Millwallawayveteran1988
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 23 Sep 2010
- Messages
- 38,643
Time for him to be back in the side now. De Bruyne/Foden/Grealish behind whoever we play up top.
You know how sometimes a mistruth becomes so popular that that it's impossible to refute it with facts or data? It becomes an urban myth. Like when people say City cheated FFP but won at CAS because of a technicality, or when people meme about Emptihad, etc. They aren't true, but it's just not possible to combat the wave of lies anymore.
This idea that Kevin is superfluous to our requirements, or that the first team is better off without him is one such urban myth. It's dangerous and I see more and more people parroting the same shit every match. Sooner or later the majority will start believing in the shared "truth" and turn on him.
Happened with Gundo from 2017 to 2019 and it took him a herculean effort and a complete reinvention of his role to change that narrative. Happens every match with Walker, where people still believe that the best defending RB in the world is "prone" to brain farts. God knows what lesser capable right backs are prone to then. Currently happening with Rodri where people just can't see what he does. He only passes sideways and is shite defensively according the shared "truth". Anyone feel a sense of Deja Vu? Remember a player called Gundogan being criticised for similar things? "A nothing player", "doesn't add anything to the squad", "a nice to have, but not a difference maker".
This may seem like paranoia, but give it time, and it will happen to Kevin too. I'm already seeing the pattern.
28 goals and assists in 36 starts in all competitions last season, almost a goal or assist every match but apparently we didn't need him. 7 goals and assists in 8 matches in the Champions League, but yeah he totally destabilizes the team.
Yes our midfielders can still attack but Foden is deadlier closer to goal and we have played him as an “eight” a lot of times before. Comparing his performances on the left side of our attack is way better than as an “eight.”Well our midfielders can still attack. It depends on the set up. Bernardo has been attacking along with Grealish on the left in the final 3rd. Grealish gets the ball on the wing and plays in balls to Bernardo who makes runs toward the byline effectively becoming the left winger at that point. Phil could do the same. He could also make runs into the box ala Gundogan.
Yes our midfielders can still attack but Foden is deadlier closer to goal and we have played him as an “eight” a lot of times before. Comparing his performances on the left side of our attack is way better than as an “eight.”
Coming of Grealish definitely gives us a conundrum in this regard and we must find a way to accommodate De Bruyne, Grealish and Foden in our starting elevens. Not sure the best way to go about it whether to play Grealish as an eight (does he have the work rate to do it?) or move Foden to the right of attack where he scored a blazing goal vs Liverpool (where will that leave Mahrez and Gabby J and even Sterling?)
It's a head scratcher but we simply can't get all our best players into the same team. Which is a bit of a shame.