#17 | Kevin De Bruyne - 2021/22 Performances

[City_Sean]

He is way off the pace. Physically looks shot and can't even pass. Needs to keep playing games but at the minute he's hampering our attacks.

 

[City10.]

Plays like a retired footballer who's been eating junk food ever since

 

[RandomJ]

Shadow of what he was. Starting to get a bit concerning now. We just have to keep playing him and hope he gets back to his best.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

He was terrible in the opening 45mins and said so at HT.

I actually thought he had a decent 2nd half.

 

[eastmanc]

Very poor tonight but he wasn’t on his own, Mahrez and Stirling were equally as bad.

 

[domalino]

11 games into the season now and I'm not seeing any improvement.

Not seeing any signs he's coming back into form, or getting over an injury.

This should be the biggest story on the forum because he's not in our best XI right now and we aren't likely to win much if he doesn't wake up.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

I got pelters for criticising him after the Wycombe game, saying he was coming back from injury and needed time.

He has been utter shite in every single game he has started since then so what's the excuse now?

Nowhere near the first 11 as it stands.

 

[carlosthejackal]

Had no pre season and looks so far short , if he doesn’t play then he ain’t getting match fit and if he does he’s a passenger most of the time .

 

[MeatHunterrr]

He looks far too heavy.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

Past his best. Even though it happens to every player, it doesn’t get any less sad when it’s someone like KDB. He can play at a high level when fully fit but super-human Kev seems like he isn’t coming back.

 

[MeatHunterrr]

If a midfielder is past his best at 30 these days then something has gone horribly wrong somewhere.

 

[sh249]

Painful to watch him at the moment.

On form/performances, don’t think he makes a best XI right now.

 

[Cobra]

This is an incredibly horrendous take. What is KDB's best ability? its his passing. His athletic ability might go away and he might not be the same KDB we know but he will still be world class. He will adapt his game to his body because he is a genius and any coach will love to have his ability on the team even when he is 35.

Yaya was an incredible passer too, and he was completely done once his athleticism went at about 32/33. He’s suffered far less injuries than De Bruyne as well.

 

[Marvin]

I thought his energy levels were higher today. He didn't have a good game but if he gets his fitness back the rest of his game will come together.

 

[Agueroooo9320]

Yaya was an incredible passer too, and he was completely done once his athleticism went at about 32/33. He’s suffered far less injuries than De Bruyne as well.

yaya's passing was nowhere near KDB's. yaya's best skill was running with the ball and his physicality and shooting more than his passing.

 

[Deleted member 77198]

Needs to get in shape and sharpen up now, it’s starting to get on my nerves. I don’t mind a bit of poor form but he was outpaced by Noble tonight at one point, and again there was a pass to the foot he wasn’t ready for and couldn’t move his feet quickly enough to control it.

Get yourself in shape mate!

 

[Bluesince1979]

Yaya was an incredible passer too, and he was completely done once his athleticism went at about 32/33. He’s suffered far less injuries than De Bruyne as well.

Different builds tho

 

[Agueroooo9320]

If a midfielder is past his best at 30 these days then something has gone horribly wrong somewhere.

have you watched all the city matches before and after his downturn of form? I have and right now there are bigger reasons for KDB's under performance than just him. did you see his passing when Sane, Sterling and Kun was in the team? they always stretch play. but now we are completely opposite. we have two wingers who want to come inside and a false forward. he is having no options to pass at all. the team has evolved and KDB needs to find a different role. If we buy Halland then KDB will once again break the assist chats I am sure of it.

 

[domalino]

The weirdest thing about KDB is that he used to the most deadly player in the world on the counterattack. He had the pace to get up there, he had inch perfect passing and always timed it perfectly, and he was a lethal finisher.

Now...when we break and the ball goes to him I know the move is over. He's slow, his passing sends players out wide or is behind them and if he makes it to the box he can't score.

I just don't understand it.

 

[domalino]

have you watched all the man city matches before? i have and right now there are bigger reasons for KDB's under performance than just him. did you see his passing when Sane, Sterling and Kun was in the team? they always stretch play. but now we are completely opposite. we have two wingers who want to come inside and a false forward. he is having no options to pass at all. the team has evolved and KDB needs to find a different role. If we buy Halland then KDB will once again break the assist chats I am sure of it.

His passing is part of the problem.

As the passer, you can force the recipient to play a certain way. You pass into feet, or ahead of them to space, you can force them wide or make them bend their run in behind. You can speed the move up or slow it down based on the pass.

These guys are making runs non stop and the passer chooses which ones to take on.

You've got the cart before the horse. His passing is why our counters especially are just dead. And against Brighton when he didn't play, our counter was back to being incredible.

The question is why, and the only thing I can come up with is that he's so unfit now that he's struggling to keep up and play passes on the run like he used to.

He's also stopped drifting out to the right and putting in those undefendable crosses - Foden, Sterling and Gundogan are still making the runs for them.