#17 | Kevin De Bruyne - 2020/21 Performances

[Tricky_Trev]

Just looking at the stats from the match. He lost possession 24 times, nearly double the amount of the next closest player on the pitch, for both sides. You expect him to be at, or near, the top but 24 times is far too much for us to live with.

 

[vin]

Genuinely pathetic yesterday. Bernardo should be starting over him against Southampton and for the foreseeable. I’ve never seen a player give the ball away so many times. It was like watching TAA

 

[Tugay One Cup]

He always gets accused of looking unfit when he comes back from injury but you don't get in Pep's side without proving your fitness. I think it's more to do with his running style and unathletic appearance that people have that perception.

Instead, I just think it takes him time to get some sharpness back mentally.

 

[SidJames]

He hasn't played well since his injury and bernardo has been a better fit, but you can't dismiss him like that. Loss of form is temporary, class is permanent.

I disagree.

He is 30 years old.

I have seen top tier players his age never come close to ever recovering form after suffering injuries.

My point here is, he could be in permanent decline.

His contract situation could be more to our benefit than his.

Maybe this is part the reason KDB is being played in every game. Which would sort of make sense. Even though it is detrimental to the greater good of the team at the moment.

see how he continues for the rest of the season before committing to a contract that will allegedly cost us in the region of £500 000 a week. Depending on who we sign. As he allegedly wants wage parity with the highest earner. I say allegedly because i am only going off unsubstantiated rumor's that we have all heard.

Right now he looks a million Miles away from what we need, he looks like he is running in treacle, and is a liability.

We could end up selling him.

There is a reason we are in the market for a Tier 1 midfielder.

 

[decmancity]

He has been offered a contract less than what hes on but for more years if the rumors are correct and hes certainly doing nothing to say otherwise at the moment. He was apparently unhappy with our offer but it might just be the best hes gonna get at the moment. Looks horribly off the pace, unfit and a shadow of the great player he is.

This will sound very stupid but he looks like he could do with a good shower to wake up, his hair all over the place and bags under his eyes etc. Looks like Stones did about 12mths ago before he seemed to sort himself out and now look at him. Perhaps there is genuinely some issues outside of football, he has just had a new baby I think and players in the past have definitely made off cuff comments about struggling to recover and sleep etc at home. Bear in mind lockdown also, it can affect everyone no matter how much money you have in the bank.

De Bruyne is not finished but there will be no room for him in the squad if he doesn't finish strongly. Pep will cut De Bruyne and authorize bids for someone like Aouar as quick as you like.

 

[KennyG]

Sell sell sell. Get Aouar in and it frees up money for two big hitters up front. (Haaland being one)

 

[5 Hit Gibbon]

By his own lofty standards he's been poor since coming back, but I'll cut him some slack, you can't expect him to be 100% from day 1. Yesterday was as bad as I've seen him, since he came here I think, which is a bit of a worry.

It's a strange conundrum, he's arguably our best player but I thought the team looked more balanced when he was out of it. We seem to have lost something since he came back in. With KDB being the main man at City it's like a sign of disrespect if he doesn't go straight back in the team. A bit like it would be unthinkable for Messi not to play for Barca. I'm sure Pep will sort it, that's why he's paid so much.

 

[HelloCity]

Sell sell sell. Get Aouar in and it frees up money for two big hitters up front. (Haaland being one)

We’d have no one left if we sold our best players whenever they went through a bad spell. Bernardo underperformed for a year before his recent recovery.

 

[dave_blue12]

We’d have no one left if we sold our best players whenever they went through a bad spell. Bernardo underperformed for a year before his recent recovery.

Bernardo has age on his side and isn't looking for an astronomical new contract.

 

[bluegaz13]

I don’t think anyone on here isn’t saying that when Kevin is on form he isn’t a brilliant player and there is no doubt he contributed greatly in the centurions season....however :

The season we chased Liverpool he missed a big chunk of the late season and the same this season for a lot of the unbeaten run.

I can remember his first season under Pellegrini......there was no doubting his talent, but he upset the balance of the team and he was shoe horned into the side at the expense of the shape or team pattern.

I really think he is too undisciplined for a Pep team (although Pep himself obviously doesn’t agree)....I think the most telling factor is the number of chances we are now conceding with him in the team......his ball retention is very poor for such a talented player and unfortunately I think his presence in the side is to the detriment of Gundognan, Foden and Bernardo........either positionally because it forces Gundognan deeper where he gets exposed or in the case of Foden or Bernardo they are sometimes left out to accommodate him.

it’s a conundrum which I hope Pep can sort out.....but certainly do not think he should always be a definite starter.