He has a special bond with the fans, anyone who has been voted the club’s Player of the Season for four consecutive years must do. He has successfully turned his career around after entering last chance saloon under Kevin Keegan. The Dubliner, with a deceptive turn of pace, has clocked up a more than respectable 45 caps for the Republic of Ireland.
However, with the Premiership season just entering October, there have been question marks as to Dunne’s worthiness of a starting berth in City’s new look line-up. It must be said that he hasn’t looked his usual assured self in recent weeks.
His mistake lead to FC Midtjylland taking a first leg lead back to Denmark in the Uefa Cup qualifying round and he, uncharacteristically, lost his composure on several occasions during the Blues’ recent defeat to Wigan at the JJB Stadium.
Certain sections of the City faithful have suggested that, other than the troublesome left back position, Mark Hughes and his scouts should be looking for a long term partner for England star Micah Richards.
Basically, Dunne’s days could be coming to an end.
If we look at Mark Hughes’ preferred starting line-up, "Sparky" seems to favour 4-1-4-1 formation with the increasingly impressive Vincent Kompany sat in front of the back four. In front of him, we find the array flair and creativity in the form of Robino, Elano, Stephen Ireland, and Shaun Wright-Phillips.
This new, attacking philosophy certainly seems to be paying off, with City currently the league’s highest scorers. However, at the back, where the Blues have looked so assured in recent years, City looked decidedly shaky at times.
In previous years, certainly under Sven-Goran Eriksson and Stuart Pearce, City have looked to sneak a lead and then sit back and absorb anything thrown at them. This sort of philosophy is perfect for Richard Dunne.
However, the way City now play, with attacking vigour and vitality, the Blues’ defence have looked exposed at times. This linked with the troublesome left back position and Pablo Zabaleta enjoying the freedom to bomb forward from right back, the responsibility placed on the Dunne-Richards partnership has increased.
In a way, Dunne should take confidence from this—as it shows the faith Hughes has in him.
So, the question seems to be, is there a place for Dunne in City’s attacking formation? People seem to accept that Micah Richards has the explosive pace and power to get himself out of certain situations. Dunne is no slouch by any means, but as already mentioned, he is much more effective with his back up against the wall. It is no coincidence that his most famous performances for the Blues have come against the Premier League’s "Big Four".
Personally, I believe it is too early to judge Dunne as not good enough for City’s new era. After his performances for City, particularly over the last four seasons, Dunne deserves his chance to prove his doubters wrong.
He has done it before, there is no reason why he won’t do it again.
City’s next game comes against Liverpool, a game in which, as already mentioned, Dunne excelled in last season. It wouldn’t surprise me if City come away from the game with a result, brought about, in part, from a sterling performance from their "Captain Fantastic".
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