ILKAY Gundogan has never been fully embraced by the Manchester City faithful. For the most part there is very little hostility towards the player, though a contract dispute that rumbled on for several months throughout the latter part of last season certainly soured a relationship that was already merely cordial at best.
It’s just that there’s never been much love either beyond calling him ‘Gundo’ after wins and appreciating his ability with a notable detachment. That detachment is pertinent. On the many occasions he features in a side that includes fan favourite after fan favourite it can oddly feel like Tony from Accounts is sitting at your Christmas dinner table among family and friends. You like Tony. He’s good at his job. But he’s not family.
When City signed him from Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2016 he was convalescing from a dislocated kneecap so both club and fan-base waited patiently to see the clever midfield orchestration that was regularly showcased in the Bundesliga and on his delayed introduction we were duly treated to sufficient glimpses of this to be encouraged. A fine performance against Barcelona in the Champions League that was capped by two goals was a particular highlight.
Only then he succumbed to serious injury once more and it was back to square one, with the German international convalescing and the fan-base sympathetic and supportive. On his return nine months later an awful lot had changed with Pep Guardiola’s elaborate creation now up and running to its most formidable capacity and if it’s difficult for any player to ease his way back into first team football after a long-term lay-off that can be multiplied ten-fold when it’s expected of you to immediately match the impact of a David Silva or Kevin de Bruyne.
No one's saying it enough, Gundogan's been so so so so good today
— R (@2SilvasYouKnow) October 26, 2019
At times Gundogan came close to doing so but mostly he did not and for all of his lovely dinked passes into the channels it became acutely apparent that when selected City lacked a certain something, that something being the swooshing urgency and sweeping passes from De Bruyne or the more advanced link-up play of Siva.
So it was that a player Guardiola foresaw as a key component and crucial signing on taking charge of the club now became a peripheral figure – though with 98 appearances in their two title winning campaigns he was hardly the invisible man – and it was this perceived lack of game-time that the 29-year-old then used as leverage in his contract negotiations with many believing he intended to run down his four year commitment before moving on a free.
For City fans this smacked of ungratefulness, given the faith extended in signing him when injured and the patience and support afforded to him during his subsequent rehabilitation. Then there were his mixed performances to take into consideration and to whatever extent a player ‘owes’ a club and fan-base anything at all it was felt that such an obligation was sorely lacking in this instance.
Still, this is all in the past now and in August a fresh deal was agreed but it does go a long way to explain why Ilkay Gundogan has never been fully embraced by the Manchester City faithful. He is not a scapegoat but his is a name met with audible tutting by some when read out prior to a game. He is not disliked but neither is he lavished with the same connection and affection reserved for so many of his team-mates. He is almost but not quite regarded as a three-time league winning place-filler.
The tale told above however is only half of Gundogan’s story from his three year stint in Manchester. Because in 2016/17 he played five games at the base of City’s midfield, switching from a number 8 to a 6, and he impressed each time. A season later another eight appearances followed there and they were all remarked upon favourably in post-match conversations.
He's the most criticized City player, yet he's shown again and again how important he is to CIty's success. Gundogan may not be the enigmatic character, but he's absolute class. Lovely volleyed goal. Glad we've got him tied down for some years. Kudos Gundo pic.twitter.com/WExM33bf26
— Clement (@Clement_MCFC) October 26, 2019
Then, in February of this year, with City requiring a perfect title run-in to have any chance of catching up with Liverpool, Fernandinho was ruled out for several weeks with a muscle problem and a potential disaster was averted when the German stepped in and consistently excelled in his place. With every passing game admiration grew for what he brought to the role and just as importantly he became trusted there, with the worriers looking elsewhere for possible weak links. The peripheral figure had become a key component.
Moving to the present with Rodri injured and Fernandinho converted to a Laporte-less defence it is to a player who has yet to truly find his way into City fans’ hearts that Guardiola has turned to again and what a start he had against Aston Villa on Saturday. Gundogan was magnificent, conducting from deep and controlling all that was before him and though admittedly he lacks the Brazilian’s dynamism – meaning the back-line is not so well protected – he makes up for that with superior distribution coupled to an innate reading of danger that negates the need to fling into crunching challenges. Overall, he was impeccable at the weekend. Reassuringly impeccable.
And with Liverpool and Anfield on the horizon, and a fixture that will go a sizable way to deciding the destination of this year’s title that reassurance is gratefully acknowledged. Indeed it could be said that to whatever extent a player ‘owes’ a club and fan-base anything at all that debt is being repaid now.
From that sparks love and there is time yet for Ilkay Gundogan to become a firm fan favourite. His seat at the Christmas dinner table is being reserved.
