Yeah it was not a good look. I'm not defending him and he should have not given up, but he was going full bore and it seemed to me that he thought Suarez was ready fo pull the trigger and there was no hope.and he slowed down. I don't think he was being lazy more that he just made a bad judgement call. He was pretty frustrated after the goal and I think realized he should not have slowed up. TBH, for all the shit that Dest takes for his defense, he has been reasonably solid the last couple of games. Barcelona's defensive woes can't be pinned on Sergino IMO.
His poor offense is the most surprising to me. He looks like a very technical player who is playing one level too high; nothing he does threatens the defense. It’s mostly sideways and back, or run into a defender and get little-brothered off of the ball. But at least he’s playing for Barca so maybe he improves over time.
Whether left or right he keeps repeating the same move: overlap to the edge, ready to run in a diagonal cutting to the middle to launch his cross. Very predictable player.
His D is much improved - and can still improve more, imho. But he was on multiple teams-of-the-week last week and AM is just a better team, atm, then Barca. This is going to be a tough year for them, but for Dest to stay in the game against top Liga teams, he's going to have to be doing a lot right.
This isn't true against all teams, however. Dest/Barca are not as good as AM right now, but he ran through Levante on the left a number of times and Barca looked much better with him in the line-up vs Real Soc. I think it's pretty clear that Dest, as good as he is, is not at the "can impact the top teams" level yet. But to say "nothing he does threatens the defense" is not the full picture. And again, he was a Jong Ajax player 24 months or so ago...
Barcelona has a bit of a fullback crisis right now. Jordi Alba, the LB, was injured and is just back, and that's why Dest was moved to the left. Then there was the whole Emerson Royal issue. Tottenham made an offer for him Barcelona couldn't refuse (they need the money) and sold him on the last day of the transfer window, even though the Brazilian didn't want to go. The result is that they are very thin at fullback positions. Mingueza is a converted CB with no left foot, so while Alba is out, it had to be Dest on the left. The other LB they got on the squad is a kid, Alex Balde, who's 17 and injured.
Barcelona average position vs Atletico Madrid | Based on touched | La Liga 21-22-Frenkie de Jong? What are you doing there?-Dest very attacking-The general attack very left leaning pic.twitter.com/qHWJeSC2em— Yash (@Odriozolite) October 2, 2021
🎙 @sergino_dest's message for what the team needs to do after the international break: pic.twitter.com/hZFXitfiXi— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) October 2, 2021
lol... if you think Dest on offense is the problem, you're insane. The point of a wing back system is for them to get forward and serve balls into the box. Barce has no one to serve balls to. Defenses know this and can concentrate on the dribble and give the endline because there is literally no threat when they are serving in crosses. This team is a mess with no forward play and it's making everyone look bad. Hindsight has us all wishing Dest was at Bayern and not Barce - but in the end, he will be better for this season as the struggle will make him grow.
^this^... he is still so young and so is Barca as a team. Also... love that you posted that chart. Those complaining about Dest "giving up" on that goal are over-critical IMO. Is anyone asked to run more than Dest?... Particularly when he is taking Alba's spot on the left? I think he tracks back pretty well all things considered. How can anyone expect a player positioned that high up on the left to cover every turnover? It is just not possible.
That chart is like a Pep teaching tool - overload the left, let Frenkie score... Except, of course, Frenkie's got to score...
Profile: https://defector.com/what-is-this-usmnt-guys-deal-sergino-dest/ “Sergino was very talented, but he found it difficult when he had to think about tactical things,” [former Ajax youth coach Gery Vink] says. “He had a lot of talent, he was fast, very good both feet, and very good in attack. But mentality is also a talent, and his coaches had a lot of problems with his attitude, his behaviour. He was special. I had a lot of talks with him, and a lot of fights and discussions about what is needed to get to the top, to be a star. Sometimes he said no, just that — ‘I won’t do it. No, I don’t like it, I won’t do it’.”
This is what coaches say when you leave for greener pastures I guess. Pretty bitter and unprofessional words too. Bet the coach's wife had the hots for Dest or something
Sounds like a teenager that is much better than every one he plays with. It happens. Some where down the line he will become that mature man who is better than everyone else and see the err of his ways and try to pass that on to the next big thing.
Dest in the squad, of course, and the group is looking almost complete. Alba is back; Kun Aguero appears (a first?)