Kevin De Bruyne 2016/17

[GaudinoMotors]

Kev is one of those players who you're willing to do well and find excuses for when he's fairly anonymous. That said his stats are impressive but don't tell the full 90 mins.
Think he'll shine next season.

 

[g180aj]

i just don't rate him. That's all. I just don't understand what he gives us.

There is a few who worry me a lot more than Clichy, although I do agree we need to improve the left back position, I'd have Clichy ahead of Kolarov any day because he can defend.

 

[Phil1]

There is a few who worry me a lot more than Clichy, although I do agree we need to improve the left back position, I'd have Clichy ahead of Kolarov any day because he can defend.

I'd have Kolorov ahead of Clichy at least 80% of the time because his overall contribution to the way we play pisses all over Clichy.
You say he can defend but he's progressively getting worse. Once his pace goes (which there are already signs) he will offer even less.

 

[GaudinoMotors]

I'd have Kolorov ahead of Clichy at least 80% of the time because his overall contribution to the way we play pisses all over Clichy.
You say he can defend but he's progressively getting worse. Once his pace goes (which there are already signs) he will offer even less.

Kolorov is the weakest link. Woeful anticipation and positioning. Clichy ain't great but if he has a good game it's a sigh of relief if Kolorov does it's like you've won the lottery.

 

[Phil1]

Kolorov is the weakest link. Woeful anticipation and positioning. Clichy ain't great but if he has a good game it's a sigh of relief if Kolorov does it's like you've won the lottery.

We do some lottery winning at this club then.

 

[mad zab]

I don't think anyone is suggesting he is shit mate?

The idea of De Bruyne being a playmaker for us though is just an absolute fallacy. It's an idea in people's head, but he's never actually played centrally for us and dictated a game, that's just not what he's done for us.

His assists and goals record in Germany was incredible. His strength is how direct he is. He's brilliant at exploiting space in behind teams, either hitting an early ball for a team mate, or carrying the ball himself.

The problem is, City very rarely come up against a team who leave any space in behind them. Most teams sit deep against us and don't allow any space behind them. This negates a lot of De Bruyne's game. He can't hit that early ball in behind, and he can't drive forward in to space, because the space is simply not there.

He also gives the ball away very cheaply when trying to play simple passes, his ball retention is pretty lousy, certainly not good enough to be a playmaker.

The playmaking role at City requires incredible ball retention, playing with very little space, being patient, waiting for opportunities, playing the eye of the needle pass on the edge of the box. These are all things that David Silva excels at. He's one of the best players in the world at all of those things. De Bruyne clearly isn't, it's just not his game.

KDB played as the number 10 at Wolfsburg. He scored and assisted from that position. That is why we bought him. Now I am not saying he is better than Silva. What I am saying is he is playing out of position for us. I believe we would see an improvement if we played him in the number 10 position.

There are different type of playmakers as there are different type of wingers, forwards etc

He hasn't done the job of playmaker for us because he is not being played as such. This doesn't equate to not being a playmaker.

 

[BillyShears]

KDB played as the number 10 at Wolfsburg. He scored and assisted from that position. That is why we bought him. Now I am not saying he is better than Silva. What I am saying is he is playing out of position for us. I believe we would see an improvement if we played him in the number 10 position.

There are different type of playmakers as there are different type of wingers, forwards etc

He hasn't done the job of playmaker for us because he is not being played as such. This doesn't equate to not being a playmaker.

If we use his guys deeply flawed logic then Silva and Nasri aren't playmakers either as they have spent the overwhelmingly vast majority of their time at the club playing from wide left and right. He's overstating Silva's qualities and understating KDB's which makes the entire discussion rather disingenuous. I mean the idea that De Bruyne can't play in tight spaces and doesn't have the passing ability of DS is frankly laughable fanboy nonsense.

 

[Rolee]

This may be a bit simplistic but I think the issue with DeBruyne and Silva in the same side is that they both love to play that killer pass in behind the defence, to accommodate that you have to have willing runners, what happens when you play both is that you've one less willing runner in your attack which means one less option to pick out with them defence splitting passes.

By playing both together you're getting the best out of neither.

 

[BillyShears]

This may be a bit simplistic but I think the issue with DeBruyne and Silva in the same side is that they both love to play that killer pass in behind the defence, to accommodate that you have to have willing runners, what happens when you play both is that you've one less willing runner in your attack which means one less option to pick out with them defence splitting passes.

By playing both together you're getting the best out of neither.

Bingo.

 

[Shaelumstash]

KDB played as the number 10 at Wolfsburg. He scored and assisted from that position. That is why we bought him. Now I am not saying he is better than Silva. What I am saying is he is playing out of position for us. I believe we would see an improvement if we played him in the number 10 position.

There are different type of playmakers as there are different type of wingers, forwards etc

He hasn't done the job of playmaker for us because he is not being played as such. This doesn't equate to not being a playmaker.

Playmakers dictate play, usually from the middle. You're quite right that Silva over the years has started wide and drifted inside.

I appreciate De Bruyne often played centrally for Wolfsburg and did brilliantly. The difference being Wolfsburg were a top 6 side, teams didn't park the bus against them. Most of De Bruyne's good work was exploiting space in behind teams, either hitting an early, direct ball or running in to the space behind.

The difference playing for City is we're the best team in the league. Most teams park the bus, sit back and leave no space in behind. That negates a lot of De Bruyne's game. It requires more acute technique, intelligence and subtlety. De Bruyne is currently not at or anywhere near Silva's league on those things.

De Bruyne has tried to play as a playmaker for us in the first 25 minutes against Newcastle, and in the 7 weeks Silva was out. He was dreadful trying to play that role, it's not his game.

Playing as a playmaker for a top 6 Bubdesliga side who play on the counter is quite different from being a playmaker for the best team in the Premier League who dominate possession. By the same token, Silva wouldn't have been suited in doing the job De Bruyne did for Wolfsburg, he's got a different set of skills.

I've seen De Bruyne's biggest fan on here say "well he's got the best goals and assists record, and the stats are the most important thing". Unfortunately if you look at the game only through those parameters you don't really understand the game, and probably never will.

For me the most important thing is for the team to play well. If they do, results will come. The team has played best without De Bruyne in the side. Maybe it's coincidence, or maybe he's upset the balance of the side? For those who struggle with intricacies of football and only understand stats, check the stats from the first 5 games of the season before De Bruyne signed.