KDB. What's going on?

[Sideshow Bob]

yaya back for dippers pls. our ability to bring the ball out of defense is shocking without yaya. kdb/fern 1 cannot do it.

[freshie]

Just needs to be dropped for a bit. No one is untouchable.

Spot on. He's been playing poorly for over a month at least and needs to be dropped. He has set his standards fairly high and unfortunately looks like a shadow of the player that we are used to seeing. Perhaps he is carrying an injury, maybe he has personal problems or maybe he is struggling to adapt to his new role - who knows? One thing is for sure, however, and that is that currently he is not playing well enough to earn a starting role. A few weeks ago I was of the opinion that we needed to keep playing him in the hope that he would play himself back into form, but after seeing him struggle at home to Huddersfield and the subsequent games at Middlesbrough and Monaco I think he needs some time out of the team. I would give his midfield position to Fernandinho (and stop playing Fernandinho at full back which is a complete waste of his talents and not a position he is suited to).

[freshie]

He hasn't been right since he missed the open goal v Chelsea

That is a very astute observation and one which I had considered. Hope it's not the case since that would suggest mental weakness on his part

[BookJunior]

It was obvious he needed hooking after 20 minutes against Monaco.

Having written that, recently I've loved watching him win the ball back for us. Whilst he's been pants going forward, his defensive work has been excellent.

He's been compared to Colin Bell and I agree.

However I do wonder whether he has Colin's football brain. I'm thinking in terms of central midfield and box to box.

[Mase]

It was obvious he needed hooking after 20 minutes against Monaco.

Having written that, recently I've loved watching him win the ball back for us. Whilst he's been pants going forward, his defensive work has been excellent.

He's been compared to Colin Bell and I agree.

However I do wonder whether he has Colin's football brain. I'm thinking in terms of central midfield and box to box.

Dunno what Dazzler has been watching but KDB has made an average 1.3 tackles a match this season.

[Dunnylad]

It was obvious he needed hooking after 20 minutes against Monaco.

Having written that, recently I've loved watching him win the ball back for us. Whilst he's been pants going forward, his defensive work has been excellent.

He's been compared to Colin Bell and I agree.

However I do wonder whether he has Colin's football brain. I'm thinking in terms of central midfield and box to box.

Dunno what Dazzler has been watching but KDB has made an average 1.3 tackles a match this season.

over the season? Wonder what his recent percentage is? Certainly against Middlesbrough he was winning tackles and dropping back to do so, something that was a weakness in his play

[PrezIke]

He was much more himself from what I saw. I had to miss much of the latter parts of the first half and early 2nd half.

[Mase]

It was obvious he needed hooking after 20 minutes against Monaco.

Having written that, recently I've loved watching him win the ball back for us. Whilst he's been pants going forward, his defensive work has been excellent.

He's been compared to Colin Bell and I agree.

However I do wonder whether he has Colin's football brain. I'm thinking in terms of central midfield and box to box.

Dunno what Dazzler has been watching but KDB has made an average 1.3 tackles a match this season.

over the season? Wonder what his recent percentage is? Certainly against Middlesbrough he was winning tackles and dropping back to do so, something that was a weakness in his play

Yep over the course of the Prem season. He's made 1.3 tackles a game and made 1.1 fouls per game.

[dazby]

It was obvious he needed hooking after 20 minutes against Monaco.

Having written that, recently I've loved watching him win the ball back for us. Whilst he's been pants going forward, his defensive work has been excellent.

He's been compared to Colin Bell and I agree.

However I do wonder whether he has Colin's football brain. I'm thinking in terms of central midfield and box to box.

Dunno what Dazzler has been watching but KDB has made an average 1.3 tackles a match this season.

That's the beauty of it mate. He doesn't make a tackle. He doesn't go to ground. He gets next to the player, disrupts their flow and comes away with the ball.

[worsleyweb]

Been frustrating recently. Think he may be burning the candles at both ends. Torre andre flop was never the same player after his mrs had a kid. Remember ready about it once - said he was shattered all the time.

[mr_nool]

Injured in training now and it's doubtful he will be able to play against Greece this weekend.

[mr_nool]

Injured in training now and it's doubtful he will be able to play against Greece this weekend.

Confirmed now that he'll miss both the Greece and Russia games. Groin injury apparently.

[nottsblue]

Injured in training now and it's doubtful he will be able to play against Greece this weekend.

Confirmed now that he'll miss both the Greece and Russia games. Groin injury apparently.

Not the end of the world for him to sit out the Arsenal game for my money. Depending on how that goes as to whether he then plays a part v Chelsea. A rest will do him some good

[nottsblue]

Still not firing is he?

But with Silva out I can't see him being rested

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

I think he might be carrying an injury. He is definitely not himself and hasn't been for a while.

Footballer is never really fully fit but we supporters really don't see how much each player plays through pain barrier.

[phips]

thought he was pretty good in the derby

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

thought he was pretty good in the derby

Lacked the cutting edge.

[Sister of fu]

If one player needs the whole summer off it's Kev. Looks out of gas to me. I fully understand why he's in the team though as he has magic in his boots and sometimes just needs that one moment. Think he will be well rested come next season.

[Niall Quinns Discopants]

If one player needs the whole summer off it's Kev. Looks out of gas to me. I fully understand why he's in the team though as he has magic in his boots and sometimes just needs that one moment. Think he will be well rested come next season.

Like I said, probably suffering from series of niggling injuries. I agree that he will be much MUCH better after vacation in Bahamas.

[nottsblue]

If one player needs the whole summer off it's Kev. Looks out of gas to me. I fully understand why he's in the team though as he has magic in his boots and sometimes just needs that one moment. Think he will be well rested come next season.

Like I said, probably suffering from series of niggling injuries. I agree that he will be much MUCH better after vacation in Bahamas.

Hope this is true. I am sure he will come back and be refreshed after the summer, but what happens when he picks up niggles next winter? I am not suggesting he is a sicknote like Jovetic or Sturridge or Delph even, but he doesn't strike me as a Silva type or a Zabba of old who play through the pain barrier and their performances doesn't suffer as a consequence.

We need warriors. Is he a warrior?