• About Us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy & Policy
  • Contact
Tuesday, June 28, 2022
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
    • BB Radio
  • Barça News
    • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça History
    • The Cruyff Story
    • Lionel Messi quotes
    • Xavi Quotes
    • Iniesta Quotes
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
    • Barça Travel
    • Barca songs
    • Gallery
    • Calendar
    • Trivia
  • Analysis
No Result
View All Result
Barcabuzz
Advertisement
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
    • BB Radio
  • Barça News
    • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça History
    • The Cruyff Story
    • Lionel Messi quotes
    • Xavi Quotes
    • Iniesta Quotes
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
    • Barça Travel
    • Barca songs
    • Gallery
    • Calendar
    • Trivia
  • Analysis
No Result
View All Result
Barcabuzz
No Result
View All Result
Home Barça News

The place of Luuk de Jong isn’t in Barcelona, not now not ever

Bright Antwi by Bright Antwi
13th December 2021
in Barça News
0
0
The place of Luuk de Jong isn’t in Barcelona, not now not ever
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatApp

On the stroke of half time, Luuk de Jong was brought to ground in the penalty area by a mild kick from behind by an Osasuna defender. There was no penalty shout. Nothing. Just Luuk de Jong’s face immediately wincing in great discomfort. His hands clutching on to his right foot.

Dembele had sailed in a cross from the right flank. At the end of the cross was Luuk de Jong, seemingly all indecisive, without a scintilla of self-purpose and nor real conviction. Not knowing what the hell exactly to do with that floated ball. Whether to pull off a flick or simply dodge. Whether to bring the ball under control or allow for it to sail past into nothingness.

By the end of the first half, the Dutch had completed a scant, measly 7 passes, had touched the ball a mere 17 times (less than Ter Stegen), and had largely remained a complete passenger, an invisible object, a ghost, a shadow, nothing.

Not Good Enough

How did we even get here? That in a must-win away game in La Liga, a player of Luuk De Jong caliber is made to spearhead the attack, even in spite of the very irrefutable fact that the squad has been decimated by injuries to certain key players. It could be argued out he’s a sort of backup. But how good is he even as a backup at a club as demanding and success-hungry as Barcelona?

On what merit exactly is he even remotely the sort of Barca player? On the basis that in Ronald Koeman’s desperate and helpless need to bolster his attacking options, Luuk de Jong was viewed not as a square peg in a round hole but as a truly viable option? Well, in retrospect, how has that panned out? 

Luuk’s move to FC Barcelona may only be a season-long loan from Sevilla, without a loan fee paid except his wages taken up by the club, but still this move has largely felt utterly unwise for both parties. No one is gaining here, except Luuk’s CV looking good. The Dutch man isn’t firing on all cylinders. Far from that he’s mostly looked out of place. And there’s a simple realisation that a player of his caliber has no business whatsoever indulging in the Barca culture and way of life.  

Failing the Simple Things

Perhaps the greatest comedy of this game was when Luuk de Jong failed at trying to pull off a bicycle kick in the dying minutes. Aiming to score the clincher in an extraordinary way. An ordinary player aspiring to score an extraordinary goal to win it all in injury time for a club he doesn’t belong. Perhaps, this is a tad harsh. The simple fact that Barcelona’s sharp decline into mediocrity has ruthlessly highlighted certain familiar flaws which otherwise might have been overlooked without batting an eyelid in the past. 

Barcelona have always had average forwards as backups in the past where the club comparatively prospered. Think Munir. Think Paco Alcacer, Sandro, Tello, Keirrison, Kevin-Prince Boateng. Even now, Martin Braithwaite. 

In Conclusion

In this game against Osasuna, Luuk de Jong painfully struggled to make any meaningful contribution. Not in his shrewd spatial awareness nor his adroitness to playing off the shoulder of a defender. For all his gigantic stature which should probably propel him to bully defenders into submission, Luuk hardly connects with deliciously floated balls, remains mostly immobile and lacks imagination.

What really are his good traits? Luuk is like that novel on your bookshelf you never seem able to bring yourself to read. Sitting idle, gathering dust, occupying space. Only becomes valuable when every other book has been exhausted. The novelty of the book giving it a nice appeal and nothing else. Despite Xavi fielding 11 players in this game, it felt largely Luuk de Jong added up in numbers not in contribution, in presence not in influence.

And so, on Sunday afternoon, Barcelona found a tinge of inspiration not from Luuk de Jong or any other De Jong on the pitch, but from Abde and Dembele. One only a teenager striving to make a name for himself. The other, an injury-prone winger with vast amount of potential still left untapped. One may wonder if there’s any ounce of potential at all in the 31-year-old Luuk de Jong. For now, he just occupies space and gathers dust, nothing else.

Bright Antwi

See author's posts

Bright Antwi

Bright Antwi

Related Posts

EX Agent: Lewandowski wants ‘to prove he’s better than Benzema’
Transfer Rumors

EX Agent: Lewandowski wants ‘to prove he’s better than Benzema’

28th June 2022
Angel Di Maria offers update on future amid Barcelona & Juventus rumors
Transfer Rumors

Can Barça Allow Themselves to Miss Out on Di Maria?

27th June 2022
Leeds reject Arsenal’s bid for Barcelona target Raphinha – report
Transfer Rumors

Dembele, Di Maria or Raphinha: Who should be Barça’s Right Winger?

26th June 2022
Dembele, Di Maria or Raphinha: Who should be Barça’s Right Winger?
Barça News

Is it a Good Idea to Withdraw Dembele contract offer?

26th June 2022
Frenkie de Jong to Stay or Leave with the Economic Levers?
Transfer Rumors

Barca & Man Utd Negotiating But Frenkie doesn’t want to leave – Reports

26th June 2022
Kepa: What Barça fans can expect from Andreas Christensen
Transfer Rumors

Kepa: What Barça fans can expect from Andreas Christensen

26th June 2022
Load More
Next Post
Player Ratings: Osasuna vs Barça (2-2)

Player Ratings: Osasuna vs Barça (2-2)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Buzzing NOW

Tweets by Barca_Buzz
  • Trending
  • Comments
  • Latest
Pedri: From Las Palmas to the World Cup, through the Camp Nou.

Pedri: From Las Palmas to the World Cup, through the Camp Nou.

21st June 2022
Kepa: What Barça fans can expect from Andreas Christensen

Kepa: What Barça fans can expect from Andreas Christensen

26th June 2022
Scout Report: Is Raphinha The ‘Right’ Winger For Barcelona?

Scout Report: Is Raphinha The ‘Right’ Winger For Barcelona?

21st June 2022
Sergio Gomez : A Real Option for the Barça Left Back Position?

Sergio Gomez : A Real Option for the Barça Left Back Position?

25th June 2022
Haaland? FC Barcelona transfer news

FC Barcelona transfer news : January is approaching

5
signing pjanic makes sense?

Opinion : Is signing Miralem Pjanic makes sense after all?

5
xavi announces leaving

TBT : May 21 – The day Xavi announced that he will leave Barcelona

5
pep

TBT : Appointing Pep Guardiola, against all odds

5
EX Agent: Lewandowski wants ‘to prove he’s better than Benzema’

EX Agent: Lewandowski wants ‘to prove he’s better than Benzema’

28th June 2022
Angel Di Maria offers update on future amid Barcelona & Juventus rumors

Can Barça Allow Themselves to Miss Out on Di Maria?

27th June 2022
Leeds reject Arsenal’s bid for Barcelona target Raphinha – report

Dembele, Di Maria or Raphinha: Who should be Barça’s Right Winger?

26th June 2022
Dembele, Di Maria or Raphinha: Who should be Barça’s Right Winger?

Is it a Good Idea to Withdraw Dembele contract offer?

26th June 2022

BB Radio

Recommended

EX Agent: Lewandowski wants ‘to prove he’s better than Benzema’

EX Agent: Lewandowski wants ‘to prove he’s better than Benzema’

28th June 2022
Angel Di Maria offers update on future amid Barcelona & Juventus rumors

Can Barça Allow Themselves to Miss Out on Di Maria?

27th June 2022
Leeds reject Arsenal’s bid for Barcelona target Raphinha – report

Dembele, Di Maria or Raphinha: Who should be Barça’s Right Winger?

26th June 2022
Dembele, Di Maria or Raphinha: Who should be Barça’s Right Winger?

Is it a Good Idea to Withdraw Dembele contract offer?

26th June 2022
  • 📣 Ousmane Dembélé has a new offer on the table from Barcelona with a lower salary than what was offered in December. 

Barça are confident that he will accept it because he prioritises staying.

Via:: Rac1
  • 📣 Ferran Torres knows that his performances at the end of last season were not good but he is highly motivated to start his first full season at Barça and deliver. 

Xavi maintains total confidence in Ferran and he is seen as a regular starter.

Via: ARA
  • 📣 At Barça they want to resolve Dembele
  • Araujo and Kounde together can be AMAZING 🤩
  • ‼️5 days to the end of Dembele
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube TikTok

About Us

An independent source of information about FC Barcelona. We are here to bring you the latest news and analyze everything related to our beloved team. Força Barça!

Categories

  • Analysis
  • Barça Femeni
  • Barça History
  • Barça News
  • Barça Travel
  • La Masia
  • Transfer Rumors

Archives

© 2022 Barcabuzz - Sharing what's Buzzing with Barça.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • BarcaBuzz TV
    • BB Radio
  • Barça News
    • Transfer Rumors
  • Barça History
    • The Cruyff Story
    • Lionel Messi quotes
    • Xavi Quotes
    • Iniesta Quotes
  • La Masia
  • Merchandise
  • Community
    • Barça Travel
    • Barca songs
    • Gallery
    • Calendar
    • Trivia
  • Analysis

© 2022 Barcabuzz - Sharing what's Buzzing with Barça.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT