How good is Kevin De Bruyne?

AjaxCunian

vexingwijsneus
Joined
Mar 10, 2021
Messages
4,241
Supports
Ajax & United
Best midfielder in the world for years to me is a ridiculous claim. It is very difficult to compare defensive and attacking midfielders anyway, but what makes him better for the past few years than Casemiro, Modric, and even Busquets if you go back a few more years.
 

UnrelatedPsuedo

I pity the poor fool who stinks like I do!
Joined
Apr 15, 2015
Messages
10,262
Location
Blitztown
If Pep just allowed him to play 60% chance passes to Haaland he’d end up with cnut loads of assists.

He’d have been lauded as one of the best ever in the 90’s or 00’s, when possession/ball retention wasn’t god.
 

padr81

Full Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
11,960
Supports
Man City
Best midfielder in the world for years to me is a ridiculous claim. It is very difficult to compare defensive and attacking midfielders anyway, but what makes him better for the past few years than Casemiro, Modric, and even Busquets if you go back a few more years.
He very likely has more goal contributions than all 3 combined.
 

KeanoMagicHat

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
4,047
Best midfielder in the world for years to me is a ridiculous claim. It is very difficult to compare defensive and attacking midfielders anyway, but what makes him better for the past few years than Casemiro, Modric, and even Busquets if you go back a few more years.
Busquets has never been close to being the best midfielder in the world.
 

padr81

Full Member
Joined
Dec 12, 2015
Messages
11,960
Supports
Man City
Which is weird because they're all very attacking midfielders.
No one said that but stats nerds love to base it on that. For what its worth in my opinion Modric is the best mf of the last 20 years (not 10), Xavi on his tail and probably Iniesta too but Modric wins on longevity.
 

adexkola

Doesn't understand sportswashing.
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
48,477
Location
The CL is a glorified FA Cup set to music
Supports
orderly disembarking on planes
No one said that but stats nerds love to base it on that. For what its worth in my opinion Modric is the best mf of the last 20 years (not 10), Xavi on his tail and probably Iniesta too but Modric wins on longevity.
Not to bring that argument here but Xavi shades both Modric and Iniesta.

Wouldn't say KDB can be compared to any of these but being one of the best midfielders in the PL (if not the best) over the last 10 years has to count for something.
 

wangyu

Full Member
Joined
Aug 4, 2022
Messages
1,351
I don't like to make the distinction between attacking and defensive midfielders. For me the perfect midfielder should be both. The midfielder should be the goal scorer, the creator, the tackler, the runner etc. The complete football player. When one midfielder is seen as a great attacking player or a defensive midielder but not the opposite then to me it is a weakness. I don't think midfielders will get any better than the likes of Modric and Xavi.

In this sense Casemiro has surprised me completely. He is all of this. Fantastic player
 

Suedesi

Full Member
Joined
Aug 3, 2001
Messages
23,880
Location
New York City
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.
A system player - falls short of the very very best.
 

IRELANDUNITED

Full Member
Joined
Jan 7, 2014
Messages
2,325
He’s good, very good but he’s not in the same bracket at the elite midfielders of his or previous generations. The best midfielders of the premier league era are the likes of Keane, Scholes, Viera, Lampard, Gerrard. KDB is a level or 2 below them. The best midfielders in the world during KDB’s era are Modric, Casemiro, Xavi, Iniestia, Pirlo. Again he’s a level or two below that.
 

adexkola

Doesn't understand sportswashing.
Joined
Mar 17, 2008
Messages
48,477
Location
The CL is a glorified FA Cup set to music
Supports
orderly disembarking on planes
He’s good, very good but he’s not in the same bracket at the elite midfielders of his or previous generations. The best midfielders of the premier league era are the likes of Keane, Scholes, Viera, Lampard, Gerrard. KDB is a level or 2 below them.
:houllier:

I'm convinced some of you are wumming
 

Berbasbullet

Too Boring For A Funny Tagline
Joined
Nov 3, 2011
Messages
20,290
Just want to know where you place him amongst the midfielders of all time, since opinions vary greatly.
Fair question and I find it hard to answer! I thought for example in games like the UCL final v us in 2011 he was incredible, and I'd go as far as saying the most important player on the pitch in that game.

But to be fair I didn't watch him as much as Keane, Scholes, etc. Personally think he was the best of the 'deep lying playmakers' of his generation ie Carrick, Alonso, Pirlo, etc.
 

TheRedHearted

Full Member
Joined
Aug 22, 2016
Messages
2,671
Location
New York, NY
I would say mid table championship side, never proved himself in CL or World Cup so clearly he’s not worth much. Should be sold for 4-5 million?
 

Forevergiggs1

Full Member
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Messages
3,451
Location
Barcelona
Supports
United
How about Makalele and Vieiera?
Busquets was a different type of player to Vieira so it's not really fair to compare. Makalele at his height would fit the bill and as good as he was, as Madrid found out when he left Busquets is still a half tier above him. He's a tier above Kante and Casemiro and a couple of tiers above players like Xavi Alonso, Mascherano and Carrick.

As CDM the last 20 years he's in a league of his own.
 

KeanoMagicHat

Full Member
Joined
Mar 31, 2019
Messages
4,047
Busquets was a different type of player to Vieira so it's not really fair to compare. Makalele at his height would fit the bill and as good as he was, as Madrid found out when he left Busquets is still a half tier above him. He's a tier above Kante and Casemiro and a couple of tiers above players like Xavi Alonso, Mascherano and Carrick.

As CDM the last 20 years he's in a league of his own.
Nah very overrated player, look at all the times Barcelona have been overrun in the Champions League with him as the main midfielder, conceding 4 and 5 in a game. Wouldn’t get teams with Casemiro and Kante doing that to. Spain have won nothing either with just him without Xavi and Iniesta. Well below that level of midfielder.