#8 | Ilkay Gündoğan - 2020/21 Performances

[I'm With Stupid]

I always wondered why he didn't score more, because he's always had a knack of arriving at the perfect time like Lampard used to or that great season from Ramsey. Now we're seeing him being allowed to do it more.

 

[WallyA]

Totally agree, there has been a transformation to Gundogan's play recently and those saying he's always performed to this level are taking the piss.

The "transformation" is that Pep has decided to strictly keep Gundogan as an 8 to play higher, so Gundogan changed from having to be this versatile play everywhere midfielder for us, to strictly mastering the #8 position.

He's now use to the role and doing great, all these goals that some people are surprised by were always in his locker, but now he consistetly plays closer to goal so the ratio has gone up.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

The "transformation" is that Pep has decided to strictly keep Gundogan as an 8 to play higher, so Gundogan changed from having to be this versatile play everywhere midfielder for us, to strictly mastering the #8 position.

He's now use to the role and doing great, all these goals that some people are surprised by were always in his locker, but now he consistetly plays closer to goal so the ratio has gone up.

He's also a hell of a lot fitter plus he's not bottling challenges anymore. Playing further forward has helped no question but you can't seriously argue he doesn't look fitter and more committed to the physical side of the game. Anyway bedtime for me ;)

 

[WallyA]

He's also a hell of a lot fitter plus he's not bottling challenges anymore. Playing further forward has helped no question but you can't seriously argue he doesn't look fitter and more committed to the physical side of the game. Anyway bedtime for me ;)

I'm not arguing this at all!

I feel like people aren't understanding what I'm saying.

He can be fitter, more confident, look sharper etc, all those adjectives you want to add (they are true), but his "qualities" those intangibles that make-up Gundogan's play haven't changed.

For example, some people are "surprised" he has so many goals, I'm not, this is the first time in his career where he's had an extended period closer to the box (Gundogan has already broken his record for most goals in a season). Those other years where he didn't have this freedom? He scored goals too, but barely got chances, now he's getting more chances. He is using his ball control and dribbling to create space for his shots as well, those "qualities" didn't just get much better all of a sudden, he is just using them more in the opposition's box.

That's all im saying here. He hasn't fundamentally changed, but his sharpness with learning the position has, and the position Pep has him in is showing his qualities more often (he's always had it).

 

[blightee]

I genuinely think it takes years to fully get over cruciate injuries, not to mention the back problems he had at Dortmund. Everything is falling into place for gundo now, just has to keep it going

 

[Tevez City]

Give him the #9 shirt

He is the 2nd best striker after Sergio

 

[Dax777]

Not true.

He's now fitter and faster,both in body and mind,and he is no longer fearful of the challenge.He is a completely different player to the passenger we saw for many months.

Pep disagrees. But that's okay. :)

 

[ojeme]

When Klopp got Thiago Alcantara I thought he’d played a blinder but now I know who I’d rather have between him and Gundo and that person plies his trade in light blue,it’s not even close.
Happy days

 

[Sir peace frog]

He has always had quality, however some people on bluemoon couldn't or wouldn't see it, now they can see what only a few could see because they can only see end results, if you judge a player only on scoring then you aren't a good judge, add the sheep on bluemoon and you get a groundswell of blinkered opinion that gundogan is a bad player, he is our best complete midfielder, KDB provides the passes, but gundogan provides the platform

 

[r.soleofsalford]

It`s a transformation of Gundogan for me. He`s gone from a player that in that double pivot frustrated the fuck out of me. Now he excites me and has me drooling at his silky skill`s.

When he first came, I tried to defend his timid energy less performance`s by saying that these were because of two career threatening injuries. In fact, I`m sure I read somewhere Gundogan talking about this and he said he`d never be the player he was because of the change to his body, caused by those injuries.

I stopped wanting to see him in the team to being one of the 1st I want on the team sheet.