Has Yaya Toure suffered a power cut? Manchester City’s marauding midfielder …

Yaya Toure was nowhere near his best against Bayern Munich but he’ll soon be Manchester City’s midfield beast again

One day Yaya Toure will no doubt see his name in the Manchester City hall of fame. Big goals in the Barclays Premier League and big goals in FA Cup finals tend to do that for you.

As City have rampaged across England over the last four years, their big central midfielder has been at the heart of the machine, pouring forward with the burners on. At his best Toure is an incredible sight. A technically gifted, adaptable and brutally strong footballer, few in the history of the sport — never mind the history of his club — have managed to ally touch, vision, energy and ferocious power quite like he has.

This weekend, however, the 31-year-old heads into a Premier League clash with Chelsea with questions being asked about his contribution, and also about his state of mind, for perhaps the very first time.

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Yaya Toure wasn’t at his best on Wednesday night as Manchester City lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich

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Toure is helped to his feet by City captain Vincent Kompany

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In Bavaria on Wednesday night, Toure had a bad night as City lost 1-0 to Bayern Munich in their opening Champions League fixture of the season. He looked slow and unfit, unable to cover the ground quickly enough, as Pep Guardiola’s team pressed hard in the opening half-hour. As one respected pundit said on the way home from Germany: ‘Fernandinho had to do the work of four men in City’s midfield. Certainly he had to do far too much of Toure’s.’

Every player is allowed a bad night, of course, and Toure wasn’t alone on Wednesday. What opened him up to the social-media criticism that came his way, however, was the manner in which he was caught on camera laughing and joking with Guardiola moments after the final whistle.

As Fernandinho struggled with cramp and keeper Joe Hart sought consolation from winning goalscorer — and former City colleague — Jerome Boateng, Toure exchanged pleasantries with his old Barcelona coach as though he were reflecting on a friendly.

It would be wrong to criticise Toure too much. He and Guardiola achieved greatness together at the Nou Camp at the end of the last decade and the mutual affection is clear. Nevertheless, what leaves Toure open to question is his conduct in the summer that has left most City supporters asking if he really wants to be at the club at all.

Toure was off the pace, by his usually sky-high standards, looking slow, unfit and unable to cover the ground

Bayern Munich’s David Alaba (left) keeps his feet as Toure makes a desperate lunge for the ball

The story of the big bad footballer and the missing birthday cake would be hilarious if it wasn’t so pathetic and it appeared clear all through the off season that Toure’s complaints about the fact City didn’t recognise his big day (they actually gave him two cakes) represented nothing more than a clumsy attempt to get a new deal or a lucrative transfer elsewhere.

Subsequently, Toure spoke of his admiration for clubs such as PSG in France and talked again of his enduring love for his old flame Barcelona. When it got him nowhere, he declared his loyalty to City once more and his world returned to normal, the only problem being that football fans don’t forget.

At City, they like their heroes colourful but modest. That’s why they love Summerbee, Kinkladze, Rosler and Goater. Toure is not an arrogant footballer. He is a bright man and he listens. This is a man, after all, who returned a big TV to the shop in Manchester after his wife told him she thought it too ostentatious.

Toure smiles as he is greeted by his former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola after the match

Toure and Guardiola, who shared great success at Barcelona, embrace after the Champions League clash

He behaved foolishly in the summer, though, and may be about to pay the price. In these pages Jamie Redknapp argues Toure should be given time to recover fitness lost in the wake of the World Cup. Redknapp suggests the Ivorian will soon be back to his marauding best and he may be right.

However, City assistant Ruben Cousillas denied there was a fitness issue when quizzed after Wednesday’s match. And, if Toure really isn’t fit then why? ‘I don’t share your verdict,’ said Cousillas. ‘On Saturday he didn’t play at Arsenal but he only returned on Friday from his national team. He was absolutely fit and physically is without problems.’

When City lost at home to Chelsea last February, Toure had one of his worst days in a City shirt. Without Fernandinho by his side because of injury,

Toure almost drowned in the shifting tides of Jose Mourinho’s midfield. On Sunday at the Etihad, Fernandinho will at least be there.

‘The best way to recover is to win that game,’ said the Brazilian. ‘We have to win because there are six or eight points between us. We have to keep working and keep going until we are top of the table.’

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