His workrate was fantastic yesterday & he just needs a bit of coaching to make his pressing a bit more effective as it's too easy to get the ball past him.
But as a footballer, he is currently a shadow of the player we signed. Almost all of his spontaneity & forward thinking instinct has disappeared, along with his crossing ability & shooting. Several times yesterday, he knocked a pass back to the central defenders, when he had yards of space in front of him. When we first signed him, he was receiving the ball & spinning round in the blink off an eye, in much less space, & basically a yard ahead of every player on the pitch, including Silva, in thought & action. The goal Delph scored, was a typical early season DeBruyne moment. Seeing an option & going for it before anyone realised.
Early season, in the flesh, he was one of the best players I've ever seen. Reminded me of Ronaldinho, pure instinct, genius. Right now he is a ginger Samir Nasri, dithering & passing sideways, backwards, & not shooting first time.
hopefully this is still just fatigue from early season burnout & not due to instructions to 'keep the ball'.