Each time Bernardo starts to play as RCM - team looks more solid and hard to defeat.
The main reason that happens is, that since David Silva and his phenomenal season in 2017 / 2018 and first half of 2018 / 2019 -> there has not been a player in the team (except Bernardo and Rodri (but Rodri is defensive midfielder)) who is able to retain the ball during the pressing 100 out of 100 times and deliver the ball.
Debruyne in those "difficult pressing situations" sometimes looses the ball and can't get out of it like Bernardo does. Bernardo not only retains and dribbles past 2-3 opponents, but passes the ball and therefore possession becomes bigger and bigger in percentages. That's the quality - I think makes Bernardo better RCM than Debruyne in the "big matches". Because, in all the big matches first of all you need to take that ball and then pass it. Debruyne is great and one of the best maybe at the passing, but when it comes to "taking the ball" -> Bernardo is better.
That's why the last 2 games, where Pep could defeat Liverpool in non-friendly or non-less-pressure environments - was with Bernardo in the midfield and without Debruyne..
With Debruyne Pep won last year - where Liverpool was already a champion and in community shield - where you can't have as much pressure as in 3-d of January in 2019 or 7-th of February of 2021 - where every movement and detail of the game - defines the champion in the end.
In those games, Bernardo was the best player and cornerstone of the success. I would add game at Enfield where Mahrez pissed the penalty but as we are counting only the wins - I think those 2 games are enough to analyze the situation.
So in big CL games or playoffs - you must start with Bernardo as RCM and decide other players only after that. You don't start with Bernardo and you definitely loose or don't have as much comfort in the midfield as you could have. And for Pep I think comfort in the midfield zone is the most important thing in the world.
I think Debruyne should play LCM position and deliver goals like Gundogan does. As for me - that's the position where he suits better.
Pep shouldn't make same mistake twice, when in 2018 / 2019 Debruyne returned from the injury and Bernardo had to move to the RW position - which ruined everything and was the main reason of last season`s failure. Bernardo isn't messi, he is more of a Xavi type and if you have Xavi - you play him at RCM position.
The main reason that happens is, that since David Silva and his phenomenal season in 2017 / 2018 and first half of 2018 / 2019 -> there has not been a player in the team (except Bernardo and Rodri (but Rodri is defensive midfielder)) who is able to retain the ball during the pressing 100 out of 100 times and deliver the ball.
Debruyne in those "difficult pressing situations" sometimes looses the ball and can't get out of it like Bernardo does. Bernardo not only retains and dribbles past 2-3 opponents, but passes the ball and therefore possession becomes bigger and bigger in percentages. That's the quality - I think makes Bernardo better RCM than Debruyne in the "big matches". Because, in all the big matches first of all you need to take that ball and then pass it. Debruyne is great and one of the best maybe at the passing, but when it comes to "taking the ball" -> Bernardo is better.
That's why the last 2 games, where Pep could defeat Liverpool in non-friendly or non-less-pressure environments - was with Bernardo in the midfield and without Debruyne..
With Debruyne Pep won last year - where Liverpool was already a champion and in community shield - where you can't have as much pressure as in 3-d of January in 2019 or 7-th of February of 2021 - where every movement and detail of the game - defines the champion in the end.
In those games, Bernardo was the best player and cornerstone of the success. I would add game at Enfield where Mahrez pissed the penalty but as we are counting only the wins - I think those 2 games are enough to analyze the situation.
So in big CL games or playoffs - you must start with Bernardo as RCM and decide other players only after that. You don't start with Bernardo and you definitely loose or don't have as much comfort in the midfield as you could have. And for Pep I think comfort in the midfield zone is the most important thing in the world.
I think Debruyne should play LCM position and deliver goals like Gundogan does. As for me - that's the position where he suits better.
Pep shouldn't make same mistake twice, when in 2018 / 2019 Debruyne returned from the injury and Bernardo had to move to the RW position - which ruined everything and was the main reason of last season`s failure. Bernardo isn't messi, he is more of a Xavi type and if you have Xavi - you play him at RCM position.
Last edited: