How good is Kevin De Bruyne?

tomaldinho1 said:
As a question to Bayern fans, how do you guys see the influence of LVG compared to Pep? I've heard a few times that LVG was seen as the real pioneer for Bayern becoming what they are now - maybe pioneer is the wrong word - but I hadn't realized his stint was seen as so important given he didn't win as much and it was relatively short.
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LvG gave us a new direction, While other clubs long ago ditched 442, we were still playing it and invested heavily into a twin strikeforce of Klose and Lucatoni. LvG came binned both of them, Moved Schweinsteiger from an average winger to a reliable CM. Generally adopted a more possession style of play that top European clubs adopted earlier. changed us to a 4231, Gave more time and support to younger players like Muller and Badstuber.
iirc he moved Lahm away from LB to RB
Our build up was slow and frustrating. Many times aimless passing without a clue of what to do. Then pass to Robben for his hero ball, Many including me wanted him out early until the game vs Juve in Turin where we won 4-1

That move turned Bayern from a European top 10 to a top 5 and possibly top 3 in some years

His ego meant he couldn't survive our FO especially Ulli who had emotional attachments to the players. He loved Ribery Toni etc like his kids, I believe many top players reported to him that this was not working, LvG brought his balls out to show them in the dressing room. Results started changing and Bayern endured him until results turned in his 2nd season
 
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Fortitude said:
Messi simply does not work with De Bruyne. Everything in the final third defers to Messi, and Messi does all his best work toward the ball not away from it - any time De Bruyne is not playing Messi’s game, Messi is being under utilised; by playing Messi’s game, all of De Bruyne’s best attributes are nullified.

De Bruyne isn’t better at being Iniesta than Iniesta is, either way, De Bruyne has no constructive way to be in a team that optimises Messi because it dramatically reduces his own game.
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Would KDB do well in a role like what Gerrard played for the old Liverpool teams, in front of Alonso and Mascherano?
 
Probably his worst game in a decade.

Looked about 50 years old out there.
 
I reckon if Saudi come in with a big offer he’ll be off and replaced with Wirtz, City are masters at turning over the squad to avoid having ever to do a major rebuild like us.
 
redNATION said:
I reckon if Saudi come in with a big offer he’ll be off and replaced with Wirtz, City are masters at turning over the squad to avoid having ever to do a major rebuild like us.
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More likely Grealish.

Unused sub today and he's barely featured in the run in. Certainly one who clocked off mentally after the treble and only two years left on his deal so Man. City will be offering him around I suspect.
 
Has the injuries affected him? He lost the aggression/zip in his game and looks off most of the time, of course he can whip a good ball in but before he would still attempt to dribble and create himself
 
He's been getting taken out of the team more and more recently. Was abysmal today. I wouldn't write him off yet but I do think Foden has probably replaced him as the main man now (despite Phil being equally poor today).
He's still a phenomenal player but maybe can't put up 3 or 4 games in a row anymore and needs to be used more sparingly.

Theres no way he'll leave this summer, maybe next summer when the post Pep exodus starts.
 
adexkola said:
Either he'll be moved on or used as a super sub next season, similar to what they did with Silva the Elder
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I might be wrong but I remember David Silva remaining a starter even towards the end.
 
padr81 said:
He's been getting taken out of the team more and more recently. Was abysmal today. I wouldn't write him off yet but I do think Foden has probably replaced him as the main man now (despite Phil being equally poor today).
He's still a phenomenal player but maybe can't put up 3 or 4 games in a row anymore and needs to be used more sparingly.
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Feels like Rodri been carrying the deeper midfield area for ages given Kovacic has been pretty average from what I've seen and Matheus Nunes been a complete non factor.
 
KDB is turning 34, and is having issues with injuries.

Reckon Pep leaves at the end of his contract, over trying to figure out how to replace their best player.
 
FootballHQ said:
Feels like Rodri been carrying the deeper midfield area for ages given Kovacic has been pretty average from what I've seen and Matheus Nunes been a complete non factor.
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Kovacic was pretty meh till March but has been pretty excellent since if I'm honest. I think Pep dropped a clanger with Kova for what its worth. He was far better than Rodri 1st half but got hooked, (also taking off Ake who was our only competent member of the starting back 4 today was a crime against football).

Nunes has struggled when he's been in the team, his season has been a bit like Bernardo's first 3/4 of a season actually. When he's got a chance he's been just not quite at it, tried too hard. He'll get next season or be binned but I'm not gonna write him off just yet but neither am I confident in him the way I was with Bernardo, but if you read the thread of Bernardo's first season at City it'll be a lot like people speak of Nunes.
 
Wasn't good today but was still over the moon to see him taken off.

He's starting to pick up more and more niggles now. City will need to start getting used to playing without him as the fulcrum
 
Another season at most, I reckon. MLS is beckoning
 
Must have ended the "program" and now his body is feeling the effects from that....
 
thisisnottaken1 said:
Or maybe Saudi Arabia?

He’s definitely past his best. Kyle Walker meanwhile is the same age yet doesn’t seem to have slowed down.
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Walker was worse than KDB today, gave away 2 passes that put you guys in a great position and his half hearted running back left Mainoo in acres of space for the 2nd. Watching everyone else bust a gut to get back while the fastest player on the team casually strolls was disgusting. He was arrogant first half today and deserved to be smacked with a kipper. If Trent played like 1st half Walker he'd be annihilated for it.
 
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redNATION said:
I reckon if Saudi come in with a big offer he’ll be off and replaced with Wirtz, City are masters at turning over the squad to avoid having ever to do a major rebuild like us.
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Well they're clearly a lesser team than last season though
 
Strange demeanour, laughing it up on the gantry awaiting his medal.
 
padr81 said:
Walker was worse than KDB today, gave away 2 passes that put you guys in a great position and his half hearted running back left Mainoo in acres of space for the 2nd. Watching everyone else bust a gut to get back while the fastest player on the team casually strolls was disgusting. Walker was arrogant first half today and deserved to be smacked with a kipper. If Trent played like 1st half Walker he'd be annihilated for it.
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Yeah, if he’d have been at his best he’d have closed down all our attacks I feel.
 
thisisnottaken1 said:
Yeah, if he’d have been at his best he’d have closed down all our attacks I feel.
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I wouldn't go that far I mean you guys are quick up top, if he made an effort to get to Mainoo I wouldn't be angry but watching Mainoo run forward and strolling after him is so lazy. He's not the only reason we lost today but he's certainly a big factor.
 
padr81 said:
Walker was worse than KDB today, gave away 2 passes that put you guys in a great position and his half hearted running back left Mainoo in acres of space for the 2nd. Watching everyone else bust a gut to get back while the fastest player on the team casually strolls was disgusting. He was arrogant first half today and deserved to be smacked with a kipper. If Trent played like 1st half Walker he'd be annihilated for it.
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He still did well against Rashford several times in the first half
 
padr81 said:
Walker was worse than KDB today, gave away 2 passes that put you guys in a great position and his half hearted running back left Mainoo in acres of space for the 2nd. Watching everyone else bust a gut to get back while the fastest player on the team casually strolls was disgusting. He was arrogant first half today and deserved to be smacked with a kipper. If Trent played like 1st half Walker he'd be annihilated for it.
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He's created a bit of a mythical reputation recently, but today was back to the previous Walker rep of being a bit dim and slack, but still rescuing it with pace.
 
He was very good as recently as a few games ago at the end of the league. Just a bad game, more credit should be given to our players for stopping him playing.
 
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