Hereisthecity.com 16/04/2013
For all the talented players in the Premier League, there are very few that can match the all-round contribution that Yaya Toure brings to Manchester City's side when he is on top form.
A bulldozer of a man, Toure is as important in breaking down the opposition as he is to City's attacking play, and his superb display against Chelsea will have plenty of fans celebrating his new contract at the Etihad.
However Toure is already 29, and it is fair to say that for most of the season he has not been playing at the level he did at Wembley on Sunday. There have been several reasons for Manchester City's failure to defend theirPremier League title this year, but the inability of Yaya Toure and David Silva to match their form from last season has certainly played its part.
If Toure is to be worth his new contract, he needs to bring his wrecking ball mode to every match, not just when at Wembley.
Toure will be 34 when his new deal expires, not an outrageous age when you consider the impact that Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs continue to make at City's neighbours Manchester United, but the Ivorian is far more reliant on the physical side of his game, and it's difficult to see him dominating matches to the same extent when nearly half-way through his thirties.
Manchester City clearly do not have financial concerns about the deal, but they will need to use Toure more sparingly to get the best out of him over the next few years. Chelsea's use of Didier Drogba in his final season could be a useful guide, with the striker able to deliver in the huge matches at the end of the season having been carefully managed throughout the year.
If they can use Toure to similar effect, then he will still be an important player for them come 2017, but there is undoubtedly a risk in giving a long contract to a 29 year old with such a physical style of play, however with his presence and ability so unique, ultimately it is one they had to take.
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