Kevin De Bruyne - 2016/17 performances

[CityFan94]

Not great in a deeper role, far better closer to the striker.

 

[RayCTID]

It has been a difficult season for De Bruyne and at times he lacks the consistency in his overall game but does still contribute and he will come back stronger.

 

[cadds92]

One of Guardiola's key aims next season is to find a better role for Kev.

The current role suits him if the opposition has more possession than us but against a parked bus he is hit and miss.

 

[lancs blue]

Not great in a deeper role, far better closer to the striker.

He's also been ineffective a number of times when played further forward this season, he simply hasn't had a good season at all. Next season will be crucial for his future under Pep.

 

[1961_vintage]

Looks knackered.

 

[br88]

he looked great earlier on in the season don't know what's happened since. I think it could be due to the deeper role he is playing.

You obviously didn't go to the Palace game last week when he was absolutely brilliant. Has most assists in the League and would have had a lot more if we could finish better. Almost every fan of other teams, including United, think he's great and Bluemoaners on here think he is generally playing crap.

Thank God the match going fans support him so well. He got tremendous ovations today whenever he came over to take a corner.....well done Blues.

 

[lancs blue]

You obviously didn't go to the Palace game last week when he was absolutely brilliant. Has most assists in the League and would have had a lot more if we could finish better. Almost every fan of other teams, including United, think he's great and Bluemoaners on here think he is generally playing crap.

Thank God the match going fans support him so well. He got tremendous ovations today whenever he came over to take a corner.....well done Blues.

Most of his assists have come from wide positions, which according to the BM experts is not his best position but it's certainly been his most effective position this season. I think you're letting the stats blind you a little to his overall performances this season - the Palace match was his best for some considerable time and he hasn't really settled into a central role under Pep, either deeper or more advanced. As far as I can see no one is doubting his ability, just his performance levels, he set his own high standard last season.

 

[Callum Ramsey]

Kevin De Bruyne is technically the most well rounded player in the whole squad outside of Yaya so any statements of him not being good enough for the team is just ridiculous at this point. He's had all things considered a very underwhelming season despite his stats. Its clearly not a positional or ability problem as many believe as that was the same position he was playing at the start of the season in a midfield three with silva and dinho where him and the team looked unstoppable going forward. The first 6 league games of the season his stats read 2 goals 5 assists and those stats were backed by very good performances where him and silva complimented each other and the system perfectly. I still remember that United game earlier in the season where he gave one of the most complete midfield performances of the season.

He hasn't been able to give performances of that level since then and from the turn of the year on he has put in some very poor performances for a player of his calibre. He will still get the occasional assist because of his quality but the performances just weren't backing it up and at times he became a liability in the center of the pitch with the ease at which he kept giving balls away. He's not as tactically disciplined as silva and will never posses the kind of close control ability that silva has to allow him to get out of tight spaces and easily escape pressure but he has it in him to quickly escape pressure with a quick turn of pace and there are few better than him in world football when the team is on the break with him on the ball. It just wasn't happening for him though even with simple passes.

I can't put my finger on why his performances took such a huge turn for the worse in the second half of the season but I'll guess its a combination of lack of confidence and the demands of pep's system catching up to him in the role he plays. Hopefully this season has been a learning curve for him into what Pep requires and has conditioned him physically and mentally for next season as I have no doubt he is not only a potential best player in the league, he could be one of the best midfielders in World football with his quality and will lead the team to many trophies in the future.

 

[Neville Kneville]

He is undoubtably one of the best players in the world, but some of his touches today, in key areas, were no better than Steve Lomas or Jeff Whitley.

Flicking the fucking ball about with 3 Leicester players running at him, when he could easily find a City player, turning blind into players running at him, all with little cover behind, it's not down to systems or fitness, it's down to him being too fucking casual & it's not on.

If Xavi or Iniesta played like that, Barca would have won fuck all.

It's not difficult to avoid that, whether you are having a good bad or indifferent game, just think of the team & don't fuck about in stupid areas, like an amateur.

if a kid did the same, there would be 50 posts on here saying how he's not ready & it's too much of a risk playing him.

 

[richards30]

Gone off the boil second half of the season but wouldn't want Kevin playing anywhere else but city! Love the bloke and we are lucky to have him