to his game than he was able to demonstrate in La Liga. Vieira is not a laggard here as well. The greatest insult to his legacy is that he is remembered by some as purely an Emeka Ezeugo – a destroyer. That’s far from the truth because he is as elegant as he is aggressive. Vieira could lift the ball over an opposing player’s head, go round him and collect it on the other side with ease! He did it twice against Toure in this duel.

BALL WINNING

Vieira trounces Toure on the tackling stakes! The Frenchman is a fighter and his most remarkable gift – which he displayed once again – is the ability to win the ball and begin a counter-attack in the same motion.

RESULT

It was a tense but also hugely entertaining duel. Toure was second best. Moreover, any tall athletic midfielder is liable to be labelled as a “Vieira-type”. Toure is a “Vieira-type”!

TOURE V DAVIDS

STRENGTH AND ENERGY

Toure is so talented that he looks stifled by his deeper role but there are few midfielders on the planet that can provide the level of athleticism and power that the Ivorian can bring. And he has the licence to run at the heart of the defence with his pace and power. He stood no chance against Edgar Davids, though! Athletic and agile with finely tuned reflexes, Davids does not need daily exercise to maintain his splendid muscle tone. It comes naturally and it was put to good effect here.

POSITIONING

Davids’ low centre of gravity and mental stimulation helps his positioning and in a duel with his taller foe those qualities shades it in his favour.

SHOOTING

Davids’ shooting power and accuracy rank higher.

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Toure can take the game by the scruff of the neck which is helped by his array of technical skills. Davids, however, is another story. His ‘fighting ancestry’ dictates a strong-willed, no-nonsense kind of player who does not take kindly to being challenged by other assertive players. If confronted, he will readily engage. A good blend of brain and brawn!

BALL WINNING

With Davids, it’s more like animal aggression. The Dutchman is like a Pit Bull Terrier and like most Pit Bull Terriers, is aggressive toward other dogs! Winning the ball is like having the strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures, including deer, livestock and other footballers!

RESULT

Everybody knows who Toure is. But that alone is not enough with Davids.

Feel free to share your comments below and if there’s any midfield battler you think will outfox the four we mentioned, let us know.