#17 | Kevin De Bruyne - 2021/22 Performances

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You know how sometimes a mistruth becomes so popular that that it's impossible to refute it with facts or data? It becomes an urban myth. Like when people say City cheated FFP but won at CAS because of a technicality, or when people meme about Emptihad, etc. They aren't true, but it's just not possible to combat the wave of lies anymore.

This idea that Kevin is superfluous to our requirements, or that the first team is better off without him is one such urban myth. It's dangerous and I see more and more people parroting the same shit every match. Sooner or later the majority will start believing in the shared "truth" and turn on him.

Happened with Gundo from 2017 to 2019 and it took him a herculean effort and a complete reinvention of his role to change that narrative. Happens every match with Walker, where people still believe that the best defending RB in the world is "prone" to brain farts. God knows what lesser capable right backs are prone to then. Currently happening with Rodri where people just can't see what he does. He only passes sideways and is shite defensively according the shared "truth". Anyone feel a sense of Deja Vu? Remember a player called Gundogan being criticised for similar things? "A nothing player", "doesn't add anything to the squad", "a nice to have, but not a difference maker".

This may seem like paranoia, but give it time, and it will happen to Kevin too. I'm already seeing the pattern.

28 goals and assists in 36 starts in all competitions last season, almost a goal or assist every match but apparently we didn't need him. 7 goals and assists in 8 matches in the Champions League, but yeah he totally destabilizes the team.

People spend too long gorging themselves on the sensationalist, knee-jerk, ESPN, TalkSport, Garth Crooks, Twitter bullshit they supposedly hate.

Anyone who thinks we're better off without our best player isn't worth listening to.
 
Was actually surprised how good he looked and played considering how delicate the ankle issue seems to have been.

Good to have him back and can't wait for him to get back into his full stride.
 
He is brilliant,but i still maintain his inclusion forces others to play a less impactful game which in turn affects our overall cohesion.
Pep will do well to find his most effective 11 while getting the most out of individual performances,and keeping the majority content.
 
he's only brilliant when fit. I was really disappointed when he came on against Southampton. That should have been the turning point against a team that was getting tired but he just stood still. I was watching him. He used to drive with the ball from middle field to the penalty area or hit the byline regulalrly. He tried this once or twice against Saints. He has the capacity to drag players out of position but the main thing he is doing at the moment is getting wide right and whipping crosses in. There is more to his game than that but we are not seeing it. He also puts pressure on the other midfielders because he doesn't close players down.

This is exactly the same phenomenon as we saw last season and very gradually KDB picked up. IMO he's not going to go on much into his 30s. Liverpool's game is raised by Salah. Our game could be raised by KDB, or Foden but neither at the moment are fit. Foden will recover much quicker but again through bad planning he can't play in his best position which is cutting in from the left.

I need to remember that the season is young and the players will develop. Perhaps Pep decidedly deliberately to undercook City because he knew it was a long season.
 
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