Van der Gijpt puts Frenkie along Messi yardstick and is tough for Depay


Friday, February 25, 2022 at 11:20 PM• Rian Rosendaal • Last update: 23:34

René van der Gijp was unable to watch the Europa League match between Napoli and Barcelona (2-4) on Thursday evening. The analyst did not see Frenkie de Jong’s brilliant goal in the thirteenth minute directly. Nevertheless, Van der Gijp praises the scoring midfielder of Barcelona a day later, who he considers a great player despite some lesser performances this season. He is also a lot less positive about Memphis Depay.

“We have always said, Johan (Derksen, ed.) a little less, that he is a world player. It is an absolute world player”, Van der Gijp compliments Frenkie de Jong. “He is only unlucky that in the past fourteen years two have walked around (Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi, ed.) who did this three times a week. And actually you have to park those two somewhere else. And say: ‘This is possible. nobody, this is a one-off.” That Lionel Messi just did this three times a week. And he (De Jong, ed.) still has fives and sixs in between. Messi was just 170 times a year an 8 or a 9. And they actually expect that from De Jong, so he should show it a little more often at some point,” Van der Gijp tells the the Dutch international.

“At some point, he has to play eight out of ten matches like this. Maarja, go for it”, Van der Gijp knows how difficult it is for De Jong to approach Messi’s level on a weekly basis. Presenter Wilfred Genee wonders how Ronald Koeman must feel, now that Barcelona seems to be running better under his successor Xavi. “That chairman (Joan Laporta, ed.) was done with Koeman”, Derksen adds. “He just wanted to get rid of Koeman and get a white foot with the supporters by bringing in the darling (Xavi, ed.).” Van der Gijp also makes an observation about Koeman.

“What I don’t understand: Memphis Depay is not a Barcelona player, is he?” asks the football follower aloud. “That’s a player who gets the ball and then starts something we think: Well I don’t think so but you never know† And sometimes it works. He also sometimes has matches with the Dutch national team, which loses the ball 18 times out of 20. But that is not allowed at Barcelona, ​​they are not used to that. What’s not going on there? They lost eight balls in a year. But then I also think it’s so insane that you buy such a guy and at one point shout: ‘Yes, you know, he does have a lot of ball loss’. Yes, I could have told you that beforehand.”

René van der Gijp thinks Memphis Depay is not at all suitable for the attacking game of Barcelona.