Frenkie de Jong

[khaled_a_d]

His main problems from CDM is that he takes 10 times the time to reach a worse decision than Busquets with the ball, and that he is constantly drifting out of position.
He is better technically and mentally than most midfielders, and can make a difference for a lot of teams as CDM, but he isn't good enough for that role at Barcelona, until Busquets retires.
When he plays CB, he gets a lot of his strengths accentuated automatically.

If Busquets gets a serious injury (that sidelines him for a month or more) who is your choice to be our DM during such spell?

 

[Bobo32]

We had CDMs who played differently before Busquets.

We don?t need a carbon copy of Busquets. We need to adapt and alter our midfielders? roles to the type of players we have.

Nico, Gavi, Pedri are not similar to Xavi and Iniesta so why do people expect Frenkie to play just like Sergio? You cannot play like it?s 2011 when that?s not necessarily the strength of the players you got.

Something Barcelona and Barcelona fans alike struggle to understand. For some reason it seems like people forgot that thr CDMs before Busquets were vastly different with other strengths and weaknesses.

Yeah, but none who played like Frenkie that I'm aware of, and it was mostly the best player for the position who played... Busquets is better than Frenkie at CDM which is very very obvious to my eyes.

You have a point that Busquets has become the blueprint for the position, and that it would be a bit wrong to only look for similar players the day that Busquets is no longer the best option. When he retires, the team must be set up much differently.
Don't forget that Busquets was playing in Valverdes 4-4-2 and in every system Koeman used, he is so good that every manager has used him even in roles that doesn't suit him.
[MENTION=11668]khaled_a_d[/MENTION]
Then it would maybe be a good option to try Frenkie there again, if only to show that he isn't really the solution. I think Pedri might play well from there, and Sergi Roberto would be an option, as well as Nico (he needs a lot of work though, for all of Frenkies flaws I never saw him try and turn as stupidly as Nico in the last game...)

 

[Klysmakabouter]

His main problems from CDM is that he takes 10 times the time to reach a worse decision than Busquets with the ball, and that he is constantly drifting out of position.
He is better technically and mentally than most midfielders, and can make a difference for a lot of teams as CDM, but he isn't good enough for that role at Barcelona, until Busquets retires.
When he plays CB, he gets a lot of his strengths accentuated automatically.

I agree Busquets is still the better option when you only play one CDM. CB can be an option when you play with 3 central defenders, with FdJ doing most of the build-up play, but as a pure CB FdJ lacks strength and length. So unless Xavi starts playing a double pivot or a 3 man defence, I think it s inevitable for FdJ to be benched soon. This AM experiment needs to stop though, it is getting painful to watch.

 

[Fati_Future_BallonDor]

You can't even spell his name. How much you want to bet you haven't even reached the 10 game mark for amount of Ajax matches watched within the past 3 years?

I have watched most of their cl matches in last three seasons dude, after loosing some of their key players in 2019 they are playing very good football again this season. So in only two seasons they are back. Who do you think is responsible for this development?

 

[Windhook]

Yesterday Xavi praised Nico to be versatile and probably hinted as successor of Busi's position. Frenkie is not in this conversation on Xavi's mind, if that was the case there would have been an experiment already with Busi/FDJ swap. The whole thing leaves Frenkie baseless and out of the system. I'm beginning to trust the rumors of his transfer - we need money, his price is still decent and after all Frenkie is nothing special when others around him are poor.

 

[Nazario1985]

Why is this guy in the field is beyond me

Pass accuracy : -1%

Ball recovered : nothing

 

[Devils]

It's like playing with 10 men.

Xavi could sub himself into the field and make more of a contribution than this guy.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Hmm, one throw in he was looking at his leg. I doubt he is 100% fit. His game looks painful.

 

[Bobo32]

Why is this guy in the field is beyond me

Pass accuracy : -1%

Ball recovered : nothing

Yeah he really isn't playing well overall, struggling to follow the one marking him lol

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Yeah, he is not fit, but man he is playing badly. I can't wait for Pedri to come back. Current Busi is better than DeJong.

 

[Rassvet]

We spent big money on the best young midfielder in the world just to play him out of position to accommodate Busi.

Pain

 

[evilhita666]

There are some little things here and there, but still lost out there... I'm just so tired of watching our marquee signings fail again and again...

 

[CatalinR10]

i'd still keep him until after Busquets is gone to see what he can do

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

i'd still keep him until after Busquets is gone to see what he can do

When is that 2023? Too long time to wait.

 

[fergus90]

Yes, he's not playing in his favourite position but for the wages he's paid and the supposed quality he has, he should be displaying more than he is.

He also looks a bit sluggish to me, lacking fitness maybe.