Toure - Players need to work harder

[Mark (Blue Army)]

Kolo Toure believes some of his Manchester City team-mates need to pull their socks up and work harder for the team.

The big-spenders currently sit fifth in the table - six points off the top - heading into Sunday's clash against former boss Mark Hughes' Fulham.

But Toure believes some of the stars at the club are relying on their reputations and are not doing enough to earn their massive wages.

He told the News of the World: "You need to be honest, even if you hurt people.

"And there are some players here, I am not scared to say, who are not working hard enough for the team. Some don't do enough in training, but still expect to play.

"We all get big wages at City, but some need to work harder.

"You cannot have a place in the team - even if you are an international - if you don't show what you can do in training.

"As players, we have the best job in the world and if the manager said 'You haven't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages this week' it would make the players fight harder.

"I'm a professional footballer and, to me, playing regularly is the most important thing, money is secondary."

Amid reports of bust-ups behind the scenes at Eastlands, Toure, who joined City in a £16 million move from Arsenal in July 2009, believes his current team-mates could learn something from the team ethic at the Gunners.

He said: "There are players with big egos here, but you get that at every club.

"I signed from Arsenal, where we had Thierry Henry, Patrick Vieira, Dennis Bergkamp, all top players, but their behaviour was fantastic.

"The most important thing was for the team to win - it didn't matter who was playing.

"If everyone fights with each other, the team is not going to get better."

Toure believes City are still in with a chance of winning the title - as long as everyone pulls in the same direction for the team, who also need to be more consistent.

He added: "Football is not just about money, it's about winning trophies. City want to be a big club. We feel pressure that we have to deliver and we can still win the title.

"I can't say we will because it is very difficult. There are top teams like Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal.

"At the moment we are not consistent enough. We played well in beating Chelsea but lost to Wolves and you cannot play like that.

"The bust-ups happened, but there is always fighting at clubs and that is normal.

"It shows the team has hunger, the players want to win and I don't have a problem with that.

"When you have players from different countries, different mentalities, you will always have arguments.

"But the most important thing is the team - as long as each player does his job, that's it. No buts.

"If a player's commitment starts to drain, the manager needs to control that, but he cannot go to everyone's house, so it's difficult.

"For me, the only thing that will calm us is to win. We need a trophy this season. And then we will get into the habit of winning."

skysports.com

[kinkylola]

yes.

[Bingo Lewis]

well said kolo.
why is he acting more like our captain now that he isn't our captain btw?
good read though.

[colonel_muck]

i like kolo toure. when you think about it, he's a senior player these days, and hopefully he gets the respect that brings from his team mates.

[MaineRoadMemories]

He should really talk to his brother face-to-face though rather than via the press.

[Moonchesteri]

He should really talk to his brother face-to-face though rather than via the press.

Spot on.

[brite blu sky]

"As players, we have the best job in the world and if the manager said 'You haven't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages this week' it would make the players fight harder.

said the same thing a while back.

Who do you think he has in mind saying this ? Ade? AJ? Bridge? Lescott? Jo? SWP?

[Beefymcfc]

Why is he OK to speak to the NotW, when nobody else is?

[Lev Bronstein]

Why is he OK to speak to the NotW, when nobody else is?

Damn good point. I'm fed up with players going to the papers for whatever reason. Do your talking on the pitch. If you have a problem, take it to the managers office. Sort things out in private.

[Slim]

"As players, we have the best job in the world and if the manager said 'You haven't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages this week' it would make the players fight harder.

said the same thing a while back.

Who do you think he has in mind saying this ? Ade? AJ? Bridge? Lescott? Jo? SWP?

His brother?

[brite blu sky]

"As players, we have the best job in the world and if the manager said 'You haven't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages this week' it would make the players fight harder.

said the same thing a while back.

Who do you think he has in mind saying this ? Ade? AJ? Bridge? Lescott? Jo? SWP?

His brother?

hmm.. worked then dinit?

[CitizenYank]

We knew it was true and finally someone said it!!! Maybe we shouldn't have switch armbands so soon.
I think Mancini is beginning to get through to them though. Today was a cracking match!!

[Mase]

"As players, we have the best job in the world and if the manager said 'You haven't worked hard enough, you will only get half your wages this week' it would make the players fight harder.

said the same thing a while back.

Who do you think he has in mind saying this ? Ade? AJ? Bridge? Lescott? Jo? SWP?

His brother?

hmm.. worked then dinit?

Might have been his lucky turtle neck if anything though.

Just sayin...

[Lees Alter Ego]

Kolo has been immense this year. Seems a completely different player than we saw last year. Not sure what has caused this but who cares. Well said Kolo

[Mase]

Kolo has been immense this year. Seems a completely different player than we saw last year. Not sure what has caused this but who cares. Well said Kolo

Possibly still suffering the effects of malaria last year?
Or having the burden of being captain??
Who knows? One thing is for sure though, last year I wanted Kolo out of the club asap. This year he's dug in and worked hard. Couldn't be more pleased to be proven wrong.

[Slim]

Players always seem to suffer in the African Nations years from the stop start nature of their season.

With any luck, Kolo and Yaya can retire from national duty as well to avoid this happening in the future.

[Ted Hughes]

Doug's said Adebayor has been putting effort in during the training sessions as well as SWP & I can't imagine he's having a dig at his brother. It's a strange one imo.

I'd have to say judging by the team selection, it's probably a go at Ade & he's just thrown the training thing in for effect.

[brite blu sky]

I would say definately Ade.. as he said players that are expecting to start.. now that counts out SWP and Bridge etc and promotes Ade as the likely one... but also AJ tbh, but i think Kolo would not say that publically about AJ.

Doug did say Ade was putting in some blinders in training, but that was a while back.. leading up to the Arsenal game in fact. I asked Doug specifically recently and he said that Ade has slumped back to normal levels, whatever that is.

If i were some of the regular players on the team i would be thinking that Ade has let us down at a time where he could have made a real difference.

[Beefymcfc]

I would say definately Ade.. as he said players that are expecting to start.. now that counts out SWP and Bridge etc and promotes Ade as the likely one... but also AJ tbh, but i think Kolo would not say that publically about AJ.

Doug did say Ade was putting in some blinders in training, but that was a while back.. leading up to the Arsenal game in fact. I asked Doug specifically recently and he said that Ade has slumped back to normal levels, whatever that is.

If i were some of the regular players on the team i would be thinking that Ade has let us down at a time where he could have made a real difference.

Training doesn't necessarily mean what Doug see's on the pitch. It could be his lack of effort during fitness sessions and the way he is indoors. It may be his whole demeanour with regard to training, games and the club as a whole, who know's?

[brite blu sky]

I would say definately Ade.. as he said players that are expecting to start.. now that counts out SWP and Bridge etc and promotes Ade as the likely one... but also AJ tbh, but i think Kolo would not say that publically about AJ.

Doug did say Ade was putting in some blinders in training, but that was a while back.. leading up to the Arsenal game in fact. I asked Doug specifically recently and he said that Ade has slumped back to normal levels, whatever that is.

If i were some of the regular players on the team i would be thinking that Ade has let us down at a time where he could have made a real difference.

Training doesn't necessarily mean what Doug see's on the pitch. It could be his lack of effort during fitness sessions and the way he is indoors. It may be his whole demeanour with regard to training, games and the club as a whole, who know's?

You are right, but if Dougie says that he put in a blinder and was unplayable in training for a couple of sessions and then says he is now just normal.. then you have to take that at face value and a clear difference.

Ade has said on a few occasions in interviews that he just loves running, finds it easy and can do training runs for fun!