COMMENTARY
Trying to fill the void left by the absence of Kevin De Bruyne was always going to be a tough task for Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola and he did not seem to achieve it in the first 45 minutes against Manchester United. Much of the fans’ ire was targeted at Ilkay Gundogan and you can understand why. The German international struggled to offer much in terms of going forward and he failed to make up for that with his performance when put on the back foot at Old Trafford. The likes of Jesse Lingard, Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford regularly got the better of the 28-year-old and he was left as a bystander in the middle time and gain. If he is not offering anything in either direction, then what is the point of having him on the pitch? He is usually a lot better than this but maybe the pressure, both of the occasion of the derby and of their title battle, is getting to him a little bit. Guardiola and the fans will be hoping De Bruyne is not out for too long if this is what they can expect in his absence.
This is Futbol has gathered a selection of the City supporters’ raging tweets:
https://twitter.com/NotAidenSkitt/status/1121132802215424000
Gundogan is doing ma head in??
— Kierannn?? (@Kierdo97) April 24, 2019
I don’t see what Gundogan offers
— . (@citeh_fan10) April 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/GCHPB/status/1121133115622162438
https://twitter.com/h4mzi/status/1121134020174196736
https://twitter.com/IAmCapAbel/status/1121134343869485056
Gundogan just letting Pogba go and pointing on the counter is not a winning defensive strategy. #Tactics #ManCity #MCFC #MUNMCI #ManchesterDerby #EPL #PremierLeague
— CityzenAbroadPodcast (@cityzenpodcast) April 24, 2019
https://twitter.com/RiKony11/status/1121135181908328449
https://twitter.com/Arvinn96/status/1121135400313970688
Gundogan is so average it’s unreal
— Kian G (@QPR_Kian) April 24, 2019
Gundogan is invisible ffs #MUNMCI
— Jacob, lawyer (@LawyerAchillias) April 24, 2019