Kevin De Bruyne | Appreciation thread

[Coatigan]

As others have said, the decision to let De Bruyne leave is purely a financial one. To rebuild the squad we need to free up space on the wage bill, and he is the second biggest earner and the only one out of contract this summer. Moving on players still contracted to us is always difficult, so I think this was relatively straightforward decision for the club (and the right one). It's always sad to see legends leave, but the time is right for all parties imo.

I honestly don't think it was 'purely' financal, or even 'largely' financial for that matter.

I genuinely believe that if they thought Kevin could still cut it and contribute regularly enough and reliably, they would be giving him another large contract and not worrying about new shiny players available.

Yeah it frees up his wages, yeah it frees up a space, but ultimately those are consequences of a simpler decision. Can he still be a key player for us. The answer is no.

Compare him to Salah and Van Dyke, for example. They could have made a financial decision and freed up wages and squad spaces, but ultimately they'd be losing their best and most consistent performers who effectively carry that team. Kevin is no such player any longer, so the financial side of it is pretty insignificant.

 

[Coatigan]

World class players are incredibly scarce, it's why RM have kept Modric so long. I realise he's on a lot of money and maybe with the PL charges hanging over us we have to make contingency arrangements, reducing our wage bill where we can? I just wish we could find a way to keep him on reduced wages.

I can understand Pep wanting to get Wirtz but realistically he's likely going to BM. Personally I think Gibbs-White is overrated and could negatively effect our squad. With recruitment of players like Philips, Nunes and maybe Gibbs-White? imo we are in danger of slipping down the table.

You can't compare Modric to Kdb ffs. Modric was smashing it regularly, at every level. Club and country. Kevin hasn't hit his own standards for two seasons now. Completely different things.

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

I think there's a lack of respect for KDB's talents atm. It was only 13th April, when he inspired us to victory over Palace, that he declared he was now playing pain free, the first time for a long time. He's previously been playing with a painful hernia that restricted him earlier in the season. Since Palace his average match score has been 7.8/10 (whoscored.com).

I am curious if you don't think Kev is world class, which of our team do you think are world class?
Excluding Rodri who's been out almost the entire season and Haaland, who's also been out recently, have we any any truly world class players?

Kevin has made it quite clear he was expecting to stay, I get he's on high wages, but if we can renegotiate a lower wage personally I would love him to be offered a chance to stay.

The week before and after Palace he stank the place out at United and Everton, if you want to be selective you can be, but I can come at you with examples of crap performances this season against the select few he has looked great in. If we didn't need the size of rebuild we do then I would keep him on much lesser money, how much of a cut he would take nobody knows. All we know is we have an ageing squad, on big money and his contract just so happens to becoming to an end. There is no disrespect to Kev, our best ever player for me and quite easily. Time waits for nobody though

 

[Goatmeal]

When he is not injured KDB is our best player (with the exception of maybe Rodri). He drives the team on, he leads presses, he chases lost balls, he leads the attack. He does not look like an old man, or a shadow of his former self as some say. The only reasons he is not being renewed is his wages combined with his injury record, the club simply can't stomache the cost with financial constraints in mind.

I want to see him stay, but I fully understand why the club may not. But please, fellow blues, don't tarnish his name by low digs about him not being good enough.

Yes, it’s that simple.
Even at his age a fully fit Kev would be a starter.
But his recent fitness record suggests he is likely to miss 20 games plus.
At £400k per week that’s a big call
I don’t think the club would insult him by offering a pay as you play deal or even try to lower his salary.
Maybe Kev could put forward a solution to the club if he really wanted to stay. Rumours he would take a pay cut to stay in Europe.
Would he do that to stay at City?
How much is it worth paying him for say 20 games a season?
This is the dilemma the club has

 

[Coatigan]

And what if he wants a 2 or 3 year contract? Do you think he'd agree to just 12 months extension? How much would that cost us, in terms of goals and/or games lost when he gets ran past, time and time again?

This is it. Everyone seems to be assuming that Kevin is pleading to be allowed to stay, for whatever amount of money the club see fit, whatever length the club want to put on it, and be used bit part in whatever capacity the club might fancy. Just to be about for a little bit longer.

This is a highly proud highly motivated professional, does he fuck have zero expectation or demand in the matter!

The club may or may not have already had those discussions with him (despite how that's put to the media in his interviews) or they may feel they don't need them and they know his expectations. Or they feel that they don't want to insult him with something that can be taken as below him. But this idea that he is getting kicked out despite being prepared to clean out lockers for a minimum wage just to be here some more, is laughable.

 

[Centurions]

I have watched every City match, we have badly missed Rodri as a defensive midfielder and others. I don't accept Kev has not shown up in 3 of the 4 matches.

In the 4 games since declaring himself recovered, according to the BBC, he has been man of the match twice for Palace and Wolves. For Villa he was voted the 4th best player and for Everton was voted the 5th best player.

Perhaps he gets criticised more because he's been one of the best players the PL has ever seen? Personally I think, as fans, we must be careful what we wish for? I think he still has a lot to offer and we would be foolish to let him leave if he's prepared to renegotiate a reasonable contract.

I'm puzzled, if you think that we only have KdB, Rodri & Haaland as world class players then how is he only rating a 4th & 5th place when the other 2 aren't even playing? I thought you were claiming that he won us the last 4 matches since he's been fit?

 

[Plain Speaking]

You can't compare Modric to Kdb ffs. Modric was smashing it regularly, at every level. Club and country. Kevin hasn't hit his own standards for two seasons now. Completely different things.

You're entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make it right.

According to independent playing stats KDB has consistently outperformed Modric in his playing stats on whoscored.com.

Both great players!

Let's see how Kev performs now he seems to have shaken off his hernia injury?

 

[thegoatsthegoat]

You're entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make it right.

According to independent playing stats KDB has consistently outperformed Modric in his playing stats on whoscored.com.

Both great players!

Let's see how Kev performs now he seems to have shaken off his hernia injury?

And here lies the problem with modern day football, people choose numbers over their own eyes. Mental

 

[Plain Speaking]

I'm puzzled, if you think that we only have KdB, Rodri & Haaland as world class players then how is he only rating a 4th & 5th place when the other 2 aren't even playing? I thought you were claiming that he won us the last 4 matches since he's been fit?

I said I don't think we would have beat Palace and Wolves if he wasn't playing.

We are not a one man team, this season we are have been struggling with numerous injuries, not least Rodri.

Just because you are a world class player doesn't mean you will get man of the match every week. Consistent top 5 is still pretty good.

Since he's been recovered he's got it in 2 out of 4 matches which imo is excellent!

 

[I'm With Stupid]

Yes, it’s that simple.
Even at his age a fully fit Kev would be a starter.
But his recent fitness record suggests he is likely to miss 20 games plus.
At £400k per week that’s a big call
I don’t think the club would insult him by offering a pay as you play deal or even try to lower his salary.
Maybe Kev could put forward a solution to the club if he really wanted to stay. Rumours he would take a pay cut to stay in Europe.
Would he do that to stay at City?
How much is it worth paying him for say 20 games a season?
This is the dilemma the club has

There's also the risk of the Paul Scholes style situation where a talented older player is almost used as a crutch, and the important job of replacing them gets pushed further and further back.

 

[Mr Grumpy]

I have watched every City match, we have badly missed Rodri as a defensive midfielder and others. I don't accept Kev has not shown up in 3 of the 4 matches.

In the 4 games since declaring himself recovered, according to the BBC, he has been man of the match twice for Palace and Wolves. For Villa he was voted the 4th best player and for Everton was voted the 5th best player.

Perhaps he gets criticised more because he's been one of the best players the PL has ever seen? Personally I think, as fans, we must be careful what we wish for? I think he still has a lot to offer and we would be foolish to let him leave if he's prepared to renegotiate a reasonable contract.

I think sentimentality and the usual "goals=good performance" has more than a little to do with Kevs ratings since it was announced he's leaving.

I think he's been average at best for most games since his return.(except 1/2 match against CP)

He's certainly NOT capable of 90mins MOTM performances anymore.

 

[Plain Speaking]

And here lies the problem with modern day football, people choose numbers over their own eyes. Mental

Numbers and stats are used, quite rightly, at many levels of decision making in modern football.

Some clubs like Brentford, Liverpool and ourselves have found them very helpful.

Just because you refer to stats doesn't mean you can't use your eyes as well ;-)

 

[Coatigan]

You're entitled to your opinion, but it doesn't make it right.

According to independent playing stats KDB has consistently outperformed Modric in his playing stats on whoscored.com.

Both great players!

Let's see how Kev performs now he seems to have shaken off his hernia injury?

Maybe on whether Kevin can still cut it here, sure. But on who between the two players had more influence on games, it was pretty clear to anyone that watched both. Stats only work on games played, spread that contribution out over 60 games though, and the picture becomes clearer.

Edit, got to remember as well that Kevin is 33 goi g on 34 and modric is 39 going on 40, which is relative to their comparisons. At Kevin's age, modric was a whole other level of influence on games that unfortunately kev just can't deliver now. Prime kev, any day. But he is not that player, unfortunately.

And that is imo the big issue here and why the club are making their decision.

 

[hcblue95]

We may never now if it was a good decision because we will never know what contract he was asking for. What if the reports are true that he was willing to go down to 150k a week? People would surely want to keep hold of him on that?

 

[Mr Grumpy]

We may never now if it was a good decision because we will never know what contract he was asking for. What if the reports are true that he was willing to go down to 150k a week? People would surely want to keep hold of him on that?

You have to consider what having him around would do.

It is easy: Go and see how Ronaldo, et al worked out in Salford.

 

[Bigg Bigg Blue]

If as some say he's past it, why are a couple of top clubs after him ?

 

[Plain Speaking]

I think sentimentality and the usual "goals=good performance" has more than a little to do with Kevs ratings since it was announced he's leaving.

I think he's been average at best for most games since his return.(except 1/2 match against CP)

He's certainly NOT capable of 90mins MOTM performances anymore.

For the 4 PL matches since he's recovered

The ratings given by BBC post match voters: 2 x first, a fourth and a fifth could have been effected by sentiment?

However the average score of 7.8/10 given by whoscored.com, have nothing to do with sentiment. It's just independent statistical analysis.

You are hard to please if you think he's performed 'average at best'. I wonder if Pep shares your opinion?

His minutes in those 4 matches were 87, 88, 90 and 84, (an average of 87 minutes), not far off 90 minute performances?

 

[Coatigan]

If as some say he's past it, why are a couple of top clubs after him ?

Unlike us, they don't owe him anything!

 

[hcblue95]

You have to consider what having him around would do.

It is easy: Go and see how Ronaldo, et al worked out in Salford.

Are you comparing De Bruyne, our captain who has driven this team forward for the last 10 years with fake Ronaldo? The comparison doesn't make sense, for one Ronaldo's ego and for two if KDB was taking a big wage cut.

 

[Coatigan]

For the 4 PL matches since he's recovered

The ratings given by BBC post match voters: 2 x first, a fourth and a fifth could have been effected by sentiment?

However the average score of 7.8/10 given by whoscored.com, have nothing to do with sentiment. It's just independent statistical analysis.

You are hard to please if you think he's performed 'average at best'. I wonder if Pep shares your opinion?

His minutes in those 4 matches were 87, 88, 90 and 84, (an average of 87 minutes), not far off 90 minute performances?

He didn't say he can't play for 90 minutes.

He said he cant deliver MOTM type performances over the length of a game.

And he is right.

4 good games this late in a seaon of 60 odd, doesn't change that.