#8 | Ilkay Gündoğan - 2020/21 Performances

[SamBlue]

Wasn't he praised for excellent performance against RM not even a week ago? Let's talk about Pep coming unstuck with his own nightmares of previous losses. Let's talk about Raz and Jesus missing sitters. Let's talk about defenders struggling with a high line which requests 100% of your focus all the time.But no, it is always Gundo. It's always the same culprits, like Edin in the previous City incarnations. And worst of all this idiocy of Gundo and his perceived lack of pace. People want some sort of mythological Schrodinger CB or MF, the one who is 6'5'', built like Anthony Joshua, fast like Usain Bolt, on-ball ability like Messi, leaping in the air like a Scottish salmon. Ridiculous! Lok at The Rags, the only thing they have is pace - and how did it serve them last night?

 

[MillionMilesAway]

Him and Rodri are different players but have the same problem within the context of the team - they need players with legs around them. It worked v Madrid because Foden played and ran 10km in 60 minutes. It didn’t work v Lyon because they didn’t have Foden/Beranardo playing in front of them and they had Garcia/Fernandinho behind them.

Real were wide open and carrying Modric, and de Bruyne was usually more central.

Lyon's 5-3-2 made it 6 defenders in the middle to get through, so no space. It needed width to stretch and get round, and even then, one of the centrehalves could drift to help the wingback. The team didn't work, more than it being any one player.

 

[domalino]

I think people are vastly overcomplicating this.

David Silva couldn't run anymore.

Bernardo and Phil are not Silva replacements yet - they don't hold onto the ball and pass 100 times a game and let us establish that continuous possession in the opponents 1/3rd that's the defining feature of Pep's City. That's why Pep puts them on the wing instead.

Gundogan was the only one who can do that job in Silva's absence.

We'll buy Aouar and Gundogan will be back on the bench.

 

[Gazza]

He's a tidy enough player but you need to be able to do more than sideways and backwards passing.

 

[ctid1894]

It's purely tactical.

Gundogan brings ball retention and Pep believes we need that quality in the Champions League to maintain stability to protect the defence. Gundogan is more than capable of being a high pressing player as well, although he lacks the ultimate aggression after the knee injuries but he proved against Real Madrid how good he was at it. Gundogan's constant pressing of Modric/Kroos AND Carvajal allowed Jesus to press Varane which lead to both goals.

I know he gets a lot of stick on here but he is a very good player. Personally I would still pick Bernardo and Foden ahead of him because I think they have other qualities which Gundogan doesn't but it's personal preference and Pep's desire for total control of possession will always see Gundogan selected over more creative but riskier players especially while we've got a weak back four who are lacking confidence in the big games.

 

[Shaelumstash]

It's purely tactical.

Gundogan brings ball retention and Pep believes we need that quality in the Champions League to maintain stability to protect the defence. Gundogan is more than capable of being a high pressing player as well, although he lacks the ultimate aggression after the knee injuries but he proved against Real Madrid how good he was at it. Gundogan's constant pressing of Modric/Kroos AND Carvajal allowed Jesus to press Varane which lead to both goals.

I know he gets a lot of stick on here but he is a very good player. Personally I would still pick Bernardo and Foden ahead of him because I think they have other qualities which Gundogan doesn't but it's personal preference and Pep's desire for total control of possession will always see Gundogan selected over more creative but riskier players especially while we've got a weak back four who are lacking confidence in the big games.

Gundogan doesn't press shit. He can't run. He's hopeless at tracking runners and can't tackle.

People assume because he plods around the centre circle, he must automatically be better defensively than Bernado Silva for example. He isn't.

Bernado presses better, runs more, is more aggressive. The only thing Gundogan does better is stand still and play it square. No wonder his pass completion is so high, he slows everything down and completely stifles our tempo by constantly going backwards and square.

And out of possession, he's arguably our worst player.

 

[oldius]

A wonderful player and the traditional scapegoat required by many after a defeat. I find constant references to his 'poor' performances both embarrassing and nauseating, in equal measure.

 

[Easy]

Is it Pep being stubborn and trying to prove himself right, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary?

Do his coaches / Txiki even dare to raise the question to him, or is Pep’s opinion now completely sacred and beyond reproach?

Could be both. Pep probably loves Gundogan because he rarely loses the ball and thinks he helps the team control the ball.

A midfielder either has to be great offensively, defensively or ideally both. Gundogan is neither but he can recycle the ball.

I don’t understand how the coaching staff don’t see him disappearing so often. No energy nor pace and so many other glaring weaknesses.

De Bruyne can easily play LCM, he’s one of the best players in the world, he can play anywhere in midfield. We can have Bernardo/Foden at RCMRodri behind, he’s also slow but at least he’s good defensively and bring height to the team.

We are not going to win the league with Gundogan and Rodri starting the majority of games.

Addition by subtraction, get rid of Gundogan and our squad is immediately better. Would Gundogan start for Liverpool, Real Madrid or Bayern, no he would not. He’s not good enough for them and he’s not good enough for us.

 

[Shaelumstash]

A wonderful player and the traditional scapegoat required by many after a defeat. I find constant references to his 'poor' performances both embarrassing and nauseating, in equal measure.

No one's scapegoating him. But "a wonderful player"? He was a wonderful player in 2013, but that was a long time and a lot of injuries ago.

He's the ghost of a wonderful player who can no longer break out of walking pace and doesn't have the confidence to pass the ball forwards.

 

[jimmygrimblesboots]

Not sure why Gundogan always gets it in the neck when sometimes the whole team are abysmal , its a trait of football fans world wide , someone to hate , before he even steps on the pitch he is vilified on here , we have had hate figures over the years Richard Edghill being the stand out example for me.

But at least our hate figures quality has improved German international , euro champs wiinner , bundesliga winner , premier league winner , and other multiple trophies , Richard Edghill won f*ck all.