Maicon risks reputation with deadline day City move (Video)
Douglas Maicon has been a superb player for a number of years now. The Brazilian has made a habit of combining defensive excellence and consistency with marauding forward runs that often lead to goals for both club and country since the mid 2000s. Of course, who can forget the right back’s “annus mirabilis” in 2009/10, where he racked up seven goals and 12 assists as he helped secure an unprecedented treble for Inter Milan. Following that, his World Cup howitzer from an almost impossible angle against North Korea had almost everyone purring.
So on the face of it, his move to English champions Manchester City on transfer deadline day makes perfect sense. City are short in the right full back area and having begun the season playing 3-5-2, Maicon would represent arguably the perfect right wing back the formation requires. Indeed, City manager Roberto Mancini is well aware of Maicon’s qualities, having brought him to Inter Milan from Monaco in 2006.
However, at 31 years of age, it is fair to say that Maicon is coming to the end of his distinguished career. His form since the end of the World Cup has been decidedly patchy and Inter Milan were happy to let him run his contract down to the point where his fee became cut price. Inter fans may be grateful for Maicon’s service to the club but are hardly up in arms and protesting at his departure.
Who can forget Maicon’s comprehensive destruction at the hands of Tottenham’s Gareth Bale in the Champions League in late 2010. As the video below perfectly shows, though of course not helped by non-existent support from his team mates, Maicon simply had no answer to the raw pace and power of Tottenham’s wideman, who tore him to shreds time and time again. Now that was Maicon in late 2010 at the supposed peak of his powers at 29 years old. Now two years older, Maicon has hardly got any better or quicker and in the Premier League, though Bale is of course an exceptional talent who had the game of his life, he may find himself up against similarly rapid wingers.
Of course, you do not become one of the best in the world by being blind stupid and Maicon will surely have adapted his game since that night at White Hart Lane. He will know that in the Premier League, the forward runs will have to be tamed somewhat particularly if he has lost the legs to keep up with the likes of Bale. In all likelihood, Maicon may not even find himself in the team regularly due to the consistent form of Pablo Zabaleta and his general experience and know-how will be useful at the Etihad Stadium, particularly as they make an assault on the Champions League.
Make no mistake however, Maicon has taken an enormous gamble with his stellar reputation by making the move to the Premier League at this late stage in his career.
Adam Mazrani
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