Toure: I've got nothing to prove

17 February 2014 18:16

Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure does not believe he has a point to prove to Barcelona or his critics this week.

Toure's performances came in for criticism as City suffered a potentially damaging loss to Chelsea a fortnight ago and were then held to a draw by Norwich in the Barclays Premier League.

He responded with a strong display as City avenged their league loss to Chelsea to put the Londoners out of the FA Cup last weekend.

The Ivory Coast international will now hope to maintain that form as City host Barca, the club that let him go in 2010, in the last 16 of the Champions League.

Brushing off the negative comments about his recent displays, he said: "It doesn't matter who wants to continue to criticise me and talk about me.

"I just want to focus on the next game because always when we have lost we are the worst team and I'm the worst player. When we've won I'm the best in the team.

"Sometimes you have to give your answer to the people with your football. For me I am in the right place.

"People who love football always want to hear something. Sometimes we are disappointed but for me the most important thing is we have to move on."

Former City midfielder Dietmar Hamann has even described Toure as a liability this term, but the player himself is not interested.

He said: "Liability or no liability - I've been playing for a long time."

Toure was a member of the Barcelona side that won the Champions League in 2009 but did not command a regular place under then manager Pep Guardiola.

Sergio Busquets was preferred to him in the defensive midfield role and he was sometimes deployed in the back four.

Since moving to City he has flourished as a dynamic box-to-box midfielder but he insists this week's encounter is not about making personal points.

The 30-year-old, also a two-time La Liga winner with Barca, said at the pre-match press conference: "I don't have anything to prove. I won a lot of trophies with them and I think from my point of view it was the right time to move on.

"I couldn't have done anything more at Barcelona. I think for me to come to Man City was the right move.

"Since I came here, we are going the right way and have a new manager who is helping us play fantastic football and we are exciting on the pitch.

"A lot of people criticised me, thinking I had come here for something else, but now I think since 2011 I've won a few trophies now.

"I'm happy and the most important thing for me is to just give everything to the club who have done everything for me and I'm very happy to be here."

Saturday's win over Chelsea has restored confidence at City and Toure believes they have the game to trouble Barcelona.

He said: "Of course we have the players to do that, we have the quality and the temperament to do that.

"It's not going to be easy over two legs, we know how difficult it will be, but for us we are really focused on this game."

City remain in contention in four competitions and Toure believes the team should aim for a clean sweep.

He said: "I think anything is possible, but we know how hard it is.

"Week in, week out it's very difficult in England but we are still in all four competitions and want to go as far as possible.

"I hope at the end of the season we will have won a couple of trophies."

Toure is set to be reunited with Fernandinho, who has overcome a muscle strain, in central midfield.

He said: "He's a great player, it makes my life easier. He's a very intelligent player, he's got a lot of quality and I'm very happy he plays in our team."

Source: PA