mobanmarketA former Anfield favourite doesn’t think that the Argentine striker has received the credit he deserves during his time at Manchester City
Football supporters have taken Sergio Aguero’s talents “for granted”, according to Danny Murphy, who believes the striker’s achievements at Manchester City have been under-appreciated.
Aguero became the first man in history to score 12 Premier League hat-tricks when he netted a treble in City’s 6-1 win at Aston Villa on Sunday .
The Argentina international moved two goals ahead of Arsenal legend Thierry Henry to become the highest-scoring foreign import of all-time in the process, taking his tally to 177.
The 31-year-old has spent the last nine years of his career at the Etihad Stadium, having arrived in Manchester from Atletico Madrid back in 2011.
He has since helped the club win four Premier League titles, while setting an unprecedented standard of consistency in terms of his numbers in the final third.
However, there are those that feel Aguero doesn’t fall into the same bracket as Alan Shearer or Henry in terms of greatness, which Murphy puts down to his affiliation with City.
The former Liverpool midfielder has suggested that the forward would have been praised far more highly if he was on the books of Liverpool or Manchester United.
He told talkSPORT: “I think we have taken him for granted. This isn’t a slant on Manchester City supporters, it’s more about the brand Man City and the club and the history, but is it because he plays for Man City?
“Would we be talking about him more and putting him on a higher pedestal if he played for Liverpool or Man United?
“I think he’s been part of the Man City evolution where a lot of people have linked that to money. You are going to be a striker who scores goals if you are in a team who has all the best players, that flippant view.
“It doesn’t matter what team you are in or how good the players are, scoring goals is an art form. I think we have taken him for granted. Can we put him in the same breath as the likes of Henry or Shearer?
“Henry and Shearer, probably two of the best examples, the two greatest strikers we’ve seen in the Premier League, I think, they had the ability to lift the team on their own. They were the talisman for their teams. They grabbed games by the scruff of the neck when no one else in the team was.
“I know Henry became embroiled in a wonderful Arsenal team but he was still their main man. Arsenal without Henry were never as good.
“Do opposing fans think Aguero is up there with the likes of those? Or am I right that we don’t give him the credit he’s deserved?”
Murphy went on to express his belief that City are the victims of widespread jealousy due to their financial muscle, before naming Henry as the greatest player to have ever graced English football.
“There’s always a bit of jealously where a club buys success, if you like, spends millions and millions on players to make them better,” he added. “You are always going to get fans who have a degree of jealously around that. That’s part of life. Therefore is there a consequence of that for players who are bought and are brilliant.
“Has Aguero been in amongst a group of wonderful players and team rather than making that team wonderful?
“Henry was the complete player in every respect and the best I’ve ever seen in terms of strikers because he could get goals from anywhere but he could also drop deep and kill you with his dribbles, skills and power.
“That’s no belittling Aguero or Shearer but for me, he’s the best.”