Kevin De Bruyne’s predicament at Man City: Pep Guardiola made the correct decision to substitute.
The seasoned midfield player once again performed poorly against Liverpool, forcing his boss to make a substitution.
As James Bond leaves MI5 after being approved for active duty following an unintentional gunshot at the start of Skyfall, Gareth Mallory tells him, “Look, you’ve been seriously injured.” It’s acceptable to admit when you’ve lost a step. Being ashamed simply lies in keeping it a secret until it’s too late.
At Manchester City, Kevin De Bruyne seems to be at a similar crossroads after finding it difficult to settle into a routine following his January comeback to Pep Guardiola’s team. After having surgery on his hamstring, the 32-year-old missed the first half of the season. On Sunday, he made just his sixth Premier League start at Anfield as City and Liverpool played to an exciting 1-1 draw.
De Bruyne’s amazing piece of quick thinking set up John Stones’ first goal, but after that, he started to wilt, and Guardiola decided to substitute him for Mateo Kovacic in the 69th minute. The midfield player was obviously upset by the choice, but he had no grounds for complaint. When questioned about their ensuing altercation on the touchline, Guardiola responded candidly, “We were better after.”
Guardiola made the perfect decision to remove De Bruyne from the firing line. He has been caught off guard before this year as well, which presents an urgent problem for the City manager, who cannot afford to have any stragglers in his attempt to win a record-tying fourth domestic championship.
Failing basic requirements
One could argue that City would have left Anfield with nothing if it weren’t for De Bruyne’s brilliance. Midway through the first half, he found Stones with a short corner, setting up the England defender for an easy close-range finish and earning his fifth assist in nine Premier League games.
In world football, there aren’t many players who can execute that kind of pass, much alone have the vision and self-assurance to do it. Despite getting closer to turning 33, De Bruyne’s technique is still amazing to watch, and he can still create something out of nothing in the tightest games.
But during the game, he didn’t follow the more basic rules, like going on the ball frequently and regaining possession. Additionally, he failed to complete passes much too often, which gave Liverpool the opportunity to mount numerous vicious counterattacks. By the time Guardiola substituted him, City had completely lost control of the game.
Not ready for 90 minute games
Guardiola was the target of De Bruyne’s ire as he let it out on the sidelines. A little while later, the Spanish manager knelt down next to him to carry on the conversation. “We require a player who can hold the ball.” Pressing is not the point. His play isn’t the subject. We were content with Kevin. It’s not an issue. When questioned about the incident, Guardiola responded, “We’re fine.”
Additionally, he stated that De Bruyne will “have a chance the next game to prove how wrong I was”; however, he did not say whether or not he will continue to start for City against Newcastle in the FA Cup quarterfinals on Saturday. Given the current data, Guardiola would be taking a chance by continuing to play the Belgium international, who is obviously tired after missing five months of action.
De Bruyne still doesn’t appear prepared for the demands of complete 90-minute games, some three weeks after he wasn’t “feeling comfortable” enough to start during City’s 1-0 victory over Brentford. This raises the question of whether an impact sub position would be more appropriate for him.
It wouldn’t be shocking if Guardiola was thinking about it. Everyone must be at full capacity for his winning machine to operate, and De Bruyne does not now fit that description. He isn’t without desire, though, and Guardiola will be extremely concerned by Liverpool’s dominance in the midfield against City as they approach the last stretch of the season.