Yes. But that's because, Kevin, Aguero and Sterling are all playing poorer in addition to losing Silva.
Yes, no one disagrees.
I'd say his as good as last year's Dave. Who wasn't particularly at his best.
What Dihno did to spring Phil was nice but it's nothing I haven't seen before. See Rodri pass to start the move for Mahrez goal against Burnley. Plays like that are not uncommon.
I agree Dihno is more offensive bthan Rodri. But doesn't brake care of the ball as well. So there are pluses and minuses to Dihno.
This is wrong. They are 2 of the more consistent players. If the others were playing at the standard of 2018, we'd be walking the league just like then.
Again, we are levels below coz we lost a great midfielder and everyone else who was great back then hasn't been. Sterling won us multiple games on his own that had nothing to do with the other great players.. Just him delivering at the death. Aguero had a couple of those too. So did Bernado. Not to mention, Sane's soeed added a factor that made Kev and Dave plays easier and better. Aguero also was at his scoring best. To discount all these key factors and lump it on the DM replacements because you don't like them or because they are different from what you historically fancied, is a bit of pretending the problem lies where it doesn't.
Again, we are scoring less and conceding less. At a minimum, we can concludd from that Rodri is doing some kinda job)
I don't disagree at all that others have not performed to their previous levels but for varying reasons. I think in some cases the blame can be mainly assigned to individuals and in other cases an individuals levels are somewhat dictated by the way we play.
I know some aren't 100% happy with the way KDB is performing but I would argue his job is now much harder than it was 2 or 3 years ago because he has players of a lesser quality around him. Its a different game when he looks forward and he can go left to Sane, right to Sterling, play Aguero through or just knock it off to prime Silva. Looking right and seeing Mahrez picking his arse is not the same.
If I look at Bernardo, for me there is little excuse (except potentially mental - Mendy etc) for his form completely falling off a cliff. His skillset should allow him to thrive in any XI that Pep puts out, whether in an attacking 433 or a more cautious 4231.
Whereas when I look at Sterling, I feel he is a victim of our new style, in the same way he was very much a beneficiary of the way we played in previous years. He has a very limited but potent skillset, if we play to it, he looks a top class player. When we don't play to it (currently) he looks like a lost puppy.
If I look at Rodri and Gundogan, they get to hold each others hands, so the current set up suits them perfectly and this is probably how we get the best out of them both. I have no arguments there. They are certainly better alongside each other than they are when Gundogan masquerades as an 8. However, I do believe that changing the formation/tactics to get the best out of them, negatively impacts on other individuals further forward. Granted, they may also be part of the reason that Dias and now Stones look so good, so finding the right balance is everything.
Maybe we were spoiled in 17/18 with what now looks like a perfect storm, 6 or 7 players at their absolute peak in a formation that allowed them to thrive. Maybe the current set up is the evolution of a side that brings us even more glory and it has to, because fans will only tolerate a huge drop off in style, if it comes with success.
