If you think Frenkie De Jong is a complete central midfield and football player. Then it’s until you discover Lothar Matthaus. One of the central midfield GOAT in football history. For me Lothar Matthäus was a complete football player as you can get. We will come back to his football ability later.
First I will do a short presentation of this German and football legend.
Matthaus was born in Erlangen, in that time was calling West Germany. In 1961. Like Frenkie De Jong he is a central midfield playmaker and like De Jong has been play as sweeper, a position in the back line. He was a box to box cm player.
His biggest trophy and silverware were. 1 time European champion for West Germany in 1980, as 19 of age. 1 time world champion for West Germany in 1990 and 1 time Ballon D’or winner in 1990.
Matthaus was Diego Maradona biggest rival. They met each other in the world cup final in 1990. Were West Germany beat Argentina 1-0. So if it wasn’t for Matthaus. Maradona would had another world cup trophy on his track record.
So today Frenkie De Jong is up against 1 time world champion, 1 time Ballon D’or winner and A cm GOAT in football history. De Jong is up against the best of the best of a complete cm and football player. How good is really Frenkie De Jong?
First we take a close look of Lothar Matthaus.
His football abilities in visual description :
A short paragraph of his abilities from Wikipedia:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothar_Matthäus
A versatile and complete player, Matthäus is regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of all time, and was renowned for his perceptive passing, positional sense, well-timed tackling, as well as powerful shooting. During his career, he usually played as a box to box midfielder, although late in his career he played as a sweeper.
Yes, we can say Matthaus was good in everything. Reason why is a complete cm and football player.
Now. The comparison he is up against. Many will consider Frenkie De Jong as one of the best creative cm player, at this moment.
Frenkie De Jong’s visual description:
A videoclip more of his finish skill:
+ Head to head comparison :
Dribbling ability : Matthaus < Frenkie De Jong
I think De Jong is slightly better than Matthaus. In that way I mean it is more difficult to take the ball from De Jong than Matthaus.
Passing and combination skills : Matthaus = De Jong
There are not so big difference. So I rate them equal good
Shooting and finish skill : Matthaus > De Jong
Here Matthaus was clearly better than De Jong. Special Matthaus long power shoot.
So sum up and conclusion is. I think and found Frenkie De Jong was more dribbler and passing focus. Compare to Matthaus who was scoring and finish focus. Matthaus was more thinking scoring, scoring and scoring.
With this focusing minded. It lead to and the stats is showing that Matthaus has more goals in his game than De Jong.
Matthaus goals stats:
Bayern Munich : 113 matches and 57 goals
Inter Milan : 115 matches and 40 goals
West Germany/Germany: 150 matches and 23 goals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lothar_Matthäus
De Jong goals stats :
Ajax : 57 matches and 4 goals
Barcelona : 122 matches and 10 goals
Netherlands : 50 goals and 2 goals
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frenkie_de_Jong
To become complete and to demand a lot from a creative central midfield player. That he shall has goals in his game and score more often. Then I will rate Matthaus is more complete cm and football player than De Jong.
But we shall take in counting that defend and opponent is more open than compare to today defending. Today defending is more well organize, more compact and park the bus more. In others words. The today is more tight.
Still. We can’t take away Matthaus long power shoot ability. I think Matthaus is of not the best, one of the best long shoot ever in football history.
With a higher potential goalscorer ability. Even De Jong is slightly a better dribbler. But as a football player. The end product ability is most important . Helping you team to score enough goals to win the match. Matthaus has higher match winning and end product ability than De Jong.
With those finish and end product ability I will rate Matthaus over De Jong. De Jong is not as Matthaus football level.
And beside football ability. Matthaus is a natural born and true leader on the pitch. The one who lift the rest of his team. So clearly. As a full packet football player. At both peak and over a long period. Matthaus is clearly above Frenkie De Jong.
If the point scala is from 1-5. 5 = the top and highest level and rating.
Matthaus will get the top rating 5.
Frenkie De Jong I will give 4.5. 4 point is very good. De Jong is the level between very good and the best level. If De Jong add more goals to his game. Scoring goals more often. Then I will give him the reste 0.5 point.
Clearly Matthaus had a higher and a more complete level than De Jong. Both as CB/Sweeper. Start from the deep, then run from box to box. The difference I see like I mention above is. The defend is more open before than now. But again. De Jong is not know for long power shoot.
But in the end. De Jong is up against a CM GOAT. One time Ballon D’Or winner and one time world champion as captain. It get to be a gap and difference between those 2 really good cm and football players.
And to find out how high level Frenkie De Jong and today’s football player are at. I will always try to compare them against the best comparison in theirs positions. And I don’t think I would find a better and more complete central midfield player than Lotthar Matthaus. Complete as you can get. A GOAT and football legend.