The main problem is, that when KDB played in 2016/2017 or 2017/2018 or 2018/2019 as a RCM - he had Fernandinho and David Silva in their prime years.. But even that midfield Fernandinho-D.Silva-KDB trio, weren't able to control and possess the ball against the high-pressing teams like Liverpool. If you remember those Anfield games - they were total disaster..
So in that term, last season`s Rodri-Bernardo-Gundogan was better and that's why City was so comfortable against any team it faced and got to CL final..
If you ask, it's illogical how Fernandinho-David Silva-KDB trio can be worse than Rodri-Gundo-Bernardo - but that's the reality somehow and let's remember before Pep`s period, we had Silva, Nasri, MIlner, Toure, Dejong, Barry in the midfield and they never made as good midfield as the Pep`s ones. So Football is strange sometimes.
Now we have Rodri - who is the different type of defensive midfielder than Fernandinho and Gundogan - who isn't David Silva. That's why when club payed 100 million for Jack Grealish - I thought that he would be paired with KDB and maybe in future we would get someone like "young Fernandinho", so that once again KDB could have his David Silva And Fernandinho in Jack Grealish and maybe I don't know Douglas Luis for example or anyone who will be bought for that reason..
And that's why for me it was logical that after KDB`s new contract - club invested so much money in Grealish..
But somehow we haven't even seen yet Grealish - KDB duo, I don't know what will happen in future - but right now KDB and other midfielders make it impossible for him to play his best football and also - we didn't have problems in defense or other aspects of the game.
I would love to see Fernandinho-KDB-Grealish trio this year, I know it may sound crazy - but Rodri-Gundo duo and KDB isn't working either, so why not try this one and check... First of all, we all want to see how good is Grealish in midfield..