The Cityzens' greatest ever player was put through the wringer against Liverpool and it is hard to see how he can compete at the highest level again
Michael Jordan's 'Last Dance' with the Chicago Bulls was an awe-inspiring waltz to a second three-peat of NBA titles; Kevin De Bruyne's final season with Manchester City, by contrast, feels more like a drunk granddad on the dancefloor at a wedding. The Belgian is trying to re-live his youth yet is struggling to move his feet at all, inducing cringe in all the guests who try to look away but equally cannot stop staring at the sad spectacle in front of their eyes.
There have been many signs this season that De Bruyne is no longer cut out for the big-time, but there was no clearer indication than in Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool. City need to accept that reality now and use their captain very carefully for the remainder of the season to prevent him being embarrassed even further.
Getty ImagesHard to watch
The way the 33-year-old toiled against Liverpool was hard to watch, apart from for the 3,000 visiting fans who revelled in his downfall. De Bruyne had been the scourge of Liverpool in recent years, scoring in both of their league meetings in the epic title race of 2021-22, when the two teams could only be separated by a single point. He was City's top scorer that season with 15 goals while chipping in with eight assists. During the title run-in, he memorably scored four goals in one game against Wolves.
But on Sunday, he struggled to cope with the pace of the game and to pass the ball properly. He still believed, trying an impossible shot with his left foot over on the right wing, but the result was embarrassing, the ball swerving off towards the corner flag to the sound of cruel taunts from the away end.
That should have been the prompt for Pep Guardiola to put him out of his misery and take him off at half-time. Instead he trundled on for another 21 minutes, enough time for him to endure more taunting from the Liverpool fans as he failed to keep the ball in play and gave away a corner.
When De Bruyne's number eventually came up and he was replaced by James McAtee, many City fans rose from their seats to applaud him off the pitch. But this was not exactly a standing ovation, more akin to a family member of the deceased at a funeral being given a sympathetic hug.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesShould have left last season
The writing has been on the wall with De Bruyne for a while, and with hindsight it is tempting to conclude that last season should have been his final act with City. It very nearly was, too.
Last June, just after winning a historic fourth-consecutive title, he discussed the prospect of moving to Saudi Arabia amid reports of interest from Al-Ittihad. He told Belgian media: "At my age, you have to be open to everything. You talk about unbelievable amounts in what may be the end of my career. Sometimes you have to think about that."
In the end, De Bruyne stayed at City for the final year of his contract and he did so with Guardiola’s blessing. City’s quiet summer transfer window, in which they only added Ilkay Gundogan and Savinho to their squad, suggested the coach thought the ex-Chelsea youngster had another great season left in him. And who could blame him for thinking that after De Bruyne had recovered from two hamstring injuries in the space of 10 weeks, requiring surgery for the second, and ended up inspiring City to the title with four goals and 10 assists despite playing less than half the season.
The midfielder looked like his usual self when the season began, playing close to 90 minutes in City’s three opening games and scoring a double for Belgium against Israel. But everything changed with a seemingly minor injury to his lower abdomen sustained against Brentford in mid-September.
Getty Images SportWear and tear
He finished that game and started three days later against Inter, but had to go off at half-time. He did not return until early November and did not start a match again until facing Nottingham Forest in December. As De Bruyne put it in November when discussing his future: "I was hoping to be out for a couple of days and it ended up being eight or nine weeks."
"There’s not been a lot of talks," he added when asked about the prospect of signing a new contract at City. "I just want to play good football again. Talks will come. If no talks come, then it’s my last year, so I don’t know. As long as I feel that [I can make a difference to the team], that’s a good indicator that I can still play at the top level. So that’s for me the only assurance that I need. But I have no idea how long that’s going to stay [the case]."
Just three months later, it feels like that time has now come. The wear and tear on De Bruyne’s body appears to have finally taken its toll. He has started only 12 of City’s 26 Premier League games this season, and while he may still be able to turn on the style in certain games, such as when he scored and assisted against Forest and then setting up four goals in three consecutive matches against West Ham, Brentford and Ipswich, in the games that really matter, he has either been left out or embarrassed.
(C) Getty ImagesLike a used car
De Bruyne played no part in the second leg of the Champions League play-off tie at Real Madrid after having a minimal impact in the first leg. He was a late substitute away to Arsenal and Liverpool, and at home to Chelsea. Guardiola has been blunt about De Bruyne’s physical decline, while still pointing to his ability when at the peak of his powers.
After helping inspire City to only their second win in 14 matches at Leicester in December, Guardiola said: "There are no doubts about Kevin. When Kevin is fit, Kevin is Kevin – one of the most impactful players in the history of Manchester City and in Premier League history. Sometimes he didn’t feel well in the recent past and he is a guy who needs the physicality to feel good."
The problem, though, is that De Bruyne is becoming increasingly unfit. Back in October, Guardiola made a damning comparison between the Belgian and a used car. He said: "The same car, when it goes to do something, it’s not the same car. There is something that is a little bit worse. It’s not the same as when you go to buy a car. It’s normal. It’s a lot of years there. These are part of the decisions you have to take when you think about the selections, the future, the teams, the squad. It’s not about the talent of the players, that’s there. They’re really, really good, all of them, but there are players that have damage. It happens. It’s normal."
