21 - Frenkie de Jong

[ToranagaSama]

I never understood this player. Not a DM. Not creative. Good at keeping the ball but suuuuuper slow to move the ball forward and almost 0 final ball.

Eric as the DM, Pedri as the CM, Fermin/Olmo (depending on form) as the AM would be the way forward for me in big games.

Frenkie is the player who would fetch the most money but is also not so important for Barca. Would exchange him for a CB in a heartbeat and move Eric permanently to DM.

 

[JamDav1982]

Moves ball forward quickly a lot.

No one with an ounce of sense thinks Garcia is better in there.

Same folk who claimed Casado/Kessie/Gavi better might mind you.

 

[jamrock]

I never understood this player. Not a DM. Not creative. Good at keeping the ball but suuuuuper slow to move the ball forward and almost 0 final ball.

Eric as the DM, Pedri as the CM, Fermin/Olmo (depending on form) as the AM would be the way forward for me in big games.

Frenkie is the player who would fetch the most money but is also not so important for Barca. Would exchange him for a CB in a heartbeat and move Eric permanently to DM.

I agree with this, except the Garcia at DM permanently part.

For this season sure, I think we look most stable with garcia & Pedri this season.

But it's a temp situation until we get a better player.

 

[JamDav1982]

There is no coach in world who thinks Garcia partnering Pedri is way to go.

There is next to no team in world playing fixed DM as Garcia would be let alone it being a big drop off from him to Frenk.

Usual.. its the latest name to grab on to.... its been Kessie.. Bernal... Casado...now its Eric.

Barca wont get a better player than Frenkie and wont be looking for one.

If they signed a more defensive midfielder Frenkie still starts for years yet.

A poor game when didnt look fully fit when has been Barcas best midfielder for majority of season to date.

Usual folk wait months for a bad game but stay silent when others have them.

 

[MonteCuler]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2022385766652121232

 

[jamrock]

🤫

 

[JamDav1982]

Its not great defending but the guy on that tweet doesnt have much clue and fails to take into account how much they are all scrambling as almost too a man out of position.

1st one - Frenkie gets back and when ball with Lookman thinks the pass is going to Griezmann then and steps out to try and cut it out. But when ball goes over head and Griezmann is still running he is out the game. There is no running there that could get back and block shot before others once that run has been made. The error there is more gambling on trying to cut pass than lack of effort.. and still should be defended once in box.

2nd one - more down to poor communication than effort. When ball initally goes wide right Kounde is marking Alvarez fairly tightly but he has to leave him to try and drop to cover Lookman who is free out wide. From there its takes too long for them to communicate/notice and a step off. Casado as so often does is off chasing ball to sidelines and anywhere but where the DM should be.

There are a ton of other players miles out of position also.. there is no help at all from wide players when Molina and Lookman are free on borh and Casado off chasing ball to sidelines etc.

Whole thing was a shambles and players a step off as dont even know who is picking up who.

Can say same about Casado for the Lookman goal but again its scrambling to try and defend when it is utter chaos and easy in hindsight to say what danger should have read and hard to blame him too much.

 

[iniestaGOAT]

He is like TER stegen, just not as bad.
Just leave bro.
Your times up. Good player, but we can do better.

But we will not do better, unless you go and leave space for a real one.

 

[JohnN]

Garcia at DM might not be ideal but he gives 100% when defending and covers defense much better than frankie. Frankie is too soft when defending and is suspect in many defensive blunders. Last match I won't even criticize, everyone was shit. its a general observation.
If frankie had Eric's drive and engine, he would be top class. now, he is just lacking defensively and his best attribute is holding and mostly safe distribution.
no player is complete in this squad. we need to balance it out using them together properly.

 

[JamDav1982]

Usual nonsense by folk that dont have a single clue.

 

[serghei]

He was horrible in this game. We all know defensively he is lacking. He's not a real DM, but a makeshift one, and he clearly lacks on the defensive end. Not the first time he sleeps instead of blocking open players at 16-20m.

 

[JamDav1982]

He also has the most tackles/interceptions of any starting midfielder at Barca, Real, PSG, City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Bayern this season.

Wasnt 'sleeping' on those goals despite not being great defending by team as whole.

Been Barcas best player with Yamal across past few months. Honourable mention for Eric.

Reports are that he should not even have been playing and tried to get away with 60 mins then had to stay on as Casado is fucking awful and had to be subbed early.

 

[serghei]

Remember Vitinha 2-1 goal all alone at 20m in 2023 while De Jong is nowhere in sight? Same shit here. He tries to do a lot, and the one thing he fails to do is his main job as a DM.

But I understand. His best position would be paired with a real DM in a double pivot or midfield 3. Not acting as that DM. What you would want, is DM + Pedri and De Jong as interiors or DM + Frenkie + Pedri slightly above them as a playmaker. Would solve several problems the defense has.

 

[JamDav1982]

Vitinha goal in Paris?

Clearly Xavis tactics that game to double up on wide players and that comes at expense of giving Vitinha more space in middle.

Happened all game and discussed at time.

Real fans who wanted Vini Jnr to be Ballon dor did same with Rodri and produced all these examples.

Real fans who try to say Pedri is over rated hang on every instance also,

Nothing unique to Frenkie.

Sitting DMs barely exist in football now. Nearest have is Caicedo but he is very very rash and also makes errors deep on ball as didn against Barca when Ferran should have scored.

Also.. he wasnt the DM v Atletico in midweek.

He had a poor game.. every player does.

Seen other players step up in games Pedri, Raph, Yamal been poor this season.. or fail to and Barca dont win.

 

[jamrock]

Imagine having the most tackles & interceptions of any midfielder at X clubs and still being shit at defending 😂.

To the point that only the person that sucks you off the most, would seriously consider you a good defender.

He isn't half the defender Pedri is, and that's a low bar.