Player Focus: Were Chelsea too Quick to Dismiss In-Form De Bruyne?
Over the weekend Dieter Hecking registered his 100th Bundesliga win as a coach after his Wolves team brushed aside VfB Stuttgart. Despite it being a match with an abundance of chances for both teams, Wolfsburg were the victors in a comfortable 4-0 away win. It was their 5th consecutive league victory, and the first time they have managed such a feat since their title-winning season in 2008/09; in that triumphant campaign they strung together an impressive 10-match winning streak.
Wolfsburg’s 6th win of the season puts them just 4 points behind the seemingly inhuman league leaders Bayern. Kevin de Bruyne was one of their goalscorers in their recent win, and he has developed something of a knack of scoring against VfB, having now scored in each of his four appearances against the Swabians. The 23-year-old Belgian international also contributed further to the scoreline by adding 2 assists, including a delicately executed chip from a set-piece to German U21 international Robin Knoche to head home. His constant involvement in the game gained him the WhoScored man of the match award with a perfect 10.0 rating. De Bruyne managed 66 touches in the match and his touch map (below) shows just how much ground he covers and the variety to his game.
With Hecking realising De Bruyne’s ability to orchestrate and articulate attacks from various positions on the pitch, he is often given the onus to freely express himself, and with his strong range in passing too - averaging 5.3 accurate long balls per game, whilst maintaining a respectable pass accuracy of 74.7%, it’s really no surprise he is handed such freedom. The role has clearly accentuated his talents this season, with him currently leading the assist charts in the Bundesliga (7) and more impressively, he has also executed the most key passes per game (4) in Europe's top 5 leagues. This hasn’t gone unnoticed by Belgian boss Marc Wilmots either, and in recent matches he has provided De Bruyne the foundation to reign supreme for the Red Devils too.
It’s fair to say De Bruyne has been one of the best performers in his return to Germany, this being his second coming after a more than admirable first spell on loan at Werder Bremen - who still think highly of him after his goal contribution towards the end of the 2012/13 season proved to be crucial in their attempts to avoid relegation. His 7.96 rating in the league this season is only trumped by Bayern star Arjen Robben (8.50). Remarkably, he is also at present the 7th highest rated player in Europe’s top 5 leagues on WhoScored.com.
In light of this, it’s somewhat bewildering that he was written off so quickly by Chelsea manager José Mourinho. He was handed a starting role in Chelsea’s first match of the 2013/14 season after leaving a favourable impression on the manager during pre-season, and returned the favour by recording an assist on his debut. This faith proved to be short-lived, as De Bruyne went on to make just 2 more appearances for the west London club.
When Mourinho was questioned about his exclusion from the squad, the Portuguese manager pointed towards the player’s lack of drive during training sessions, only to leave the young midfielder baffled and according to reports, pleading to leave the club. It was also rumoured that offers from Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund were rejected before Wolfsburg made him their record signing in 2014.
De Bruyne may have gained further recognition earlier in the season after an incident involving Augburg’s midfielder Tobias Werner, in which he was a victim of an unintentionally flung boot directed just below his midriff. More glamorously, he has been praised for his performances this season, being hailed by fellow veteran teammate Marcel Schäfer, as “one of the best players” that the left-back has played with in his time at the club. Even the unemotional Hecking has muttered approval of the player by simply exclaiming "We're happy Kevin plays for us”.
Not only are the technical abilities of Kevin de Bruyne stand-out, but his physical attributes such as stamina and pace are also key components of his game, meaning he constantly yields a threat throughout matchesm especially on the counter. He has attempted the most shots as a result of counter-attacks in the Bundesiga (6), proving to be an effective outlet for his teammates.
If one were to be critical, you could point out De Bruyne's lack of goals as a hindrance to what has been an illustrious start to the season. Despite growing up idolising Michael Owen, Kevin De Bruyne has netted only once in the Bundesliga this season from 29 attempts on goal, albeit the majority of his shots are attempted from outside the box. He has had more luck in the Europa League, netting 3 times in 3 appearances so far.
Having played all but one of a possible 900 minutes in the league this season, Kevin De Bruyne has already proved to be an integral player for both club and also to country at just 23 years of age. Although he may be considered a Chelsea ‘reject’ by some, De Bruyne is widely considered to be one of the best players in the Bundesliga and it may be only a matter of time before he attains recognition across European.
What do you make of De Bruyne's performances this season? Should Chelsea have hung on to him for a little longer? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
