How good is Kevin De Bruyne?

[FootballHQ]

Guy is a pure work of art on the football pitch. Runs majestically with the ball and the goals he scored are so technically perfect, reminds me of when Van Persie used to score left foot volley seemingly every other week in 2012/13 period for Arsenal and Man. United.

A magnificent world class player 100% in the premier league yet not in the shake up for Balon D'or or perhaps even at Man. City where likes of Augero and arguably Toure and David Silva would be ranked higher in their rise over last decade.

Everytime I watch him deciding games like today I think he's one of the best around in any league. Mind you so was Mo Salah 12 months ago and now he's reverted back to just being another very good wide attacker.

Very impressive considering he joined Man. City in 2015 as a left winger with potential to play inside.

 

[TheNewEra]

Best midfielder player of this generation along sign Modric, Kroos and a handful of other players.

He's also the best I think in the PL for the last decade at this point.

De Bruyne would be up for the Balon d'Or if he was at Real Madrid or Barca.

Sadly its the CL winners or World Cup winners that typically win it, if you don't win those trophies the voters don't even look at you.

 

[Lay]

He gets in the EPL all time XI that's for sure.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

He's the best Player in the league and has been for years.

 

[RC89]

Best midfielder the prem has seen. Almost never puts a foot wrong. His game has it all.

 

[wangyu]

An example of ambition and self believe. He continues to strive to become a better player. He has a drive that not many players have and he has the skill to pull of the most ridiculous passes. Up there or maybe better than our best players in the EPL era.

 

[DJ Jeff]

I'm firmly of the opinion that he's the best midfielder in PL history above his comparative players like Scholes Gerrard Lampard etc

 

[ShinjiNinja26]

Unreal player. Just a shame he plays for shite sports washing operation like City.

 

[Skills]

He's magnificent, though I feel at times Bernardo Silva gets a bit underrated. He's unbelievable as well in a different way. The way he can weasel out any tight space, keep the ball and keep progressing it is vital to allow the likes of De Bruyne to hurt teams in the final 3rd.

 

[Lay]

I'm firmly of the opinion that he's the best midfielder in PL history above his comparative players like Scholes Gerrard Lampard etc

100%.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

He’s properly brilliant but he’s never been as single-season important as Silva, Toure, Gerrard, Lampard, Keane, Cesc, Hazard, Vieira.

He often runs football matches, is a great set piece taker, and is so versatile. But he’s only ever played for the best team in the league, and one that has 60%+ of the ball.

Probably the best passer that the league has ever seen. But he’s still ‘only’ an important cog in a brilliant machine. I don’t think he’s under nor overrated. Everyone knows he’s world class.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

I'm firmly of the opinion that he's the best midfielder in PL history above his comparative players like Scholes Gerrard Lampard etc

I think Pep would take Scholes over KdB if he could.

Probably a redundant suggestion. But I also think he’d take a forever young Silva over de Bruyne too.

 

[Blood Mage]

Second only to Modric in his generation of midfielders. So embarrassing that some posters here and on social media had the gall to suggest that Bruno Fernandes was in the same class as him.

 

[tenpoless]

All these and Pep still wouldnt let him talk.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

Second only to Modric in his generation of midfielders. So embarrassing that some posters here and on social media had the gall to suggest that Bruno Fernandes was in the same class as him.

He looked it at the time. He was the best midfielder of his type for 6-8 months. It’s no shame in assuming that might be a forever thing. He took to the league like it was what he’d been waiting a career for.

 

[AltiUn]

I think he’s not just the best player I’ve ever seen but perhaps the best player football has ever seen, Messi goes to bed at night wishing he had the career de Bruyne did. Pele’s dying moments will just be reminiscing on how fine a career de Bruyne had. When he retires RedCafe will wear shirts in his honour, as will most United fans, he’s more loved in our fanbase than Charlton, Best and Law combined and rightfully so IMO.

 

[El-Manos]

I think he’s not just the best player I’ve ever seen but perhaps the best player football has ever seen, Messi goes to bed at night wishing he had the career de Bruyne did. Pele’s dying moments will just be reminiscing on how fine a career de Bruyne had. When he retires RedCafe will wear shirts in his honour, as will most United fans, he’s more loved in our fanbase than Charlton, Best and Law combined and rightfully so IMO.

You alright hun?

 

[AltiUn]

You alright hun?

Don’t have a go at me just cause you’re a de Bruyne hater, learn to appreciate him and you’ll feel better about your life.

 

[adexkola]

He’s properly brilliant but he’s never been as single-season important as Silva, Toure, Gerrard, Lampard, Keane, Cesc, Hazard, Vieira.

He often runs football matches, is a great set piece taker, and is so versatile. But he’s only ever played for the best team in the league, and one that has 60%+ of the ball.

Probably the best passer that the league has ever seen. But he’s still ‘only’ an important cog in a brilliant machine. I don’t think he’s under nor overrated. Everyone knows he’s world class.

Could you expound on the bolded

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Best midfielder the prem has seen. Almost never puts a foot wrong. His game has it all.

Yeah he’s the best midfielder in league history no matter what nostalgia merchants want to say. Versatile, hardworking, technically elite, creatively elite, good finisher, good carrier with the ball.

Just a shame it had to come at that oil club

 

[DJ Jeff]

Could you expound on the bolded

I would have agreed with what I think he meant up til last season

 

[BerryBerryShrew]

I'm firmly of the opinion that he's the best midfielder in PL history above his comparative players like Scholes Gerrard Lampard etc

Best out and out attacking central midfielder in PL history? Possibly; although Yaya Touré playing as a number 10 was a phenom.

Best overall midfielder? Nah. Keano, Vieira, and Essien were all better and Scholes was probably better. Even David Silva has a claim to be better too.

Fantastic player but he's had seasons where he has barely played due to injury and City still looked dominant without him.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

He looked it at the time. He was the best midfielder of his type for 6-8 months. It’s no shame in assuming that might be a forever thing. He took to the league like it was what he’d been waiting a career for.

He really wasn’t though besides pure numbers. Any neutral could have watched both and told you the better player (and I agree during his purple patch Bruno was fantastic for us)

 

[DJ Jeff]

Best out and out attacking central midfielder in PL history? Possibly; although Yaya Touré playing as a number 10 was a phenom.

Best overall midfielder? Nah. Keano, Vieira, and Essien were all better and Scholes was probably better. Even David Silva has a claim to be better too.

Fantastic player but he's had seasons where he has barely played due to injury and City still looked dominant without him.

I don't see how you can compare him to Keane Vieira or Essien, he would play beside one of those (Keane imo). And David Silva certainly has no right to be considered better than De Bruyne great as he was

 

[AltiUn]

Could you expound on the bolded

Hahahaha he missed an entire season and City basically didn’t even notice.

 

[UnrelatedPsuedo]

He really wasn’t though besides pure numbers. Any neutral could have watched both and told you the better player (and I agree during his purple patch Bruno was fantastic for us)

Mate, the fella walked in, galvanised a team and was scoring for fun. I’ll freely admit to being all aboard the hype train.

Reaching for a comparable and my memory may be off… But I think Nani was better than Bale in the season that Bale was lauded as world class. Kanchelskis’ best season was better than Beckhams best.

Form is very confusing. Andy Carroll looked like the next great England forward for a while. Kane looked like he might never be ready for the Premier League. Zaha spends half of every season looking like a CL player and the other half looking like a perfect fit for Palace.

I don’t think it’s shameful that United fans rated Bruno that highly for a while.

 

[Valencia Shin Crosses]

Mate, the fella walked in, galvanised a team and was scoring for fun. I’ll freely admit to being all aboard the hype train.

Reaching for a comparable and my memory may be off… But I think Nani was better than Bale in the season that Bale was lauded as world class. Kanchelskis’ best season was better than Beckhams best.

Form is very confusing. Andy Carroll looked like the next great England forward for a while. Kane looked like he might never be ready for the Premier League. Zaha spends half of every season looking like a CL player and the other half looking like a perfect fit for Palace.

I don’t think it’s shameful that United fans rated Bruno that highly for a while.

That’s fair and understandable. I guess I tend to just take pure scoring with a grain of salt just because very rarely will a player keep at an elite finishing level so I’d rather evaluate the overall game.

 

[paraguayo]

He's an all-timer at the Del Piero, Seedorf tier imo

 

[DJ Jeff]

Could you expound on the bolded

My interpretation is that KDB had never been the pivotal factor in a title win that City could not have done without (until last season). Yaya and Silva were both completely essential to 2012 and 14 titles for City but KDB had missed large portions of their first two titles under Pep.

 

[adexkola]

Hahahaha he missed an entire season and City basically didn’t even notice.

That's only because they had Bernardo Silva that season... How does that detract from KDB?

That's like us losing Keane for an entire season but we had Ince or Robson to deputise/stand out in his absence... Does that then make Keane any less of a player?

 

[Abraxas]

Ridiculously good. Ridiculously consistent. That's what really stands out for me. He produces year after year after year. I think with his technical quality being so high and City and Pep being the perfect situation for him it helps. He's very difficult to stop in that side as they're always going to get him the ball in good situations and even if they don't he can create from nothing.

 

[r1z3mu]

Best or second best - it doesn't matter. He is pure joy to watch. Everything he does is almost always perfect. He has everything - vision, strength, ball control, speed.

 

[AltiUn]

That's only because they had Bernardo Silva that season... How does that detract from KDB?

That's like us losing Keane for an entire season but we had Ince or Robson to deputise/stand out in his absence... Does that then make Keane any less of a player?

Because he quite literally has never been as single-season important as they have been, that's how it detracts from him.

 

[Fortitude]

He's an all-timer at the Del Piero, Seedorf tier imo

You're talking about players who shone in CL football. When has De Bruyne done that?

Del Piero was a phenomenon until his first big injury, Wolfsburg-level De Bruyne as standard. They are not really players that naturally roll off the tongue to draw comparison with because both shone on higher stages than domestic football where as it can be fairly argued that the very best of De Bruyne hasn't been seen in the CL. certainly not many elite games for the ages, anyway.

 

[adexkola]

Because he quite literally has never been as single-season important as they have been, that's how it detracts from him.

It detracts from the narrative, sure, but I'm struggling with the concept that compared to another player he ranks less because he had better players that covered for him when he was injured. I mean, I could make a similar argument for Gerrard vs Keane (based on their surrounding teammates) and I'd be laughed out the forum.

Not that it's important in the grand scheme of things (me struggling with that post)

 

[adexkola]

You're talking about players who shone in CL football. When has De Bruyne done that?

Del Piero was a phenomenon until his first big injury, Wolfsburg-level De Bruyne as standard. They are not really players that naturally roll off the tongue to draw comparison with because both shone on higher stages than domestic football where as it can be fairly argued that the very best of De Bruyne hasn't been seen in the CL. certainly not many elite games for the ages, anyway.

Against Spurs, PSG (both legs), Madrid... Those come to mind. I'd also say that CL is not the beginning and end of club football, much more football is played in the domestic league. Unless we sum Keane's contributions for us to 99 only.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

Easily City's best player

 

[Fortitude]

Against Spurs, PSG (both legs), Madrid... Those come to mind. I'd also say that CL is not the beginning and end of club football, much more football is played in the domestic league. Unless we sum Keane's contributions for us to 99 only.

Roy Keane was consistently exceptional in the CL; as he was on all stages presented to him, which is why his standing is indisputable and stands up to any scrutiny, which is as it should be.

The CL is a far bigger stage to perform on than domestic football, especially in times when domestic football isn't strong. There are halcyon days in domestic leagues that are given great standing and repute (serie A of the 80's and 90's or the PL of the mid 00's-late 00's as examples) but league performance is not going to usurp an overall grander, more pressurised stage where more players at the top-end roam and are considered peers.

 

[adexkola]

Roy Keane was consistently exceptional in the CL

Not judging by results in the competition. At risk of derailing this thread (and of course with a nod to the foreigner rule + the team relaxing after 99), would you really say that performance wise, Keane was consistently exceptional in the CL (despite our performances in the competition bar 99')? Was he exceptional in the competition in 94-97, 2000-03?

 

[Fortitude]

Not judging by results in the competition. At risk of derailing this thread (and of course with a nod to the foreigner rule + the team relaxing after 99), would you really say that performance wise, Keane was consistently exceptional in the CL (despite our performances in the competition bar 99')? Was he exceptional in the competition in 94-97, 2000-03?

A player can be exceptional in a losing team; he can perform his own role to the highest standard and still be on the losing side.

Carryover is extremely important in discussions about profile and tiers etc. Those players with seamless transitions to higher levels of play and opponent are beyond reproach and Keane ticks every single box in that regard. The De Bruyne we see in the PL is rarely the one seen in the CL. Not to say he's downright poor in the competition, but he's not resplendent, and that shouldn't be swept under the rug.

I like the player, but there are distinctions between what he's done on different stages. If the world got to see 'PL De Bruyne' frequently, he'd be regarded as a different level of player to what he currently is. Perhaps the World Cup will be his defining moment, if not the CL one day.