Why Samir Nasri Is the Most Frustrating Player in the Manchester City Squad

Since his move from Arsenal to Manchester City in 2011, Samir Nasri has blown somewhat hot and cold. At his best, few in City’s squad can touch him in terms of technical ability and importance to the side. Nasri, though, has too often gone through periods where he’s underwhelmed, remaining on the periphery of matches, unable to influence proceedings like he knows he can.

It can be frustrating. There are few players in the Premier League who possess the same quality as the Frenchman. His touch is wonderful, and his ability to visualise the game so vividly means he can pick passes other players can’t even see.

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He often starts from a wide position but rarely stays confined to the wings. He drifts inside looking to make an impression in more central areas, often linking up with David Silva, City’s other playmaker. Those two have a seemingly innate understanding and ability to play with another, and City are often at their best when they are in synch.

His game isn’t just centred around his skill and vision. He is strong and tenacious, often showing his best form when City are up against it.

In December, the start of his period last season, he won the Man of the Match award in a win over Everton after a superb display as he, at times single-handedly, dragged City over the finishing line to a narrow 1-0 victory.

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Sergio Aguero went off injured early in the match, with Jose Angel Pozo as his replacement. Nasri, sensing the importance of his senior status in light of Aguero’s withdrawal, grew, almost visibly, and began to terrorise the Everton defence. It was a wonderful performance from the Frenchman.

A few days later, in Rome, as City chased three points to secure themselves a last-16 place in the Champions League, Nasri was again at his influential best, driving his side to an impressive 2-0 win. He scored the opener, a thunderous shot from nothing that flew in off the post, and ran the Roma defence ragged with his guile and technique.

When it clicks, there are few better in Premier League football. 

However, periods of inactivity too often follow. In both City’s recent title-defence seasons, Nasri has been anonymous for long stretches of the campaign, suggesting deficiencies in his mental approach to the game. It seems he struggles to raise his game following success. He can rouse himself in difficult times, but he can’t seem to maintain it consistently.

It’s hugely frustrating for the fans and the City staff. His manager, Manuel Pellegrini, is clearly a fan. When the Chilean arrived in 2013, he inherited an unhappy Nasri who had just endured a dreadful season and looked headed for the exit.

But Pellegrini made Nasri feel wanted, and the midfielder repaid him with a string of outstanding performances as City won a league-and-cup double.

This season, though, ended with Nasri firmly out of the first-team picture. He didn’t start any of the club’s last 11 games—a damning statistic that suggests he has a lot to do to win back his manager's trust. Injury accounted for some of those absences, but after his lacklustre and petulant display in the Camp Nou in March, he was banished to the sidelines almost permanently.

Nasri is capable of so much more than he has delivered at City. Fits and spurts of good form simply aren’t good enough. If he stays at the club this summer, which seems far from certain, he must show more consistency if he wants to find his way back in the first XI.

Rob Pollard is Bleacher Report's lead Manchester City correspondent and follows the club from a Manchester base. All quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow him on Twitter: @RobPollard.