Ilkay Gundogan: Manchester City’s Metronome

When Manchester City fail to win, the trolls come out in force for one player in particular, Ilkay Gundogan.

Manchester City are a team in a state of continual flux, as manager Pep Guardiola constantly tweaks his side in search of greatness and perfection. Keeping the team focussed and always on their toes, searching and probing for the best combinations and pushing the players to their limits.

Yet one particular player seems to draw the wrath of the fans at times, and that is Ilkay Gundogan. Guardiola though has been sold on him as a player since his days in Germany and planned from the outset at City to mould the team around him.

City fans have too often been obsessed with what Gundogan is not. He is not David Silva. He is not Kevin De Bruyne. But he may well be our most versatile midfielder and could yet prove to be the key to any success this season.

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When Ilkay joined City he came as an all action attacking midfielder but injury seemed to limit that role. Indeed his best early games for City, like Barcelona at home in 2016/17, were characterised by his goal threat.

However, following his return from injury he has appeared as a different kind of player. Slower and more careful, almost playing initially as though he was protecting himself from further setbacks.

Accordingly he received the ire of City fans during certain lacklustre comeback games. He also found himself reduced to the second group of City players in the squad, those deployed in the less meaningful games. Often these were the games when the intensity was lacking and Ilkay was often on the losing side.

It is the versatility and intelligence of Ilkay which Guardiola seems to value. He is used in a variety of different ways in a variety of different positions on the field. Sometimes asked to undertake the advanced Silva role, but crucially often in a different way. Accordingly, Ilkay then suffers by comparison.

Yet last season Ilkay became somewhat reinvented as a deep lying defensive midfielder. Injury to Fernandinho threatened to scupper our title challenge, but Ilkay stepped into the void and saw us home.

He offers a very different approach to Fernandinho. None of the physical challenges or dark arts of tactical fouling, instead he reads the game with precision.

Against Aston Villa he gave a masterclass of reading the game and thwarting attacks by stepping into space. Additionally he receives and rotates the ball in play with a metronomic rhythm, setting the pace of the game.

When Gundogan is able to dictate the play, City win. To get the best out of the role against Villa, Pep had to shuffle his tactics a bit.

Stones was stepping into midfield to offer additional cover and allowing Ilkay forward. Cancelo moved up to leave space behind for Ilkay to exploit and suddenly all kinds of passes were available.

In a game where there were yet again several excellent individual performances, Ilkay stole the show with a classy demonstration of his ability, proving once again to the doubters what an integral player he is to this side.

Should City add to their trophy haul at the end of the season, much will depend upon the performanced of Ilkay Gundogan.