Yaya Toure wants to make one thing clear.
He may have led City to their second Premier League title last season, but he insists his job is not to score goals.
The player feels that he has been unjustly criticised because it took him until Saturday to score his first goal of the campaign with a fine strike against Aston Villa.
He had five goals by this time last season and finished as City’s top league scorer with 20 goals in 35 games.
Toure feels he is being unfairly judged on his goal-scoring when he is not a striker.
“Sometimes people forget I’m a midfielder and that my job is not to score all the goals,” he said.
“My job is to try to keep the team playing well, make a good pass, and if I am fortunate enough to score, that is fantastic.
“Last year was quite open for me. I played in a good position and I was quite lucky, I was getting free-kicks and penalties.
“Now the criticism has started coming because I am not scoring. For me, not scoring is pretty normal because I play in midfield.
“But I have experience. I have been playing for big sides in Europe for a long time. I know there is criticism, but for me, it doesn’t matter. If they want they can continue, it doesn’t matter. For me, the most important thing at the end of the day is if we win the Premier League or something else.
“The most important thing for me is to try and help the team.
“People shouldn’t forget that my first job is to try and control the team, try to balance the team. My job is not to score the goals.” Toure is right in that respect, but wrong to think the criticism of him is based on his goal-scoring.
The criticisms are mainly based on the fact that the player can be so dominant in the Premier League and yet be so anonymous in European games.
His form has been patchy this season and his display at Villa Park was average at best before he produced a wonder goal.
Toure has had a rough time dealing with the loss of his younger brother but teammate Pablo Zabaleta believes his goal will do him a world of good.
“I think last season he was fantastic,” said the Argentine right-back.
“He scored 20 goals and that for a midfielder is just incredible.
“We need him back to his best form and we are 100 per cent sure we will see the best of Yaya soon.
“He’s been OK at the moment for us and he knows how important he is for that team.
“I think it was so important for him to score. We all know how important Yaya is for the team.
“If he is on his best form, Yaya can do whatever he wants because he’s just different class. We are at our best when Yaya is at his best.”