Dirk Kuyt thinks that Frenkie de Jong thinks too little offensively. The analyst saw the 24-year-old midfielder continuously try to shift the game against Bayern Munich on Wednesday (3-0 loss), but according to him he could have played more towards the goal. Fellow analyst Ron Vlaar sees it differently: he believes that Barcelona’s game does not suit De Jong instead of the other way around.
“His assumptions are always to shift the game again”, Kuyt begins his analysis of De Jong on RTL 7. “I would love to see him take his assumptions towards goal, to get into scoring position.” Kuyt shows a moment where De Jong seems to get behind the defense of Bayern. Instead of going towards the goal, the midfielder opts for a pass backwards. “Today he didn’t look for a moment to see if there was an opportunity to shoot. I would love to see that sequel, because he is and remains a fantastic player who simply belongs in the absolute top of Europe. That starts with daring, and if anyone has daring in their game, it is Frenkie de Jong.”
“He now plays football as if he has fifty kilos of potatoes on his back,” Vlaar judges. The former international would not advise De Jong to leave. “You know what he can bring, but in this team it just doesn’t show. I think he is totally out of place at the moment.” “Would you advise him to leave then?”, says presenter Humberto Tan. “Well, I think he sometimes scratches his head. Don’t you think Frenkie would play football in a different way in a team like Bayern?”
Tan himself also finds a departure from De Jong not implausible, given Barcelona’s financial problems. “If Barcelona don’t qualify for the next round of the Champions League, you will find yourself in a situation where the club is missing out on a lot of money. Then they also have to look at where there is still some money to be made: the capital is walking around on the field.”