#8 | Ilkay Gündoğan - 2020/21 Performances

[wayne71]

Stones and Gundogan the favorites for our most important player of the season - just as we all predicted

He was very good again today

:)

 

[Zabbasbeard]

Gundogan is a key player now. He's such a great pro. He's never caused a problem despite not being first choice in previous years and now here is, one of the first names on the team sheet. He's so intelligent and key to moving the ball quickly. He and De Bruyne were often seeking the other out in combinations. Very impressive technically too.

 

[samarasra]

There has been a lot of negativity toward Gundogan from sections of our fans. They seem think he slows the game down too much and takes the pace out of the attack. HOWEVER.... He is a very intelligent player and he plays the percentages very well. He knows when to hold, when to give and when to go.

In games where the opposition have 11 behind the ball, he often plays a slow inviting pass across the field to try and create space in behind, and often it comes across as being negative, but this season it seems that tactic has paid off on more than one occasion. He's certainly been patient in his build up play, which has been a feature of a lot of games this season. We aren't trying to force it as much (which Kev can be guilty of at times).

He's having a great season, and is rightly in with a shout for POTS

A lot of negativity towards Gundogan, Stones, Rodri, Zinchenko, Mahrez, not to mention Pep, many wanted these out earlier in the season, some still do. So is it a miracle that we are where we are now or a time to reassess how the value of these in the squad context should be viewed.

 

[FantasyIreland]

Not quite on the level of a couple of games back,but another very good outing.Definitely earnt the right to be an automatic starter.

 

[Matt the Giant]

Is it just me, - or has Gundo suddenly found some pace, which he didn't have in his drawer before? It looks like he's moving faster, quicker, is more determined and aggressive. I don't know what happened, but I'm glad it did, cause as he's playing now he's one of the best in the team.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

Is it just me, - or has Gundo suddenly found some pace, which he didn't have in his drawer before? It looks like he's moving faster, quicker, is more determined and aggressive. I don't know what happened, but I'm glad it did, cause as he's playing now he's one of the best in the team.

I think he has suddenly realised that he doesn't have to be Mr Safe all the time when playing as an 8. Theres a time and a place for keeping it safe and simple but we need more than just that at 8.

IMO the game against Chelsea was the turning point for him. There was a number of times in the 1st half, where he received the ball with his back to goal and he turned and went away from his marker and drove at the Chelsea defence, previously he was always looking for that 1st time pass, back the way he was facing.

Now he seems to have a serious taste for it and if he can chip in with 10 goals from midfield over the course of the season, it will be a massive, unexpected bonus for us.

 

[twosips]

Is it just me, - or has Gundo suddenly found some pace, which he didn't have in his drawer before? It looks like he's moving faster, quicker, is more determined and aggressive. I don't know what happened, but I'm glad it did, cause as he's playing now he's one of the best in the team.

Confidence innit. Confident player always look faster. They react quicker, dawdle on the ball less.

 

[IrishBlueSince92]

He's been great this season

 

[Rascal]

Not quite on the level of a couple of games back, but another very good outing. Definitely earnt the right to be an automatic starter.

He was quite a lot down on the levels he has been showing, but that is maybe because now teams see him as more of danger and set up to stop him, which of course leads to more space for others to play.

Whether he plays well or poorly, he always does the basics well and at the moment the way we set up suits him. I don't think it suited him when we have David in the team, not his fault that but you play to strengths and David was a strength. Now we are playing more to his strengths which is carrying the ball forward and arriving late (aka Lampard) in the danger area. He took his goal beautifully, a sign of growing confidence and at the moment is quite rightly one of the first names on the team sheet. I also think it helps him having Bernardo in the side, because of Bernardo's work rate and clever movement.

It is all interlinked though, the way we set up has brought the best out of him, the solidity at the back, the sliding into a back three when Rodri or Ferna drop back, the full backs moving into midfield to create overloads, all these create space and Gundogan is superb when there is space as he generally he moves the ball with so much intelligence. One of the criticisms he used to receive was his tendency to pass backwards or slow play down. He is still doing the same thing but now because of the way we are set up , it is working properly. A pass backwards allows space to be created and slowing it down allows for movement to happen. Not everything has to be done at 100mph. An example yesterday was Kev, a pass went backwards, then sideways and Keb just casually ambled into space, he didnt sprint, he just walked as the pass backwards had Palace had them trying to play their back line higher and all of a sudden by hardly moving at all the space was there and Kev found Raz with a lovely pass.

Football is a simple game and at the moment we are making it look simple, my only concern is i wish we would score more fucking goals.

 

[shevtheblue]

Gundo has talked about how he felt with Covid and how it made him re-evaluate certain things. I wonder if his footballing career was part of that also? He has so much more talent than he's shown while here, he is now reminding me a lot more of the Gundogan we faced against Dortmund, he was simply magic in that game. The way he controls the ball now, moves past challenges and is always working to get forwards and help out, it's exactly what we wanted from him.
Nobody will ever control the game like David did, but as amazing as Dave was, he couldn't bag the goals that Gundo has.