Frenkie de Jong - Part 2 - Chase Harder.

Status
Not open for further replies.
Abraxas said:
How does that explain why he offered virtually nothing to the build up? He is supposed to be a technically good midfielder with passing skills. Just because he may not have the same freedom to move forward as much or dribble or whatever doesn't explain such a weak display. He was poor in some of the fundamentals at this level of midfield play. It's not as if he comes here and the only thing he's asked to do is get the ball on the turn and do what he likes. We'll need him to show personality and ability to impact the game.
Click to expand...

He isn't "supposed to be a technically good midfielder with passing skills". That is exactly what he is. @Raees made an analysis of him some time ago and he is perfectly capable of impacting the game, for instance with a defence splitting pass. You're not going to see that when he is the deepest lying midfielder with Xavi's style who is about short passing. He's improved defensively and excellent at reading the game (Man of the Match last game against Villarreal with 6 interceptions, twice as many as the next on the list). This game was far from his best, and that's fine. Gavi didn't really have a great game either, but he's still a fantastic player.
 
zaafi said:
He isn't "supposed to be a technically good midfielder with passing skills". That is exactly what he is. @Raees made an analysis of him some time ago and he is perfectly capable of impacting the game, for instance with a defence splitting pass. You're not going to see that when he is the deepest lying midfielder with Xavi's style who is about short passing. He's improved defensively and excellent at reading the game (Man of the Match last game against Villarreal with 6 interceptions, twice as many as the next on the list). This game was far from his best, and that's fine. Gavi didn't really have a great game either, but he's still a fantastic player.
Click to expand...
I guess. It's just one game. But it's a concerning one to me because he will face that energy and intensity every week if he comes here, there are no comfortable games where we dominate the ball the whole game. I was hoping to see him shine against us (without necessarily impacting the game in their favour!)
 
zaafi said:
He isn't "supposed to be a technically good midfielder with passing skills". That is exactly what he is. @Raees made an analysis of him some time ago and he is perfectly capable of impacting the game, for instance with a defence splitting pass. You're not going to see that when he is the deepest lying midfielder with Xavi's style who is about short passing. He's improved defensively and excellent at reading the game (Man of the Match last game against Villarreal with 6 interceptions, twice as many as the next on the list). This game was far from his best, and that's fine. Gavi didn't really have a great game either, but he's still a fantastic player.
Click to expand...
Well said. He has formed a good partnership with Busquets giving him the freedom to roam around and get involved as more box to box, the lone #6 is not his role. With no Pedri in the second half he was left isolated against the press
 
I haven’t watched him loads but when I have he’s never stood out as anything special.
 
No a great game, but he's brilliant and would be fine in the PL. Fred did an amazing job shutting him down today though.
 
I think he'd show his worth much more for a team that builds around him.
 
acnumber9 said:
I haven’t watched him loads but when I have he’s never stood out as anything special.
Click to expand...

Due to the interest last summer, I've watched him about 6-7 times this season and every match he has been underwhelming.

You can see why Barcelona were open to his departure.
 
Do think he's a good player but if we signed him instead of Casemiro, think we'd be a much worse team.
 
Despite having a poor game, I would still like him at United.

As others have mentioned, he's much better when he has the freedom to roam. One of his best attributes is the ability to receive the ball from deep and progress up the pitch with his dribbling abilities.

When he plays in the 6 role, he can't do that too often, either because he'll have no cover if he loses it, and really when you look at it, a number 6 should really be having too many touches of the ball in a single moment.

To me, if we were to bring De Jong to United and put him in the 'Eriksen' role, then he'd shine, in my opinion.
 
If it’s a choice between him and bellingham for the second spot I’d pick Jude all the way. If he would play the deepest and spread play from the back and let Casemiro go b2b then it might be a closer thing. He would be a good signing but under the glazers next summer probably our only major money acquisition.
 
You can clearly see De Jong has bags of potential as demonstrated by some lovely long accurate passes and a natural sense of spatial awareness. I think we’ll need to work extremely hard to get him in the summer, but he’d be one hell of a player for us, especially working under Ten Hag again.
 
saivet said:
Do think he's a good player but if we signed him instead of Casemiro, think we'd be a much worse team.
Click to expand...
No doubt. Casemiro was a blessing. Right player at the right time. Too bad we didn't get him on the younger side.

Don't worry though, with FDJ wages, if Barca don't win the quadruple this year, they'll be chucking him out if he doesn't agree to play for peanuts.
 
Am I the only one who thought he struggled against the press? I don’t know how he’d cope if he faced that week in, week out.
It’s yet another disappointing European night for him. Fred ran all over him
 
I tend to be sceptical of players who need very specific conditions to play well.

Last year we heard he was being played too far forward to work for Barca, now it seems like I'm hearing the opposite and he's being played too deep. I admit I haven't watched him play too much, but whenever I have recently, I've paid attention to him due to the speculation last summer and he hasn't struck me as a particularly dominant player at all
 
He's a great player and I'd still take him here, had an off night though. Probably wasn't helped with the loss of Busquets, it meant his role was a bit different to how it had been so far this season.

I think it did highlight that he's not going to be a replacement for Busq, and never will be. They'll have to look elsewhere for that.
 
Another midfielder who needs the team set up around him, this is why he has often struggled at Barca. The funny thing is he’d actually get that here under Ten Hag but I’d rather we went in a different direction.
 
Glorio said:
I tend to be sceptical of players who need very specific conditions to play well.

Last year we heard he was being played too far forward to work for Barca, now it seems like I'm hearing the opposite and he's being played too deep. I admit I haven't watched him play too much, but whenever I have recently, I've paid attention to him due to the speculation last summer and he hasn't struck me as a particularly dominant player at all
Click to expand...

Yeah he reminded me a bit of Pogba when i saw him at the world cup: moments of sheer class mixed with some very unimpressive ones too. Not sure i want to go through all that again :nervous:

As for Barca, maybe he just doesn't suit the league or the club? It's pretty clear who most people view as the real stars of that Barca midfield. I think EtH has gone on record saying de Jong is 'an adventurer' and likes to have a free role in the midfield where he can just pick up the ball wherever and influence the game. Just don't think he'll ever get that playing alongside the other players there
 
Might be ok if he had say, Casemiro behind him.
 
He can't cope with the high intensity in English football.
Ismail Bennancer will be a cheaper and better alternative.
 
Sparky_Hughes said:
So did dvb, how's that worked out?
Click to expand...

DvB was great for Ajax? That's a bit of a stretch, no? :lol: He was okay and had some good performances in Champions League, as every player in the world can have. Frenkie de Jong was the most sought after young player in the world along with Matthijs de Ligt and has been really good for Barcelona, especially when played in his position without trying to make him play in a position he's not good at. Also been really great for Netherlands. De Jong's abilities are also very easy to see, and the same cannot be said for DvB. Not a good comparison at all.
 
Sparky_Hughes said:
So did dvb, how's that worked out?
Click to expand...
I actually think Donny will be given another opportunity to prove himself, there’s no doubt that Ten Hags methods of coaching can improve players, like Wan Bisaka for example. DVB is still young so maybe he might respond positively and improve on the poor performances that were all to familiar last season.
 
cyberman said:
Am I the only one who thought he struggled against the press? I don’t know how he’d cope if he faced that week in, week out.
It’s yet another disappointing European night for him. Fred ran all over him
Click to expand...

Well, lord Fred almost made KdB (arguably a better player than FdJ) non-existent.
 
Apparently Ten Hag gave Weghorst 1 job tonight. Disrupt Frenkie :lol:

Wout being shite aside, he did that quite well.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.