They say of fading champions who go on too long in boxing that they get old in the ring. If Kyle Walker were wearing gloves against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend, his corner might have thrown in the towel.
He could at least share the blame with John Stones for the opening two goals when James Maddison sprinted between the pair of them to nail Manchester City twice. The fourth was all Walker’s own work, mercilessly torched by substitute Timo Werner, who burned past him to square for an easy tap-in.
Walker is City’s captain. He laid the template of the modern full-back, quicker than any opponent he faced with an engine that could outlast the best of them. Though his final ball might have lacked Kevin De Bruyne’s precision, no cause was beyond him, no tackle too great.
The Spurs excoriation was not an isolated experience. Werner must have been watching City’s match against Fulham when Adama Traore left Walker standing at the lights. Those once peerless pistons were at full tilt but no match for Traore’s turbo thrust.
Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo caused Walker no end of difficulty with his speed and movement, scoring once and freeing Milos Kerkez to sprint clear of Walker to set up Evanilson. Bournemouth hung on for a first victory against the champions.
Pep Guardiola takes City to their greatest rivals on Sunday needing to halt an unprecedented run of five consecutive defeats and a draw. Liverpool are carving an altogether different trajectory, winning all but two of their 19 competitive matches this season, including the dismissal of Real Madrid in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Of the many thirty-something issues Guardiola must address, Walker is among the most pressing. He did not step from the bench against Feyenoord on Tuesday night, which at least absolved him from blame regarding the late collapse. Rotation is a convention designed to protect the physically vulnerable and prolong a career.
Walker’s decline is perhaps exacerbated by his inability to train as he did. According to Guardiola he has been operating a reduced schedule since the Euros, relying on his genetic gifts and experience to see him through. Recent events would suggest this is no longer sustainable. And with Liverpool cutting loose, the selection of a fading 34-year-old against Luis Diaz must be a worry for Guardiola.
Arguably Walker’s greatest contribution has been taking ownership of results, often the only one speaking up for the team in this period. In the manner of Harry Maguire, the mouthpiece of despair at Old Trafford during his period as captain, Walker urged his team-mates to remember who they are and what they have achieved after the Tottenham loss.
The City chatrooms are processing failings unprecedented in the Guardiola epoch, the absent midfield, the sense against Spurs that there would be no coming back, mental fatigue aggravated by the unfamiliarity of despair. For the fans at least, Walker seems to gather up this new fragility in one place, a microcosm of the whole.
Gardiola can take some comfort in the statistical dominance City continue to enjoy; possession, passes, shots, etc. And Erling Haaland is still a goals guarantee, accounting for 12 in the Premier League in as many games, more than half City’s total of 22. Uncharacteristically he failed to take any of the four excellent chances that fell his way in the first half against Tottenham. Had he got there before Maddison it is likely Spurs’ own frailties would have been exposed.
He didn’t, and once Tottenham hit their rhythm they speared City’s brittle underbelly with ease. It is the rate at which City are conceding that is so shocking. Only Aston Villa in the top half of the table have shipped more.
We tend to view performance in isolation, separating the professional from the private. Yet Walker’s complicated domestic circumstances cannot be ignored. It is alleged the flirtation with Bayern Munich in the summer was a policy decision to escape the tumult of an outraged wife, with whom he has four children, and a demanding former mistress, who gave birth to their second child in August last year.
Divorce papers were eventually served by Walker’s wife during last month’s international break. City’s form subsequently spiralled, seemingly in sympathy with a marriage break-up that has long appeared inevitable. Walker confessed to errors of judgment. As understatements go, etc.
The account of the split in The Sun read like a reality horror show, not least the bills detailing the cost of running a second home for his ex-mistress. The emotional strain is arguably greater than that on his wallet, and, you would imagine, contributes to the diminution of athletic output.
Perhaps his turbulent private life is a factor in how City fans view him, a good number urging the club to get rid in the summer. Decline is the one inevitability all great sportsmen must negotiate. Some get to choose their own end. Others fight on to their detriment. It would appear the final bell is ringing for Walker.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/Tasqn4l
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