Why James Milner Is the Unsung Hero for Manchester City so Far This Season

Manchester City midfielder James Milner is the subject of a great deal of undeserved ridicule for a number of things he is not.

Milner is not a constant distraction to his club with ill-timed or ill-intended quotes to the media. He is not a selfish player who always looks after his own interest before that of his team. Milner is also not the sort of player to be splashed all over the tabloids, unless you are talking about his charity benefit.

The temptation is to think that Milner's primary value to City is how unobtrusive he is. This season, though, Milner's value to City on the pitch has far exceeded all of his positive and useful qualities off it.

City have been ravaged by injuries to their biggest names all season. Sergio Aguero, Edin Dzeko, David Silva and Vincent Kompany have all missed significant matches. Yaya Toure has rebounded nicely from a pretty wretched start, but there is no disputing just how bad the Ivorian was at the season's outset.

Somehow, though, there are the Citizens, tied atop the Premier League with Chelsea and getting their power players healed up in time to take on Barcelona in the Champions League's round of 16.

And there is James Milner, leading City in Premier League assists despite starting just half of City's league matches.

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There is Milner, the man who drew the penalty against Phil Jagielka that led to Toure's spot-kick winner against Everton.

The examples of Milner's tireless and intelligent play are endless, and sometimes you have to look very closely to notice them. But for Milner's dummy run against AS Roma, Samir Nasri probably does not have the necessary space to launch the goal that effectively advanced City out of Champions League Group E.

Last season, when City were largely a healthier club, City manager Manuel Pellegrini took to deploying Milner as a late substitute to secure results the way baseball managers turn to closers. As a result, Milner's playing time suffered greatly and rumors that he would leave City ran rampant.

With Milner's current contract set to expire at season's end, though, Pellegrini has displayed a new-found admiration for Milner's dependably professional game.

"We are talking with James," noted Pellegrini per a Press Association report (h/t The Guardian). "I hope finally James will sign his contract. I repeat, he wants to stay and the club wants to keep him."

Pellegrini should do anything he can to convince Milner to stay, particularly given the versatility Milner has shown.

It is fair to say that Milner's turn as a striker against Crystal Palace did not turn out as anyone hoped. That Milner was willing to try was remarkable in its own right. Milner did not balk at being played out of position. He just did what was asked.

It was not the first time.

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"A quick brainstorm reveals that Milner has now played up to seven positions in a Manchester City shirt—in both full-back positions, across the midfield, behind the frontman and now as an old-fashioned No. 9," wrote Adam Crafton in the Daily Mail.

If it is true that "80 percent of success is showing up," the secret of Milner's success is really no secret at all. Milner keeps himself in impeccable shape, he trains tirelessly and he never fails to put forth effort when his chance comes.

Milner will always be unsung at City. Aguero is the incendiary goal fountain. Kompany is the captain and one of the league's best defenders. Silva makes the passes that turn opposing defenders into spectators, and Toure's sheer physical force makes it nearly impossible for spectators not to notice him.

This season, though, all of those stars have had spells of injury or ineffectiveness.

Milner has just done his job like he always does, and City's 2014/15 season remains on track for success as a result.