Blessed with strength, dynamism and a rocket shot, Yaya Toure is probably the greatest box-to-box midfielder in the world. In the past, he has claimed that his world profile would be on a similar scale to Messis if he wasnt African. On the basis of this World Cup, one could be excused for thinking the Man City dynamo had thrown one of his trademark strops and had simply not attended the event. Lacking any of the impetus and drive that established himself as the driving force behind Citys successful title surge last season, the Cote dIvoire crashed out in the group stages, surrendering progress to Greece with a last-ditch mistimed tackle. While Toure has been an easy target for jibes in recent weeks, following his scandalous complaints regarding the lack of fuss surrounding his birthday celebrations, it must be stressed that his performances were surely affected in some way by the poor health status of his dying brother.