Ronald Koeman is counting on the arrival of Memphis Depay at Barcelona. According to the coach, it is only a matter of time before the striker of the Dutch national team signs with the Spanish club and also assured the protagonist himself that ‘things are going on’. Koeman and Depay previously worked together at the Dutch national team, when the trainer was national coach from 2018 to 2020. Bee The the Dutch Summer was skeptical about the impending transfer.
Wilfred Genee asked table guest Wesley Sneijder whether Depay, if he actually starts working in Catalonia, will have enough playing time at Barcelona, which previously signed Sergio Aguero, wants to continue with Lionel Messi and with Antoine Griezmann, Ousmane Démbélé and Ansu Fati has plenty of other attackers. “That will be a thing”, replied the former international. “You don’t come to the smallest club, with a lot of good players. Aguero also signed there, which is a good friend of Messi. Depay will have to fight.”
“Quality determines whether you play or not, he will have to show it.” René van der Gijp thinks Depay will mainly play from the left at Barcelona, even if that is not his favorite position. “It is of no use to a striker who gets the ball and then does something for himself.” Johan Derksen foresees problems in the Camp Nou. “He is a stubborn boy. If he is not allowed to play in the center of the Dutch national team, he will sulk. At Barcelona he will be a bit more lenient in the beginning. That boy knows exactly what he wants. He wants to play in the center.”
“In Barcelona you play so close to the opponent’s goal. Then you can also easily play on the left”, René van der Gijp added. “Neymar wants to play in the ashes every time at Paris Saint-Germain. While he only becomes really dangerous when he comes from the left. There is much more space there. With every match that Barcelona plays, it is dying in the center.” Derksen: ‘The funny thing is: they want ‘ten’ or a free role in the rush hour. Koeman is playing with fire, I think. He hangs all his possessions on Depay. He can also just fail at Barcelona, can’t he.”
Sneijder believes that Depay should play from a free role. “From the side towards the goal, especially from the left. But then you can also create from the striker position. Then you start on the left. Lorenzo Insigne does the same for the national team. That makes room for that train, that Leonardo Spinazzola. Depay can do that too. But somehow he doesn’t feel comfortable on the left and wants to play in striker. If I were him, I’d try to get into a freer role between the lines. With his qualities, from the left to the goal and then finish with his right leg. That is his quality.”