Let’s start with the positives.
It will go ignored, but Kyle Walker showed his value and leadership qualities when he fronted up after Manchester City’s worst home defeat under Pep Guardiola. He did the same at Brighton.
As captain, he stuck to his word that he will back his teammates when things are going right and protect them when things are going against them. As ever, he always says the right things that captains should in public.
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That protection from some difficult questions can shield some of his younger colleagues from scrutiny when they would have been soul-searching. The impact of that won’t be known immediately, but will surely be appreciated within the dressing room.
Walker returned ahead of schedule from injury earlier this month after a pointed remark from Guardiola in a pre-match press conference. He is clearly far from his best condition but is putting his body on the line for his team when they need him – nobody can doubt his commitment to City.
And for all the grumbles on social media about his captaincy, he is leading by example and that shouldn’t be ignored – and neither should the fact that his teammates voted him captain.
However, it also can’t be ignored that he is struggling.
Injuries and fitness are a crucial factor in that – his game is based on his power and strength so when that is not fully there it is harder for any player to play to their best. It would be like taking Erling Haaland’s finishing or Kevin De Bruyne’s vision away from them.
Get that back and Walker will be back to the right-back City have relied upon for years. They will hope the sight of Timo Werner leaving him trailing on Saturday – or Adama Traore last month – are purely injury-related and not a sign of the times.
The problem is that it remains to be seen when Walker will be back to his best. He was rightly kept on the bench for Rico Lewis at the start of the season and hasn’t shown anything to suggest he should be ahead of the youngster on form. Injuries dictate both have to play. If everyone was fit it would be interesting to see who kept the shirt every week.
Walker used the offer of a two-year contract from Bayern Munich last summer to persuade City to hand him a three-year deal – one which looked like he came out far better than the club at the time and even more so now. He captained City to the title and Club World Cup last season, bombing down the right, although his influence has waned this term for various reasons.
At 34 and still with 18 months left on his contract, Walker has missed nine games this season already out of 19 and is no longer the reliable defender he has been. As Guardiola signed a new contract with the intention of leaving City in a strong position by rebuilding the squad, Walker is probably first in line to be replaced.
Lewis is the logical successor, of course, so perhaps attention should start turning to preparing him to be first choice rather than persisting with an inconsistent Walker.
The fitness of the both is the short-term priority, and getting Walker back to form is the next aim. After that, it may be time to reduce the reliance on the England man while still keeping his obvious influence on the team.
He is fiercely protective of his place and his legacy, with 100 England caps a significant personal ambition, and he won’t give up his spot easily while he still backs himself to perform at the highest level. “Nobody is going to retire me,” he said of his England place in 2022, and that stance will be the one he takes with City.
However, if the current form continues when the injury crisis subsides, it might be time for Walker and City to start looking at the passing of the torch at right-back.
