17 | Kevin De Bruyne - 2022/23 Performances

[Lowtower]

Sad to see him struggling, some of the passes today were, for his high standards, pretty poor.

 

[Claytop]

Kev of previous seasons and we’d have had 3 or 4 today at least.

 

[CatMan]

His 8th season here and it's starting to show. Whether it's lack of hunger or a drift of technique and pace, he has taken a real downturn. I certainly don't see him as guaranteed starter anymore and I'm not sure I can see that changing.

With the possibility of Gundogan and Bernardo departing, our midfield for next season is going to be a great unknown. I'd like to see Jack and Phil inside in front of Rodri.

Up front we need 2 speedster wingers who can go on the outside.

 

[EdersonsSmiley]

There’s reasonable criticism of his recent performances and then there is this.

I despair.

Some people just can't accept the truth. I saw the same in Aguero's last 18 months. People thought he would turn it around and be the player he was.

No one can beat age.

 

[Mazzarelli's Swiss Cheese]

There’s reasonable criticism of his recent performances and then there is this.

I despair.

By no means past it / not good enough, but I think we are past peak kdb. Should now be coming on with fresh legs to play against tired ones imho

 

[SebastianBlue]

Some people just can't accept the truth. I saw the same in Aguero's last 18 months. People thought he would turn it around and be the player he was.

No one can beat age.

So you want to offload the player (in 12 months, mind) who leads the league in assists and big chances created, because he is in a bad run of form?

 

[Deleted member 77198]

For the last couple of years, de Bruyne has looked like he needs to completely change the way he eats and trains or needs to be rotated/rested more often.

He plays in games he doesn’t need to. Last season he played home and away to the worst team I’ve ever seen us play in the CL (Brugge), played against Swindon, Fulham, Wycombe in the Cups; this season he’s started 19 of our first 20 Prem games and even came on in the other one for 25 minutes, he’s competed 85+ minutes in 17 Prem games…

He doesn’t need to be starting and playing so many minutes at his age with his injury history. He’s played the third most minutes of the outfield players in our team this season, at 31 with two terrible knee injuries in his career and two ankle injuries, an ankle operation and Covid in the last two years.

I think we’re overusing him and it’s to the detriment of his own game and the team’s game. He should be used in the total opposite way we used to use Zinchenko: Zincehnko didn’t start any game against a team higher than 8th in the Prem last season, de Bruyne shouldn’t start any game against a team lower than 12th nor any teams lower than 6th in domestic Cups nor the ‘filler’ teams in the CL.

I wish he’d bloody retire from international football n’all. That would reduce his game and minutes total nicely.

 

[SebastianBlue]

By no means past it / not good enough, but I think we are past peak kdb. Should now be coming on with fresh legs to play against tired ones imho

I agree we are likely past prime King Kev, but to suggest he should be offloaded within 12 months is OTT.

 

[madloaf]

About as bad as possible today but wouldn't have put it past him to play a killer pass or score. That's the Kev we've got. I'll take it.

 

[clarion]

MLS display today.