8 | Ilkay Gundogan - 2022/23

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This will sound reactionary but it was my opinion before the game: if Bernardo wants to leave but we can't find a suitable replacement this summer, I'd be fine with a season of Gundogan-De Bruyne and Bernardo as a squad player/injury backup. It wasn't that long ago Ilkay dragged us to the title.
 
Kept things nicely ticking over. We pass better, have more control and play better when Gundo plays.
 
I was surprised to see him start ahead of Bernardo but he took control of the game and he's so good at finding pockets and playing players in. We obviously had volumes written about Haaland's movement against Liverpool and not being picked out. Gundogan seemed more on his wavelength and whilst there were still times he wasn't found, which will happen, he twice was and that's all it took.

The rest of the team are drilled in keeping the ball, passing and moving. There are few players on the planet that get to the ball Gundogan played. Now they've seen he can, and also how well he moved in behind to score his second, we'll look to play Haaland in more often knowing even a slightly heavy pass he'll probably still get to, or at least pressure the opposition and we'll end up with the ball back anyway.
 
He is so much better in this system where he can play higher up.

Thats literally why he was our top goal scorwr 2 seasons ago, then Pep played him back deep again. Keep him high up like kevin.
 
Not slowing down at all. I wonder what the thoughts are behind the scenes. Txiki and Pep happy to let Gundo run down his contract and follow a new path, Gundo himself wanting a new challenge or perhaps we see a last minute 12mth extension.

With Bellingham likely on the market next summer, can we afford to lose out on him.
 
Magic today and my MOtM. There was a sequence a few minutes before his goal where he popped up in a pocket received the ball and played a quick first time pass out then popped up again in a different pocket to be on the end of the third pass on from that, he did it 3 times in a row, it was simply a complete masterclass in midfield play.
 
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