Bernstein says Kinkladze’s talent alone was not enough

City were relegated from the Premier League before dropping to the third tier. Georgi Kinkladze, meanwhile, remains associated with Manchester City as a cherished hero who produced moments of magic during one of the club’s darkest periods. His dribbling and spectacular goals made him a natural favourite with supporters, but David Bernstein believes those qualities were not enough on their own.

Bernstein served on City’s board before becoming chairman. He admired the Georgian’s extraordinary talent, while believing that his contribution did not always meet the demands of the collective. “As a talent, he rates obviously very highly. As an entertainer, very highly. A great player to watch,” Bernstein said.

In Bernstein’s view, Kinkladze’s difficulties were not simply about ability. The qualities that made him so exciting to watch, he believes, needed to be matched by greater commitment to the team’s work. “But he had his limitations as a team player,” he said. Bernstein also felt Kinkladze did not work hard enough or contribute sufficiently to the defensive duties expected of forwards.

Bernstein therefore considers the decision to part ways with the Georgian understandable, while recognising the affection he inspired. “I mean, he was great. I love watching him,” he said, before explaining that the player was let go because he did not contribute enough in different ways for the team.

Asked to compare Kinkladze with the Belgian De Bruyne, whose time at City was marked by a central role in the club’s success under Guardiola, Bernstein did not put Kinkladze at the same level. For him, the difference was not between talent and a lack of it: it also came down to what a player offered the collective. He even suggested that, without a major improvement in other areas of his game, Kinkladze would probably not feature in a Pep Guardiola team today.

When Bernstein considered players from his own City era who might fit into an elite side, Nicolas Anelka stood out. The Frenchman was City’s leading scorer in each of his first two seasons, bringing the pace and finishing that Bernstein considered decisive. He did not, however, present Anelka as a guaranteed choice for a modern City team. The comparison instead highlights Bernstein’s standard: beyond talent, a player’s ability to contribute in several ways matters.