Kevin De Bruyne

amolbhatia50k said:
For me
Scholes
KDB
Gerrard
Lampard

Scholes vs KDB is actually a strange comparison given the former was more of a CM whereas the latter is an AM.

Scholes is more like Xavi, Pirlo and company. Iniesta is actually a mix of both worlds.
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During the 2003 season, Scholes seemed to play more forward than he normally does, and the results were a crazy 22 goals without taking a single penalty (at that time in football, midfielders rarely scored that much).

He was still hindered because he was in a midfield of 2, and I think it's unfair to compare him with Gerrard, Lampard, and Kevin De Bryune un terms of scoring average.

Assists-wise, Kevin De Bryune is obviously the best creative players out of any of them and might be the best passing midfielder in premier league history.

I still think players like Gerrard get downvoted because of the team he played for. Gerrard took a Champions League final by the scruff of its neck. He led an unfancied Liverpool team to 2 finals in 3 years, beating Chelsea twice in the process. Coming up big in the biggest matches has to count for something. As mentioned, while De Bryune has had his moments, he wasn't at his best in the biggest match of the season against Madrid, and things like that have to count against you.
 
amolbhatia50k said:
For me
Scholes
KDB
Gerrard
Lampard

Scholes vs KDB is actually a strange comparison given the former was more of a CM whereas the latter is an AM.

Scholes is more like Xavi, Pirlo and company. Iniesta is actually a mix of both worlds.
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I agree with this point. If you look at a KDB heatmap, it resembles that of someone like Neymar more than it does a player like Modric (who makes a much greater impression in his own half, i.e.. the defensive half). KDB is an AM that operates a great deal in those number 10 areas between the lines with an emphasis on the right hand side, and you could argue therefore that he should get more goals than he actually does. He does create a lot of chances and get a lot of assists though.
 
432JuanMata said:
I’m in the boat that KDB is better than Gerrard, Lampard and Scholes and that’s not downplaying any of the 3.

All them 3 will be considered more legendary to the PL as they spend 15+ years here but KDB is better for me
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I dont like these comparisons and think Scholes (post eye injury at least) is completely different from the rest, in terms of style at least.

KDB is absolutely phenomenal though, brilliant player.
 
He has been a few big games away from absolute elite status for a while now, he really needs to run a CL final etc to really add that little bit of sauce to his legacy
 
My Wolves supporting mate said that apparently he's joint highest scorer at Molyneux this season. Ha
 
Noot said:
De Bruyne has 57 PL goals and 86 PL assists, in 172 starts, and he has a hell of an engine. So these are very similar numbers to Beckham, except Beckham played 265 times in the Premier League and KDB has only managed 205.

For the record I think David Beckham was a brilliant player, but surely you have to at least entertain the idea that KDB might be better?
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Nope.

Beckham was technically unique, basically invented a whole new way of hitting a football and could manipulate the ball in ways KDB could only dream of doing.

For me Beckham was technically and physically just a far better player. He also showed up in the big games when his team needed something.
 
RobinLFC said:
Technically Lukaku scored the winner in that game.

And De Bruyne had prime Hazard in the 2018 World Cup, and more than enough weapons around him to beat Wales in 2016. Let's not act like Messi's Argentina or Ronaldo's Portugal were better than what De Bruyne had around him at Belgium during 2014-2018, let alone Uruguay. His generation disappointed in the end.
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"Prime Hazard" with zero meaningful goal contributions or MOTMs in any knockout stage stage of a big continental cup, for both club and country?
 
Oranges038 said:
Nope.

Beckham was technically unique, basically invented a whole new way of hitting a football and could manipulate the ball in ways KDB could only dream of doing.

For me Beckham was technically and physically just a far better player. He also showed up in the big games when his team needed something.
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De Bruyne has been one of the best big game players in the league from the moment he stepped foot in the country.
 
MayosNoun said:
Pogba, like Scholes, cannot be mentioned in the same breath as De Bruyne.

He offers so much more and the goals and assist stats will back this up. He orchestrates that midfield.

Still can’t believe we let him go like we did.
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Snuck scholes in there, no doubt because you think Lampard is the best English CM to grace the game. Scholes, in his early career scored as many goals as KDB, if not more (no pens) and orchestrated the midfield for years. The fact you compare scholes and Pogba is most baffling though.
 
Pablo18th said:
"Prime Hazard" with zero meaningful goal contributions or MOTMs in any knockout stage stage of a big continental cup, for both club and country?
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He was the best player at the 2018 World Cup, and would've gotten the award as well if it was Belgium and not Croatia in the final. Fine enough if you disagree.

And off the top of my head you are wrong as well. He assisted Fellaini's equaliser against Japan in the KO stage in 2018.
 
Oranges038 said:
Nope.

Beckham was technically unique, basically invented a whole new way of hitting a football and could manipulate the ball in ways KDB could only dream of doing.

For me Beckham was technically and physically just a far better player. He also showed up in the big games when his team needed something.
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I'm not sure how this works so categorically. DeBruyne was deemed the best player in Germany and then the best player in the Premier League at various points. I don't recall David Beckham, for all his quality, ever being viewed as the outright best player in the Premier League, or in any other league.
 
Ability-wise it’s very hard to argue he isn’t better than Scholes, Gerrard, Lampard or Beckham were at their peaks. He is faster and better dribbler than any of those guys, and his passing, crossing and shooting hardly pales in comparison either and his football IQ is outrageous. He is pretty much ambidextrous. Also, he performs consistently, especially in big games.

Obviously his legacy will suffer from missing out on major titles and playing for an oil club, but if you take an unbiased look at his ability and performance levels, there haven’t been many better midfielders during the last few decades.
 
I'm gonna be a bit contrarian here.

De Bruyne is a great player but I can't help but feel something is missing. I think overall he could have had better NT performances in the Euros and World Cups.

And I think his CL performances, while good, weren't that remarkable since he joined City.

I actually think his 2014/15 season with Wolfsburg rivals any season he had for City.
 
VorZakone said:
I'm gonna be a bit contrarian here.

De Bruyne is a great player but I can't help but feel something is missing. I think overall he could have had better NT performances in the Euros and World Cups.

And I think his CL performances, while good, weren't that remarkable since he joined City.
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Lampard, Gerrard, Scholes and Beckham were part of a failed golden generation so this is hardly a stick you can use to beat him with.
 
Andrade said:
I'm not sure how this works so categorically. DeBruyne was deemed the best player in Germany and then the best player in the Premier League at various points. I don't recall David Beckham, for all his quality, ever being viewed as the outright best player in the Premier League, or in any other league.
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It's all about opinions really. How do we judge who was the best at any one point in time? Visually, statistically or by awards?

Categorically he was never officially the best player in Germany, never won any awards for it either. Was named PL player of the year just the once, that year City didn't win the league and Jordan Henderson won the other player of the year. Is Jordan Henderson better than KDB?

KDB has never been named on the world player of the year lists. Beckham came second in the world player of year in 1999 and 2001 probably should have won it in 1999. That same year Kevin Phillips and Ginola won the player of the year awards in England. Were Phillips and Ginola better than Beckham?

I don't care about awards, technically Beckham was a unique player. Invented his own style and became one of the most iconic footballers of his generation. I don't see anything that KDB does that Beckham couldn't do better.
 
KdB is easily one of the best CM that that PL has ever seen. Anyone who watches him play week in week out can't fail to see that. Hes just ridiculous.
 
Oranges038 said:
It's all about opinions really. How do we judge who was the best at any one point in time? Visually, statistically or by awards?

Categorically he was never officially the best player in Germany, never won any awards for it either. Was named PL player of the year just the once, that year City didn't win the league and Jordan Henderson won the other player of the year. Is Jordan Henderson better than KDB?

KDB has never been named on the world player of the year lists. Beckham came second in the world player of year in 1999 and 2001 probably should have won it in 1999. That same year Kevin Phillips and Ginola won the player of the year awards in England. Were Phillips and Ginola better than Beckham?

I don't care about awards, technically Beckham was a unique player. Invented his own style and became one of the most iconic footballers of his generation. I don't see anything that KDB does that Beckham couldn't do better.
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He won Player of the Year in Germany in 2015 when he was spectacular for Wolfsburg. He was player of the year twice in the Premier League (PFA), not once. And just by common consensus, when he was really flying he was thought of as the best player in England (some would say he still is).

Not the same for Becks IIRC. I get that awards are not definitive but when KDB is really motoring, he gets BPITW shouts or at least best mid in the world shouts. I just don't remember the same being the case for DB, maybe you recall differently. To my mind, KDB is quicker, more dynamic, more creative and leads a team's entire attacking threat in a way that Becks did not.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say Beckham invented his own style. Fantastic right foot, could cross a ball superbly, terrific engine and a wonderful set piece specialist. Nothing about that is unique in world football history.
 
Crazy performance. He’s in some form going into the CL final.
 
Andrade said:
He won Player of the Year in Germany in 2015 when he was spectacular for Wolfsburg. He was player of the year twice in the Premier League (PFA), not once. And just by common consensus, when he was really flying he was thought of as the best player in England (some would say he still is).

Not the same for Becks IIRC. I get that awards are not definitive but when KDB is really motoring, he gets BPITW shouts or at least best mid in the world shouts. I just don't remember the same being the case for DB, maybe you recall differently. To my mind, KDB is quicker, more dynamic, more creative and leads a team's entire attacking threat in a way that Becks did not.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say Beckham invented his own style. Fantastic right foot, could cross a ball superbly, terrific engine and a wonderful set piece specialist. Nothing about that is unique in world football history.
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Missed that he won in in 2015.

Lots of players can kick the ball and cross the ball in different ways. Name me one other player in the history of the game who had the same kicking style as Beckham before he came along?
 
He has days where he's quite invinsible and not doing much, then he has days like this where he is absolutely unstoppable. Truly world class.

That dribble and left footed shot is something even Messi would have been proud of. Considering it's his 'weak' foot is pretty impressive.

He should be wearing red :(
 
Oranges038 said:
Missed that he won in in 2015.

Lots of players can kick the ball and cross the ball in different ways. Name me one other player in the history of the game who had the same kicking style as Beckham before he came along?
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Being more unique doesn’t make him a better footballer though. It’s about impact. De Bruyne impacts games more often and in more ways than Beckham did.
 
Adam-Utd said:
He has days where he's quite invinsible and not doing much, then he has days like this where he is absolutely unstoppable. Truly world class.

That dribble and left footed shot is something even Messi would have been proud of. Considering it's his 'weak' foot is pretty impressive.

He should be wearing red :(
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Well at least you didn't scout him, sign him for 7m, not give him a chance, sell him for 21m and then watch him torch your team and the league for about a decade for a league rival.
 
WeePat said:
Well at least you didn't scout him, sign him for 7m, not give him a chance, sell him for 21m and then watch him torch your team and the league for about a decade for a league rival.
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You got Jose'd i'm afraid :lol: it happens to the best of us.

To be fair the KDB/Salah situation is the 1 thing your club has got badly wrong over the last 10 years. It hasn't gone too badly apart from that.

Would be scary to think of them in the same team right now though.
 
Oranges038 said:
Missed that he won in in 2015.

Lots of players can kick the ball and cross the ball in different ways. Name me one other player in the history of the game who had the same kicking style as Beckham before he came along?
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What do you mean by kicking style? If you mean bending the ball, there's a whole bunch of Brazilians I could introduce you to that would blow your mind, with all due respect.
 
Adam-Utd said:
You got Jose'd i'm afraid :lol: it happens to the best of us.

To be fair the KDB/Salah situation is the 1 thing your club has got badly wrong over the last 10 years. It hasn't gone too badly apart from that.

Would be scary to think of them in the same team right now though.
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Salah is less painful than KDB because I actually felt he was the guy even back then. He was superb in preseason and I remember watching the opening game of the season and he had a fantastic assist for Oscar. Do you know how excited I was about the team after this game?




Salah's rise totally took me by surprise. Even when Liverpool signed him I thought they were getting a good player, much improved on the guy I saw at Chelsea, but I had zero inkling he was about to explode into being one of the best players in the world.
 
Andrade said:
He won Player of the Year in Germany in 2015 when he was spectacular for Wolfsburg. He was player of the year twice in the Premier League (PFA), not once. And just by common consensus, when he was really flying he was thought of as the best player in England (some would say he still is).

Not the same for Becks IIRC. I get that awards are not definitive but when KDB is really motoring, he gets BPITW shouts or at least best mid in the world shouts. I just don't remember the same being the case for DB, maybe you recall differently. To my mind, KDB is quicker, more dynamic, more creative and leads a team's entire attacking threat in a way that Becks did not.

I'm not sure what you mean when you say Beckham invented his own style. Fantastic right foot, could cross a ball superbly, terrific engine and a wonderful set piece specialist. Nothing about that is unique in world football history.
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Becks came second in World Player of the Year in 1999 behind Rivaldo, just as an FYI.
 
WeePat said:
Salah is less painful than KDB because I actually felt he was the guy even back then. He was superb in preseason and I remember watching the opening game of the season and he had a fantastic assist for Oscar. Do you know how excited I was about the team after this game?




Salah's rise totally took me by surprise. Even when Liverpool signed him I thought they were getting a good player, much improved on the guy I saw at Chelsea, but I had zero inkling he was about to explode into being one of the best players in the world.
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He certainly took a big step in italy that's for sure. I suppose getting dumped from Chelsea just made him work even harder which is an impressive mentality.

I must admit also from the few times I saw him at Chelsea I didn't see it either - but then again the amount he played/conditions just never let him reach his best form. Probably just the wrong step at that point in his career.

KDB always looked a player but Jose just used him in such weird situations. I remember he played him at OT as a false 9, he was completely useless and got subbed at 45 minutes. How on earth can that be helpful? Jose really was an odd manager sometimes. No surprises once he found a manager that played him in the right position and believed in him, he blossomed. The talent was always there to see.
 
WeePat said:
Salah is less painful than KDB because I actually felt he was the guy even back then. He was superb in preseason and I remember watching the opening game of the season and he had a fantastic assist for Oscar. Do you know how excited I was about the team after this game?




Salah's rise totally took me by surprise. Even when Liverpool signed him I thought they were getting a good player, much improved on the guy I saw at Chelsea, but I had zero inkling he was about to explode into being one of the best players in the world.
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Disagree about Salah. It gets said a lot that he didn’t look too good at Chelsea but even then he had an amazing knack for getting on the end of chances. He was a woeful finisher at the time but that’s the sort of thing that can be improved with age, whereas being able to sniff out such a high volume of chances isn’t something you can really teach.
 
Andrade said:
What do you mean by kicking style? If you mean bending the ball, there's a whole bunch of Brazilians I could introduce you to that would blow your mind, with all due respect.
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Lots of players can kick and bend a ball.

If you don't realise that Beckham developed a unique style that allowed him to whip and bend the ball where he wanted it to go then there's not much point in me explaining it to you.
 
Andrade said:
I'm not sure how this works so categorically. DeBruyne was deemed the best player in Germany and then the best player in the Premier League at various points. I don't recall David Beckham, for all his quality, ever being viewed as the outright best player in the Premier League, or in any other league.
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Beckham was 2nd in Ballon D’or, only behind peak Rivaldo. He was also voted 2nd in FIFA world player of the year twice, only behind peak Rivaldo and peak Figo. Sure that would mean he is being viewed as best player in the league at some point too?
 
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Adam-Utd said:
He certainly took a big step in italy that's for sure. I suppose getting dumped from Chelsea just made him work even harder which is an impressive mentality.

I must admit also from the few times I saw him at Chelsea I didn't see it either - but then again the amount he played/conditions just never let him reach his best form. Probably just the wrong step at that point in his career.

KDB always looked a player but Jose just used him in such weird situations. I remember he played him at OT as a false 9, he was completely useless and got subbed at 45 minutes. How on earth can that be helpful? Jose really was an odd manager sometimes. No surprises once he found a manager that played him in the right position and believed in him, he blossomed. The talent was always there to see.
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Yeah I remember that game at OT. I think Jose played KDB just one more time after that game and it was an early round cup game against Swindon. A game we won but Jose wasn't happy with the application of a couple of players, KDB being one of them. Rarely saw him again after that and in January he asked for a transfer and that was it. Utter waste of a player as close to generational as you'll get.
 
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