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Today this brief article appeared on VI about FdJ. It shows the vulnerabilities of his future standing (will not copy all the pictures).


Valverde lets Frenkie de Jong roam around in Busquets-less midfield against Atlético

Frenkie de Jong is now a fixture at Barcelona, with the second most playing minutes [behind Ter Stegen; league + CL combined]. But it still hasn't come to a fixed role in midfield. Also in the topper at Atlético Madrid (0-1), Barça trainer Ernesto Valverde just keeps on shifting, moving and weighing things out with the Dutch technician.

NO REPEAT 'ON 6'
In the first domestic top match of the season, Sergio Busquets is missing on his regular controlling site in midfield. The Barça vacuum cleaner is suspended. But trainer Ernesto Valverde does not opt for a second chance for Frenkie de Jong in 6. In the absence of the ever-important Busi, the former Ajax player also plays in the top match in the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano as a left half, with the Brazilian Arthur as a righthandman and a surprising basic spot for Ivan Rakitic at the Busquets spot. At the forefront, Antoine Griezmann - who is treated to a whistling flute concert with every ball contact - again plays on the left flank, so that Lionel Messi (hanging on the right) and Luis Suárez (center striker) are allowed to stay in their most familiar places.

At Atlético Madrid they are delighted with the return of the record purchase João Félix. The young attacker was recently crowned Golden Boy of 2019, as the best teenage talent in the world. The Portuguese shadow striker has been on the sidelines since mid-October with an ankle injury, and was quite missed. Atlético, which as usual under Diego Simeone is still world top in defensive terms, yearns for some offensive impulses and inspirations. Los Colchoneros scored sixteen times in the first fourteen La Liga rounds; in the last ten duels it even came only twice to more than one goal.

TECHNICIAN IN SERVANT ROLE
Although Barcelona wins its matches this year, sparkling did not happen too often this season. A selection that has cost almost a billion in total transfer fees is still particularly dependent on the brilliant flashes of Messi. In the mid-week Champions League duel with Borussia Dortmund (3-1), Barça played the best football it has shown this season, but a visit to Atleti soon makes it clear that this duel will not result in one continuous Barcelona roundabout.

From the usual 4-4-2 formation under Simeone, Atlético keeps the mutual spaces according to tradition extremely small. But this does not only work on the own half. The defensive block of the home team often moves far, halfway through Barcelona's half. Nevertheless, the Simeone team defends very compactly: in the situation shown below, look at the distance between the right-hand man and the left-hand man on the four-man midriff of the home team, when Barça starts on the next set-up. Strikers Álvaro Morata and Félix hunt as a duo for the three Barcelona builders, center defenders Gerard Piqué and Clément Lenglet and the '6' Rakitic settled in between them. De Jong and his midfield partner Arthur end up in an uncomfortable situation early on the ball, flanked by both a central midfielder and a flank player from Atlético.

Atlético Madrid has the upper hand in the first half. With fierce, direct football it is easier to come up with opportunities than the visitors from Catalonia, who bite numb remarkably often on the pressing of Simeone's team. Even if Barcelona succeeds in getting over the center line, De Jong's role is still ungrateful. The technician is (too) often between shore and ship, locked in a zone between the two co-defensive Atlético attackers and their four-man midfield behind it. De Jong is a player who wants to get to the ball as often as possible, trainer Valverde does not succeed with this occupation in midfield. After an hour of play there are only three Barça players with fewer passes sent than De Jong (43 passes in the first hour): keeper Marc-André Ter Stegen and strikers Griezmann and Suárez.

And you can hardly say that the players who do get the ball in the Barça structure do a lot of good things with it. The situation below is typical of the game of visitors in Madrid. Ter Stegen resumed the game quickly, with a ball through the middle of Arthur - so the intention for the 'footballing solution' is definitely there. But in a direct duel to the ball, the finely cut Brazilian childishly trumps the ball to Atlético-midmid Héctor Herrera, who, completely in line with the plan of his trainer Simeone, recognizes the right moment to leave his defensive position as soon as the opportunity presents itself and put pressure on the ball.

PROGRESS ON THE RIGHT
After a hectic first half hour for Barcelona, we suddenly see De Jong more often in the right half of the midfield than in the left half. After half time, this provides a greater role for the Dutch midfield architect in the competition image. On the same side as Messi, De Jong has more possibilities to roam inside and outside the defense block of the Madrid home team, as the Argentinian naturally demands the necessary attention from the Atlético defenders. In the phase on the right, De Jong also proves his usefulness a few times when he does not control the ball himself. Up to three times after the break he creates space for a Messi dribble action with a walking action away from the ball. In the example below, De Jong leads left mid-mid Thomas Partey with a walking action to the right sidelines just two seconds away from his sight on Messi, allowing the Argentinian to slide towards the sixteen-meter area with a diagonal dribble solo. It's a prelude for what happens at the winning goal.



But the perfect place on the diaphragm for De Jong is clearly not the number one priority in the team composition of coach Valverde. That appears in the 73rd minute, when De Jong has to switch midfield again when the duel-powerful Arturo Vidal replaces the more delicate Arthur. The Chilean plays the game as a right half, De Jong ends up on the left, where the interaction between him, back-up left back Júnior Firpo and Griezmann playing in an unnatural position still leaves something to be desired.

Ultimately, the top match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona culminates in the final phase like so many matches of the Catalan superpower led by the pragmatic Valverde. It is wobbling enough that point loss would not have been inconceivable or unjustified, then persists, and still has the best footballer of all time at the forefront. Barça's number ten makes the difference in the 86th minute with the kind of infield drive that appears like the most normal thing in the world. After a one-two with Suárez, and Griezmann in the role of decoy on the left, Messi slots the ball in: 0-1.

De Jong has excelled enough in his first months in Catalonia to become a permanent basic force at Barcelona. The next leap: to be established and heralded enough as a star that Valverde also designs the midfield to his best qualities.


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On Ihattaren: I hope he is not overused. We have seen before young players getting burned out quickly. The same mistake should not happen again but I'm a bit afraid for Van Bommel his wisdom...

 

must say Andre Villa Boss has done a good job at Marseille. they have climbed 2 on table and im very interested to see how strootman has become a regular in starting 11. is this the sign he has fully recovered. if he has to make a comeback given there is still 5 or so months left, it could really saw up the midfield.

 

I wasn't too thrilled but Frenkie de Jong has been named MOTM by a few publications

Frenkie de Jong has been named as RAC1's MOTM today. Congratulations!

— barcacentre (@barcacentre) December 18, 2019

 

"They don't feel what we feel ... they don't get abused like that"

Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum says the Dutch Christmas character 'Black Pete' -- full blackface, a curly afro wig, red lipstick and large gold earrings -- emboldens racism.https://t.co/rfmMpSpLIv pic.twitter.com/HlS6SZw6g7

— CNN Football (@CNNFC) December 20, 2019

 

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He played well.

 

Joey Veerman is starting to look like an interesting midfielder. He just joined heerenveen form estate divisive and is already taking centre stage.

 

Mo Ihattaren is heating up... started all 5 PSV matches in December, logged in 3 goals and 2 assists (more impressively, this was in midst of the club’ rough patch that included a head coach got axed, and in the back heel of a very difficult personal/family loss). Can’t wait to see how he’s doing after the winter break. I sense that a call up to Oranje NT is within reach. His flair and creativity would be a welcomed addition.

 

I feel his tendency to play on the left will become a stumbling block when Barcelona bring in all rounded midfielders or even attacking midfielders. Coutinho is out on loan,Arthur is injured. If you have a mid field of coutinho,busquets and frenkie. He simply will get squeezed unless he moves to the right.

 

https://m.ligue1.com/ligue1/article/marseille-held-by-angers.htm

Strootman has been in good form lately. He was on the brink of being out of favour but now has become a main stay in the MF for AVB.

 

Let me tell you something. Watching the Ajax PSV. Mo Ihattaren is something else. What he tries his control and vision are something else. That kid looks like a superior Ziyech and he is only 17. I don’t want to get ahead of myself but he looks soooo promising. I hope he’ll go to the Euro he needs that experience.

 

I am worried that PSV is a dumpster fire, so unless something improves quickly, he might be looking to move. Which is not a good thing as he needs to stay and get the much-needed playing time. Worse, Mo is set to switch to agent Raiola - who I am sure is pushing for a quick profit.

 

I am worried that PSV is a dumpster fire, so unless something improves quickly, he might be looking to move. Which is not a good thing as he needs to stay and get the much-needed playing time. Worse, Mo is set to switch to agent Raiola - who I am sure is pushing for a quick profit.

 

Frenkie de Jong is playing really terrible the last month.

His best role is as part of double six.

 

Damm I remember he was good passing and controlling the tempo. I’m glad!

 

De Jong is having some real stinkers for Barcelona and it seems as if he has lost some fitness too. The sharp turning and acceleration is gone.

Yes I know the whole of Barcelona is unimpressive but De Jong is below Busquets his level in recent matches. It's an alibi footballer now.

 

In the return no Busquets and Vidal (possibly also no Pique) so then Frenkie really has to show his worth....

 

Today is exactly the type of game where Wijnaldum's value is at its highest. Tough game away from home against a team who'll vary between counter attacking play & pressing high. Gini's positional discipline helps keep the team compact & he also NEVER loses the ball under a press.

— EBL (@EBL2017) February 29, 2020

Very good defensive run a few minutes ago.

 

De Jong was good in the first Clasico match but very underwhelming in this one.