19 | Ilkay Gundogan - 2024/25

Johnny Mars Bar said:
Kovacic is an ok squad player but he isn’t the medium or long term answer to our midfield.
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Being 30 means one cannot be a long term answer for sure. the same can be said about 2023 KDB or Todays Rodri.
About the ok squad player labelling, I don’t see any other player is more important than Kova in the system bar Rodri. Ask yourself if KDB, Silva, Foden, Gundo, Grealish or Akanji can do the squad player’s role OK-ishly. BTW, Kova was never brought in as a stand in for Rodri, but a duet with Rodri. Kova has been carrying the team without Rodri. This “ok squad player” is arguably the only reason the team is still in top 4 and UCl competition despite injuries and everyone else in shite form.
It’s Gundo’s thread so I will just shut up here.
 
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Yue Wollongong said:
Being 30 means one cannot be a long term answer for sure. the same can be said about 2023 KDB or Todays Rodri.
About the ok squad player labelling, I don’t see any other player is more important than Kova in the system bar Rodri. Ask yourself if KDB, Silva, Foden, Gundo, Grealish or Akanji can do the squad player’s role OK-ishly. BTW, Kova was never brought in as a stand in for Rodri, but a duet with Rodri. Kova has been carrying the team without Rodri. This “ok squad player” is arguably the only reason the team is still in top 4 and UCl competition despite injuries and everyone else in shite form.
It’s Gundo’s thread so I will just shut up here.
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Well, for starters...
>> This “ok squad player” is arguably the only reason the team is still in top 4
We're not in the top 4.

Secondly, Gundo and Kova both are squad players, not first-pick starters in a top-4 P/L side.

One of our biggest problems is that we have no #6 backup to Rodri and are trying to make due with frankly disastrous results. We really need to sign a true #6 in the winter window, otherwise we're likely going to finish outside the top 4.
 
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Yue Wollongong said:
Being 30 means one cannot be a long term answer for sure. the same can be said about 2023 KDB or Todays Rodri.
About the ok squad player labelling, I don’t see any other player is more important than Kova in the system bar Rodri. Ask yourself if KDB, Silva, Foden, Gundo, Grealish or Akanji can do the squad player’s role OK-ishly. BTW, Kova was never brought in as a stand in for Rodri, but a duet with Rodri. Kova has been carrying the team without Rodri. This “ok squad player” is arguably the only reason the team is still in top 4 and UCl competition despite injuries and everyone else in shite form.
It’s Gundo’s thread so I will just shut up here.
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If he was the main man why have we lost so many games this season ? You are sounding like you support just one player and not the team
 
BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
Well, for starters...
>> This “ok squad player” is arguably the only reason the team is still in top 4
We're not in the top 4.

Secondly, Gundo and Kova both are squad players, not first-pick starters in a top-4 P/L side.

One of our biggest problems is that we have no #6 backup to Rodri and are trying to make due with frankly disastrous results. We really need to sign a true #6 in the winter window, otherwise we're likely going to finish outside the top 4.
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Maybe it'll be easier to sign a "true #6", now that Rodri has had an injury.

Unless it's a player who can play with Rodri, as well as instead of him, then we're always going to struggle to attract anyone really impressive, because prior to this season he was never injured, and nobody is crazy enough to think they can take his place.

Looking at his near perfect injury record, no-one would have predicted he'd miss a whole season, so Kovacic, with a mix of Gundo, Stones, Akanji, Bernardo, Rico etc., supporting, in the easier games, is a legitimate backup to Rodri.
 
We’re definitely much stronger without him in the team now. He’s a legend but bringing him back has been a huge mistake and it’s been sad to see his demise this season he’s looked completely out of his depth and I can’t recall a decent performance since he returned.

He made his choice to leave and it should of been left at that on the ultimate high from the treble and his match winning performance in the cup final!
 
BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
Well, the backup ain't working! :-)
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But then Stones, Akanji, Ake, Dias, Kovacic and Ederson have all missed multiple games through injury. They've all had to play when not fit, and most then had further injuries. Gvardiol and Walker have been playing while not fully fit, leaving Gundogan, Bernardo and Rico playing too many games.

When we've had a reasonably fit squad, we've done ok. With hindsight you'd probably swap out Gundogan and Walker last Summer, instead of this, but planning for an injury crisis that is once in a decade, on top of your best player being ruled out for the season, would never make much sense.
 
bluenova said:
But then Stones, Akanji, Ake, Dias, Kovacic and Ederson have all missed multiple games through injury. They've all had to play when not fit, and most then had further injuries. Gvardiol and Walker have been playing while not fully fit, leaving Gundogan, Bernardo and Rico playing too many games.

When we've had a reasonably fit squad, we've done ok. With hindsight you'd probably swap out Gundogan and Walker last Summer, instead of this, but planning for an injury crisis that is once in a decade, on top of your best player being ruled out for the season, would never make much sense.
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It's true that injuries to much of our squad have played a big part in our recent poor performances.

But most of our early games this season, even with Rodri in our side, flattered us. Once Rodri was injured, the dam broke and a torrent of bad results followed. Which is to say, even with a fully fit squad, we really need a backup #6 both to rest Rodri so he doesn't have to start so many games, and as insurance in case Rodri is injured.

Sure, we'd be doing better even with Rodri out so long as we didn't have so many compounding injuries - nonetheless, we lack a true #6 backup and with Rodri out we're relying on a patchwork solution of Kova and Gundo, neither of whom are truly suited to the #6 position.
 
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