19 | Ilkay Gundogan - 2024/25

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Our best performances in the league recently have been with Gundo in the team: Ipswich, Chelsea and Newcastle.
The problem is he can't go on a consistent run of games especially when we face the best teams, maybe with Nico he will, I hope so because we know what he can produce.
 
His legs haven't gone. He's never had legs, as such. He's never been a holding midfielder. You can cite Spring 2019 all you want but that was a different City.

His best 20 minutes of the season before today came against Arsenal prior to the injury to Rodri. He needs somebody like Rodri next to him so he's not the primary holder. Just kept everything moving today. A proper Gundo performance.
 
Makes one wonder, what's that we really need more urgently? a KDB replacement or a Gundo replacement?
We dont need a kdb replacement.

Kdb is about goals and assists, and we now have many in the squad who do that.

But Gundogan was the perfect 8 who linked midfield to attack. Kova can sorta do this, and Bernie even less so due to lacking that eye for a pass, but makes up for it with work rate.

But these players are 34, 30 and 30.

We desparately still need a world class 8/6 hybrid.

I personally think both Nicos can still do this next to Rodri, but I want 1 more of this type for future planning.
 
We dont need a kdb replacement.

Kdb is about goals and assists, and we now have many in the squad who do that.

But Gundogan was the perfect 8 who linked midfield to attack. Kova can sorta do this, and Bernie even less so due to lacking that eye for a pass, but makes up for it with work rate.

But these players are 34, 30 and 30.

We desparately still need a world class 8/6 hybrid.

I personally think both Nicos can still do this next to Rodri, but I want 1 more of this type for future planning.
I tend to agree.
Pep can sort the creative side, if he has a working midfield and that needs a pivot(Dinho/Rodri) and a proper 8 (Silva / Gundo)
 
You don't know how good it feels to be vindicated by a Rolls Royce performance by Gundogan after trying to explain in this thread all season what the actual problem was.

Class is permanent.

People were criticising him when he was forced to play in a double pivot with Rico Lewis lol.
 
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His best performance by far since his return, he benefited massively with a genuine number 6 on the pitch.

Definitely his best game since he returned.

I guess it's like Modric as he got older. He can still do a good job if the midfield around him his right. Put him in a very depleted midfield where he's excepted to do a fair bit of the donkey work and he would've been looking old quite a few seasons ago too.

That's probably the case with Gundo. I do still think he's clearly on the slide and not a true top class player anymore and I wouldn't be too bothered if he's not part of our playing squad next season, but if he can continue to play like he did yesterday, then I'll be happy with that, as long as it lasts.

He's a legend for us though.
 
he’s been a bit of a lightning rod for everyone’s frustrations this season, without being that bad. struggled - like everyone else - when we’ve been hopelessly exposed in midfield. but in a proper set up like yesterday he can still be effective.
off the top of my head, i’d say he’s been in for most of our better performances recently.
 
At the current stage of his career, he have to put him next to a proper DM. Really good performance.

When he plays the role he actually came back to play, he’s absolutely fine and still has a lot to offer.

The people on here who’ve slagged him off all season should be ashamed of themselves.
 
You don't know how good it feels to be vindicated by a Rolls Royce performance by Gundogan after trying to explain in this thread all season what the actual problem was.

Class is permanent.

People were criticising him when he was forced to play in a double pivot with Rico Lewis lol.
It’s still disappointing to see someone who, when Fernandinho was injured a lot in the run-in in 2018-19, played as a 6 and was rated by Opta as the best player in Europe from February to May… a player who, when Rodri was out in the 2022 Etihad derby, played as a 6 and was instrumental in the game being 6-1 after an hour… to see him struggling at 6 or 8 for us for so many months this season.

He used to be able to stand alone in deep midfield for us and be MOTM. Now he needs something more solid beside him.

But that was a cracking performance yesterday.
 
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