Player Topic: Kevin De Bruyne (2015/16)

[Phil1]

I've already seen something very very special in De Bruyne and he's been here five minutes.

I've seen glimpses of it myself. Nothing that makes me think he's close to Silva but then it seems a few have forgot just how special he is. I'd have thought his absence and our performances without him might have served as a reminder but I guess not.

 

[BillyShears]

I've seen glimpses of it myself. Nothing that makes me think he's close to Silva but then it seems a few have forgot just how special he is. I'd have thought his absence and our performances without him might have served as a reminder but I guess not.

Y'know it is possible to think both players are very very special ?

 

[Blue Expat]

His goal against Sevilla gave him place in my heart.

 

[Phil1]

Y'know it is possible to think both players are very very special ?

Yeah, I'm just very defensive about our Dave. :-)

 

[Neville Kneville]

I've seen glimpses of it myself. Nothing that makes me think he's close to Silva but then it seems a few have forgot just how special he is. I'd have thought his absence and our performances without him might have served as a reminder but I guess not.

I think DeBruyne is already as good as Silva, but he's different. Both have certain talents & bring a different thing to the table.

Silva wouldn't have been better than DeBruyne in that shambles. People thinking he would run the game in those circumstances are living in a Pellegrini style dream world. He was completely anonymous v Dortmund & has done nothing in any of our bad days in the Champions League. Like DeBruyne, he needs a team to play in. That wasn't a team.

Neither Silva nor DeBruyne can polish a turd, but DeBruyne is the one who is more likely to rescue a goal from a turd, in any game, v anyone.

 

[Phil1]

I think DeBruyne is already as good as Silva, but he's different. Both have certain talents & bring a different thing to the table.

Silva wouldn't have been better than DeBruyne in that shambles. People thinking he would run the game uin those circumstances are living in a Pellegrini style dream world. He was completely anonymous v Dortmund & has done nothing in any of our bad days in the Champions League. Like DeBruyne, he needs a team to play in. That wasn't a team.

Neither Silva nor DeBruyne can polish a turd, but DeBruyne is the one who is more likely to rescue a goal from a turd, in any game, v anyone.

I guess it's just another subject I don't agree with you on.

 

[Neville Kneville]

I guess it's just another subject I don't agree with you on.

Perhaps you can educate me by giving a few examples of Silva's outstanding performances against similar teams or when we've been struggling in the Champions League, then maybe we will agree.

 

[Phil1]

Perhaps you can educate me by giving a few examples of Silva's outstanding performances against similar teams or when we've been struggling in the Champions League, then maybe we will agree.

What's there to educate you about? You've pointed out games where he's not been great which is fair enough but the Liverpool situation is purely hyperthetical. Do I believe he'd have made a difference on Saturday? Yes, 100%. Had he been available I'm guessing it'd have been at the expense of Sterling or Navas. It would have meant we were narrower in the middle and not left as many gaping holes as we did.
I also believe the lift of having him back would have improved Toures game as he'd have an outlet he could use knowing we could move play forward instead of him having to play backwards and sideways then resorting to Hollywood passes.
I think Liverpool would have been aware of what he brings to the game and had to counter that with a shift in tactics without the ball. I think it would have helped Sterlings and KDBs game having him alongside them.

Like I say though, it's all hyperthetical.

 

[Neville Kneville]

What's there to educate you about? You've pointed out games where he's not been great which is fair enough but the Liverpool situation is purely hyperthetical. Do I believe he'd have made a difference on Saturday? Yes, 100%. Had he been available I'm guessing it'd have been at the expense of Sterling or Navas. It would have meant we were narrower in the middle and not left as many gaping holes as we did.
I also believe the lift of having him back would have improved Toures game as he'd have an outlet he could use knowing we could move play forward instead of him having to play backwards and sideways then resorting to Hollywood passes.
I think Liverpool would have been aware of what he brings to the game and had to counter that with a shift in tactics without the ball. I think it would have helped Sterlings and KDBs game having him alongside them.

Like I say though, it's all hyperthetical.

I forget which game it was now, but we have already had a similar experience this season, with Silva being constantly mugged by a pressing midfield, due to Pellegrini getting it all wrong, & Silva was probably the player who suffered most. These players require the manager to give them the platform to play.

 

[Phil1]

I forget which game it was now, but we have already had a similar experience this season, with Silva being constantly mugged by a pressing midfield, due to Pellegrini getting it all wrong, & Silva was probably the player who suffered most. These players require the manager to give them the platform to play.

Yep, it doesn't matter if you've got all the talent in the world at your disposal - if you don't set up right and send them out without a clear plan, defeat is always a possibility.
I don't want to sound like I'm not a fan of KDB by the way, I fucking love what he's brought to the table so far and like Silva, genuinely get excited when he's on the team sheet because you know the chances are you're going to see something out of the ordinary.
We're very lucky to have both, I just hope they get the opportunity to be on the same pitch more in the future.

 

[Neville Kneville]

Yep, it doesn't matter if you've got all the talent in the world at your disposal - if you don't set up right and send them out without a clear plan, defeat is always a possibility.
I don't want to sound like I'm not a fan of KDB by the way, I fucking love what he's brought to the table so far and like Silva, genuinely get excited when he's on the team sheet because you know the chances are you're going to see something out of the ordinary.
We're very lucky to have both, I just hope they get the opportunity to be on the same pitch more in the future.

I feel that it should normally be two of, Silva DeBruyne Sterling, who normally start a game, not all 3. Then barring injury, all 3 should be fresh as a daisy all season.

 

[Phil1]

I feel that it should normally be two of, Silva DeBruyne Sterling, who normally start a game, not all 3. Then barring injury, all 3 should be fresh as a daisy all season.

I wouldn't disagree with that, fitness permitting the big games should always include Silva and KDB, but there's ample opportunity over the season to mix and match keeping them fresh.

 

[George Hannah]

I wouldn't disagree with that, fitness permitting the big games should always include Silva and KDB, but there's ample opportunity over the season to mix and match keeping them fresh.

Sterling offers pace the other two don't possess, Navas is the alternative to him.

 

[Phil1]

Sterling offers pace the other two don't possess, Navas is the alternative to him.

He does but I'd rather us go Fernandinho with either Fernando or Delph centrally with Silva just ahead. That would leave us four players as in KDB, Yaya, Navas and Sterling for 2 spots. I'd always look to start KDB in the bigger games so then you're left with a straight choice between Navas and Sterling. I'd be looking to phase Toure out in these games because he's becoming a liability. That's not to say there isn't opportunity for him to get minutes. There's an awful lot of football between now and May and the management of the squad is going to be a huge factor in any success we might have.

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

I feel that it should normally be two of, Silva DeBruyne Sterling, who normally start a game, not all 3. Then barring injury, all 3 should be fresh as a daisy all season.

The best we've looked going forward this season was in the 2nd half against Newcastle when this was our front 4:

Aguero

De Bruyne - Silva - Navas

 

[Neville Kneville]

The best we've looked going forward this season was in the 2nd half against Newcastle when this was our front 4:

Aguero

De Bruyne - Silva - Navas

Then there is also the argument that the team looked absolutely fine without Silva or DeBruyne when we twatted Seville.

The more you think about the possibilities for this squad, the more imo you start to realise how piss poor Pellegrini has been, in this regard, in the fact that we haven't seen most of them. Ok, Delph has been injured, but we have a possible stand in for him in the squad in Kean Bryan imo, who has never had so much of a sniff.

There are so many possible permutations many of which, with a top manager working on them, would be an improvement imo on the typical formation/system Pellegrini puts out.

The one time he tried it, in a key game v Seville, we looked like a Champions League team.

Imagine if he'd been drilling the players top play tactical attacking footbll like that for two & half years, rather than just teaching them to spread out, & play an offside trap (which doesn't work).

 

[Sergio Picasso Aguero]

Then there is also the argument that the team looked absolutely fine without Silva or DeBruyne when we twatted Seville.

True, that was our best performance in the CL to date by a country mile.

The only problem with that formation is if Yaya is playing further forward like he did away at Sevilla, where do you play Silva and De Bruyne, 2 of the best number 10's in Europe.

I agree, the different permutations of our forward line are frightening with the attacking talent we have (Touré, Nasri, Navas, Sterling, De Bruyne, Silva, Aguero) we just can't seem to keep all of them fit at the same time which is a shame because this squad isn't showing the full extent of what it can really do.

 

[George Hannah]

... in a key game v Seville, we looked like a Champions League team.
Imagine if he'd been drilling the players to play tactical attacking footbll like that for two & half years, rather than just teaching them to spread out, & play an offside trap (which doesn't work).

You have a gift for accurate encapsulation.

 

[DeBruyne10]

Then there is also the argument that the team looked absolutely fine without Silva or DeBruyne when we twatted Seville.

But there was also the game against Sevilla that we were sh*t and KDB got the 3 points for us on his own.

 

[Neville Kneville]

But there was also the game against Sevilla that we were sh*t and KDB got the 3 points for us on his own.

Absolutely.

But even without our 'stars' we can still have a seriously good team when the manager gets it right on the day & perhaps on some occasions pace on the break & workrate throughout the team is a viable option. It's a squad game nowardays & all these blokes are top players.