I know he hasn't been that great but he is our only scorer these days, before Ansu comes back and plays on a regular basis. Without Depay who will score for us not just practically but theoretically? Dembele won't. Coutinho won't. Demir won't. LDJ won't. Do we play Araujo as our striker?
If LDJ played 90 every game and was given every free kick, pen, and the leeway to lose the ball 30 times a game, I do believe he would have the same numbers or better. Not because he is good but because anyone can do that when you have so many resources.
It's about, what are you sacrificing in the team to get those 5 npg in 1600 minutes from Depay? Is he overperforming his XG and actually doesn't get much service? Or is every single chance being funnelled into him?
His goals so far have not been worth his negative impact on the team. We are trying to use him as a talisman when he just isn't good enough for that.
It is almost a surefire bet that Depay will miss a sitter every game. If you ignore the flashy tricks and ignore the name bias of Depay and focus on what he does in the field, it has been disappointing.