Once upon a time, a pale-faced man who looks like an adolescent moved to Chelsea to be a big star. In the end, he found himself on the bench and perhaps with his career going down the tubes with hardly any playing time. By some great fortune, this pale-faced soul found solace in a team that was not as big as Chelsea, but were good enough to come behind the great Bayern machine in the league and even smack their ass in a match. Things were finally looking on the up for this adolescent, with many assuming he would remain with this team and help make them a threat.
But then....in a twist akin to a great crime novel....this pale-faced amigo decided that he was finally good enough to move to City and thus...start the cycle over again and rot on another bench. This time, it's in Manchester and not in London.
We have not yet reached the rotting on the bench part in Manchester, but I keep hearing things. The things that I hear don't bode too well for me. There shouldn't even be a whisper or hushed words about De Bruyne moving anywhere. Kev should even come out and condemn all the rubbish that is being talked about and show that he will remain loyal with Wolfburg...the team that saved him from his career turning into obscurity. Alas, no word from De Bruyne and it really does seem that this could be the big transfer of the window if City splash out the dough and De Bruyne after only ONE season, takes his talents to south beach...wrong sport....to Manchester.
Will De Bruyne improve City? I really have no flipping idea. That is the damn truth. People who assume that he will automatically make City better don't know football and are just going with the wind. De Bruyne is not like Robben or Neymar who will improve any team or any system that they are put in. From what I have seen, he works better in a counter-attacking system, where he has space to move out wide, and put crosses in or to run into danger areas behind defenders. Wolfsburg play that way and you can see Hecking has adjusted the team to utilize the characteristics of De Bruyne since he is their most important player.
It's possible for De Bruyne to do what Navas does and work that wing, putting balls into the area for Aguero and Bony and add an extra attacking dynamic. When you think about it, Chelsea and Mourinho are a defensive team whilst Wolfsburg and City are more attacking. So De Bruyne allowed to really make forward runs and beat men, and given more freedom to penetrate is why many feel he will be a very good signature. This is all well and good, but I have to go back to what I previously said. If we were talking about Robben, then he would significantly improve any team that he was put in. De Bruyne and Wolfsburg are a perfect fit, whereas even though City are an attacking team like Hecking's boys, the manner in which they attack is different.
At Wolfsburg, De Bruyne is really the main man, and he is not restricted by being on the wing. He can come inside, and decide what runs or position to take up when Wolfsburg attack. At City, Yaya Toure is the main dog, and everything goes through him. De Bruyne would strictly be a winger, because with both Silva and Toure playing in the hole, it does not leave enough space for Kevin to maneuver, This could pose problems and lead to one, two or three games where De Bruyne is ineffective. Then Pellegrini would have to make the call, and boom....he is back on the bench again, because it just did not work out.
Also, you have to look at the managers. Not many players can exist without coaching. Robben, my main man who I always refer to, is the one player I think of who can take the game himself without any instructions or a tactical setup. Pellegrini is not that great a coach, and I am not sure he would be able to read the qualities of De Bruyne and know how to use him. Hecking has shown how great a coach is by coming second in the Bundesliga and winning the German Cup with a team that cannot even be in the same Zip Code as Manchester City with regard to players. He understands De Bruyne and knows that a team in which there is space, with wingers being really wide, but also one that employs a passing game that thrives on countering quickly will benefit De Buryne based on how he operates as a footballer. The reason why De Bruyne got so many assists last season was a combination of his talent and Hecking creating an environment where that was possible.
I just wish footballers would use a bit of sense in their careers. At the end of the day, it's about making the best move for you. I get it, winning medals is important. But Kevin, did you not just win the German Cup last season? Are Wolfsburg not in the Champions League this season? So I see no reason to leave a club in which you are playing great football, you fit well and are actually in the big time and really can compete for the big trophies. Making this move to City is an unnecessary risk, and just when he is really starting to show the world what he can do, it would be a disaster for him and Belgium if he was to make the move and it didn't work out. He has to make the smart move and not the impulsive one. That's the problem...I call it MFI. Modern Footballer Impulse. As soon as the opportunity arises, you have to move to a big name club. Even if the club you are at is right for you and are in the Champions League and area good team, you just have to make that big move because it is the "right" thing to do.
De Bruyne won't ever be the best player in the world. The pale-faced adolescent can be a very good player and someone who can definitely help Belgium win a European Championship. For that to be much closer to a certainty to occur, he has to continue to develop under Hecking and stay with this Wolfsburg team who have some very good players, play attractive football and will be a nice addition to the Champions League as Klopp's Dortmund were.
Use your head and your brain De Bruyne and don't just make a dumb move that does not NEED to happen.
