Frenkie de Jong has received a lot of criticism in recent times, but on Sunday was the man who absolutely tried to take Barcelona in tow. He was extremely industrious and one of the few who brought danger to the Catalans. Ultimately even decisive. De Jong, previously described as ‘uncertain’, now radiated in everything he wanted to assert himself. This was the Frenkie in word and deed as ‘we’ know him. Demanding balls, emphatic and disappointed when he doesn’t get a ball. The man who wants to shape the game, although that remains extremely difficult in today’s Barca.
Against the low flyer from La Liga frenkie, Luuk de Jong and Sergiño Dest a basic place. Barcelona played like a worn out boxer. It was sloppy and the biggest chance of the first half was for Pere Pons, but the attacker of Alaves shot completely free for Marc-André Ter Stegen into the hands of the German goalie.
Luuk de Jong close to goal
Luuk de Jong was closest to a Barça goal in the first 45 minutes and saw that happen shortly after the break. Frenkie de Jong put Ez Abde away, but one Barça talent is not the other, he proved to the dwarf of La Liga. He played so moderately wide that the incoming and completely free Luuk de Jong had no chance to reach the ball.
Shortly after, in minute 52, Pere Pons missed again for Alaves when he only grazed a cross from the back line from close range. Barca’s supporters were initially only able to bounce when ‘Frenkie’ put a cross to the head of ‘Luuk’, but the effort of the most accurate player of the Catalans in recent times went over the goal. Until the midfielder brought redemption just before time.
Luuk de Jong just can’t score.
Ⓒ HH/ANP
The big conclusion is that since the departure of Ronald Koeman at the end of October, Barca is not a hair better than it was. Xavi won only six (!) of his 14 official duels with this break. The realism of its Dutch predecessor at the time becomes more tangible with the competition. Everyone hoped that things would get so much better with Xavi at the helm. It tiki-taka might be making a comeback. Carried by hope and a great longing for it, this could only be seen with the best will in short competition phases. But in the end everything stands or falls with quality and available players.
Memphis, for example, shows through its social media channels that Joan Gamper is working hard on his return on the training field of the Ciutat Esportiva. The injured international was in front of the tube on Sunday evening, he shared, and saw his dream club struggle again. That also applied to Ansu Fati, who was once again destroyed in the cup match with Athletic Bilbao. Often for these kinds of cases the finger of blame (rightly) went to the medical staff. Now it was coach Xavi who had been guilty of another month-long loss of the young Barcelona star.
Pap and keep wet
Xavi was given the space by Joan Laporta to reorganize his medical staff. He is given everything to succeed as a coach of Barcelona and replaced several staff members, including a large part of the medical staff. The new chief of medical staff recommended him Ansu to play against Bilbao for half an hour, Xavi himself indicated. But the coach also left him standing in extra time and finally saw him disappear for a longer period in minute 96.
That is how it is in Barcelona, where the on collision course Ousmane Dembélé was also missing against Alaves due to ‘stomach complaints’. The attacker with absurd salary demands is expected to stop playing this season and possibly even leave this transfer window. If that is financially manageable for any club at all… It is the concerns that fester around the sporty survival tour that is this season.
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