Richards: Milner has plenty to offer
Manchester City defender Micah Richards has become the latest person at the club to come out and praise new signing James Milner.
Milner made his debut on Monday night during the 3-0 win over Liverpool and Richards says that Milner has much more to offer the club than a lot of people will care to think.
Milner started the season with Aston Villa but his £26 million move to Manchester City was quickly finalised and allowed him to settle at his new club. Milner is now under pressure to perform but Richards is one player who will back him to do well all season long.
There is a lot more to Milner's game than just work ethic and a lot of energy. However, Manchester City have a very big squad and he will have to be very consistent because he could find himself out of the team very quickly if he starts to play poorly.
Milner's other skills
Milner showed against Liverpool that he can think quickly on his feet. He looks very comfortable when in possession of the ball and is not afraid to perform a trick or two if it will create an extra yard of space for him to pass to another player.
Milner often plays in the wide areas of the pitch although he's versatile enough to move into the middle to play a more central role. This has meant that he's developed a very good cross and ball into the area that allows other attacking players to directly attack the ball and try to score.
Milner's also deceptively good in the air. You would not think of this as a strong part of his game but he challenges for the ball well when he's in the middle. Winning headers means Manchester City can pick up more second balls and attack quickly.
Richards said: "James has brought a new dimension to the team. When he first came people said he was overpriced. They said all he does is work hard. Now they know has a little bit more in his locker than that. He can use his right foot and left foot and has plenty of skill."
Depth of squad
Milner arrived at Manchester City after the club had clearly rooted him out. This means he was always going to feature in the team straight away after he signed for the club. It's now up to him to make sure he can stay in the team.
Manchester City are gifted in the respect that they have a lot of players who can control the midfield areas of the team. They are not short of players who can come in to do a job and Milner must be consistent or he may quickly find himself sitting on the bench.
Richards added: "His awareness is superb, so hopefully he can improve and bring that to the rest of the team. I have worked on my concentration because sometimes I have tended to switch off a little bit."
Betting advice
Milner did not look at all out of place during the 3-0 win over Liverpool. It's clear that he is on top of his game at the moment and can be a key tool in the Manchester City attack.
Back him to score in his next one or two games for the club. He is often involved in the action at the right end of the pitch and his quality on a dead ball is enough to ensure that he will take a few free kicks this season. However, don't gamble on a longer option because there is no guarantee he'll stay in the side for long.
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