17 | Kevin De Bruyne - 2024/25

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Think what annoys me the most, is that when he does get the ball, he can't even create something, his passing had completely left him

I'd expect his fitness to be an issue, but he's actually lost the ability to even contribute with the ball at his feet

That's the thing that gets me. I can understand a players legs going but the ability to make a pass? You'd think that was the last thing he'd lose.

 

[iTyler]

That's the thing that gets me. I can understand a players legs going but the ability to make a pass? You'd think that was the last thing he'd lose.

Can only be a lack of confidence because his legs have as good as gone.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

Can only be a lack of confidence because his legs have as good as gone.

Could well be a confidence thing mate.

 

[BadSeedPro]

That's the thing that gets me. I can understand a players legs going but the ability to make a pass? You'd think that was the last thing he'd lose

His passing was excellent with Belgium against a very defensive Ukraine team a few weeks ago. Today i think it was more mental because what happened this week.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

His passing was excellent with Belgium against a very defensive Ukraine team a few weeks ago. Today i think it was more mental because what happened this week.

I didn't watch that game mate but I think it's fair to say his passing for City has been off for some time now, not just today.

 

[BadSeedPro]

I didn't watch that game mate but I think it's fair to say his passing for City has been off for some time now, not just today.

Oh I agree. But Belgium played twice the speed City is playing these days. (Can't believe i wrote that and it's true). A player like Kev needs speed and space around him. I don't think pep is still setting the team up for Kev.

 

[ninjamonkey]

That sounds like making excuses for him tbh. He was wasteful with multiple passes that should not have been beyond the capability of someone of his class. Kev carries the can as much as anyone else for that showing today.

Not making any excuses, i dont think he played well but the reality of the situation is he's not the players he once was, he needs a target to be valuable and if we don't give him a target what is he supposed to do? We can't continue to slate him for not being able to run when we all know he can't. Surround kdb with targets and he'll still be the most consistent assister in the league, instead we give him nothing.

it's the same as having Haaland upfront and not giving him a single scoring opportunity. We have to play to the advantages of the players on the pitch and stop forcing players into predetermined roles that they're not comfortable in or simply cannot do.

It's not just kdb, it's all over the pitch. We've got two midfielders at fullback, two 8's playing as 6's two 10's playing as a false 9 and a winger.

It's not just that. His passing and shooting ability has also left him. Everything now looks like it's really hard work for him.

I accept that, he's on the downward decline and has been since his last injury but there's a way to use him and still get the most productive midfielder on the planet in my eyes, the way Pep uses him is not that.

 

[goatfeeder100]

Not making any excuses, i dont think he played well but the reality of the situation is he's not the players he once was, he needs a target to be valuable and if we don't give him a target what is he supposed to do? We can't continue to slate him for not being able to run when we all know he can't. Surround kdb with targets and he'll still be the most consistent assister in the league, instead we give him nothing.

it's the same as having Haaland upfront and not giving him a single scoring opportunity. We have to play to the advantages of the players on the pitch and stop forcing players into predetermined roles that they're not comfortable in or simply cannot do.

It's not just kdb, it's all over the pitch. We've got two midfielders at fullback, two 8's playing as 6's two 10's playing as a false 9 and a winger.



I accept that, he's on the downward decline and has been since his last injury but there's a way to use him and still get the most productive midfielder on the planet in my eyes, the way Pep uses him is not that.

What I'm expecting him to do is at the very least be competent enough to find a blue shirt with simple passes to keep our attacks developing. I can forgive the struggle to find that killer ball given our main focal point is out injured now and we dont have a functioning attack at the moment. But at the very least he can maintain possession given he still saw plenty of the ball himself. The number of times today he misplaced pretty simple balls to men in space, there isn't an excuse for it. His radar was miles off today.

I know he's not the player he was. He certainly doesn't have that power and drive when running with the ball himself. That's fine. He's older, injuries taken their toll and he's just an ageing player. We have issues all over the pitch currently I know that.

He's a legend. He's been extraordinary for us. Nothing about today will tarnish his legacy with us. But calling the game as I saw it today he was extremely wasteful repeatedly with the ball. And should not have seen out the full 90.

 

[ninjamonkey]

What I'm expecting him to do is at the very least be competent enough to find a blue shirt with simple passes to keep our attacks developing. I can forgive the struggle to find that killer ball given our main focal point is out injured now and we dont have a functioning attack at the moment. But at the very least he can maintain possession given he still saw plenty of the ball himself. The number of times today he misplaced pretty simple balls to men in space, there isn't an excuse for it. His radar was miles off today.

I know he's not the player he was. He certainly doesn't have that power and drive when running with the ball himself. That's fine. He's older, injuries taken their toll and he's just an ageing player. We have issues all over the pitch currently I know that.

He's a legend. He's been extraordinary for us. Nothing about today will tarnish his legacy with us. But calling the game as I saw it today he was extremely wasteful repeatedly with the ball. And should not have seen out the full 90.

I don't disagree with any of that. I'm not claiming he wasn't poor today, he was very poor but all I'm saying is Pep is asking the wrong things from him. He needs to be used as a specialty player, when hes on the pitch he needs targets otherwise dont put him on the pitch.

It's like special teams in American football, the kicker is only on the pitch when in field goal range, we you're not wanting him to kick, he's not offering anything else and shouldn't be expected to. Kevs legs have gone, he can still put balls on a plate but he needs somebody to lay it up for.

 

[goatfeeder100]

I don't disagree with any of that. I'm not claiming he wasn't poor today, he was very poor but all I'm saying is Pep is asking the wrong things from him. He needs to be used as a specialty player, when hes on the pitch he needs targets otherwise dont put him on the pitch.

It's like special teams in American football, the kicker is only on the pitch when in field goal range, we you're not wanting him to kick, he's not offering anything else and shouldn't be expected to. Kevs legs have gone, he can still put balls on a plate but he needs somebody to lay it up for.

I think he needs less time on the pitch in all honesty. You can usually tell from the first few passes he attempts what sort of day he's going to have and it was evident really early that he wasn't on it. Add that to the diminishing legs and he's just not got 90 minutes in him anymore. So Pep does need to use him differently yes. I think it's more to do with minutes on the pitch than his position though tbh. He had plenty of opportunities in his role today to be effective with the ball and he wasn't. That's down to his own performance level than anything else. Sound like I'm going in hard on him I know but it's just my own blunt view of what I saw from him today. He wasn't the only one, mind.

He was by no means the only issue on the pitch today but the bench looked half decent. We should have made more use of it. And KDB should have been one of the first ones to make way.

I'd rather just see him come off the bench for 20 minutes or so in the remaining games where his legs should be less of an issue and we might just get enough good cameos out of him to help us get the results needed to guarantee champs lge next season. And of course the FA Cup.

 

[Stelea]

Ridiculous position he played in today

 

[Lauz9888]

He still has the capacity for those moments of magic but unfortunately the injuries have caught up with him.

Forever grateful for everything he's done for us, and happy to see him come on to the pitch in instances where we feel he can make a difference for the rest of this season.

But our starting midfield needs more energy, determination and consistency than Kev is providing at the moment.

 

[ninjamonkey]

I think he needs less time on the pitch in all honesty. You can usually tell from the first few passes he attempts what sort of day he's going to have and it was evident really early that he wasn't on it. Add that to the diminishing legs and he's just not got 90 minutes in him anymore. So Pep does need to use him differently yes. I think it's more to do with minutes on the pitch than his position though tbh. He had plenty of opportunities in his role today to be effective with the ball and he wasn't. That's down to his own performance level than anything else. Sound like I'm going in hard on him I know but it's just my own blunt view of what I saw from him today. He wasn't the only one, mind.

He was by no means the only issue on the pitch today but the bench looked half decent. We should have made more use of it. And KDB should have been one of the first ones to make way.

I'd rather just see him come off the bench for 20 minutes or so in the remaining games where his legs should be less of an issue and we might just get enough good cameos out of him to help us get the results needed to guarantee champs lge next season. And of course the FA Cup.

Again, I'm not in disagreement with you there for the majority of that. Only thing I don't agree on is him having multiple opportunities, he made some poor passes but he had fuck all infront of him for the majority of the game. The only time he had a genuine opportunity to make an impact was from Nunes' great ball down the side for him and he tried to cross it for marmoush on the backpost.

Wasn't the best ball in from him, Haaland might actually have been able to get on it because he's that much of a freak but Marmoush wasn't quite up with play coming a wider position and isn't as fast as haaland. He was still in a good position to potentially score though and I'd expect a player like kdb to be able to find him.


No issue with anything else youve said though. I'd have taken him off with foden and brought both doku and savinho on.

I've also said myself multiple times the best use of kdb in my eyes is from the bench against tiring legs. He's got limited batteries in the tank, it seems a waste to drain them from the start against fresh legs and minds having him chase lost causes and not getting enough of the ball to be effective. But when he is on the pitch, whenever that is, he absolutely needs to have something infront of him to supply

 

[Saddleworth2]

Kevin has always been a high risk player both his passes and his shooting, he has. In the past attempted almost the impossible and achieved it.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Kevin has always attempted almost the impossible with his assists and shots on goal. He has always been high risk. That he has previously achieved the impossible time after time makes him the greatest midfielder the premier league has ever seen.
However, it only takes a small drop in fitness, speed of thought, strength and form to cause his shots and passes to be ineffective, as they were yesterday. You can see what he is attempting to do. He just can’t do it anymore with anything like the same regularity. Time has affected his game much more than if he was a safe midfielder. The club has made the correct call.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Peps screwing him over. This version of kdb needs the gameplan centered around him. He needs Haaland to supply and if he's unavailable he needs runners to feed instead.

He can't power past players anymore so he's in the side for his supply, there's no point to him if he's got nobody to supply.

This would have been true had the game been over a year ago. But KDB cannot supply anyone any more, even Haaland.

 

[ninjamonkey]

This would have been true had the game been over a year ago. But KDB cannot supply anyone any more, even Haaland.

Our 2nd top assister this season after savinho and the best minutes per assist ratio in the league this season would suggest he can.

 

[Tevez City]

I think he will stay in league


United might offer him a good contract

 

[FromPollockToSilva]

Our 2nd top assister this season after savinho and the best minutes per assist ratio in the league this season would suggest he can.

3 of his 6 league assists were against Ipswich across two fixtures we won 10-1 on aggregate. Aside from that, he got one in early December against Forest (a game in which he was excellent), one in a 4-1 win against West Ham, and one in the 2-2 draw with Brentford

He hasn't really affected any big games for us this season, and never looked like doing so yesterday

 

[madloaf]

Our 2nd top assister this season after savinho and the best minutes per assist ratio in the league this season would suggest he can.

Lies, damn lies and statistics.