Hans Kraay junior is very pleased with Memphis Depay’s performance. The the Dutch striker was good for two goals in the World Cup qualifying match with Montenegro (4-0). The Barcelona striker made an excellent impression on the analyst, who is of the opinion that Depay ‘must remain in his power’ both with the penalty kick that was used and with the striking shot into the short corner.
He saw, among other things, how Memphis Depay did not remain in the striker in the first fifteen minutes. “But when he’s there… Of course people can be mad at him that he’s bad there, but in the last 11 qualifying matches he has scored 10 goals. Those are not just any goals. When you shoot the penalty like that… It’s just a cannonball. I think he consciously touches him just a little bit with his outside,” says Kraay Jr. beaming during the afterthought on ESPN.
The analyst saw how Depay wanted to look for the ball ‘in the crowd’ against both Norway and Montenegro as soon as he did not have it. “Then you have to say as a trainer: ‘You shouldn’t do that’. we got you there required. You must be dangerous there. It is easier for him against countries like Germany and France, then he can roam and search. Despite the fact that he first went looking for the ball, he was again decisive at the moments when he had to be decisive. We have not won against a world country, but he has shown beautiful things.”
While Kraay Jr. sees the images of Depay’s second goal, he remembers a conversation with a fellow analyst. “I once discussed it with Arnold Bruggink: Romario and Ronaldo have a very short swipe. And this is also a very short swipe”, Kraay refers to Depay’s second goal. Normal strikers have a ‘backswing’ at first, but it is really ‘tick’ with him. He does have very nice things,” concludes the analyst.