Redaction Simon Brett with Srinivas Sadhanand
Published on 2024-07-21 11:00:00
Craig Burley believes that Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong is not as good of a passer as Manchester City’s Rodri, pointing out the gulf in class between the two midfielders. While De Jong is a talented player, Burley feels that physically, he does not compare to Rodri in terms of passing ability, field presence, and physical defending. Rodri, who has excelled both at club level and for the Spanish national team, is considered one of the best defensive midfielders in the world.
Burley suggests that if Barcelona deploys De Jong as a holding midfielder, his lack of expansive passing skills compared to Rodri could pose a problem for the team. While De Jong is skilled at short passing, his ability to pick out runners and execute visionary passes may not be as strong as Rodri’s. To improve his game in this role, De Jong can study Rodri’s gameplay, particularly in terms of passing, positioning, understanding of tempo, and timing of challenges. By incorporating elements of Rodri’s style into his own game, De Jong could enhance his effectiveness as a top-class holding midfielder for Barcelona.
While Barcelona boasts a wealth of top-class midfielders, including the likes of Ilkay Gundogan and Pedri, Burley believes that Rodri stands out as a different kind of midfielder in world football at the moment. Drawing comparisons to legends like Luka Modric and N’Golo Kante, Rodri’s passing prowess and defensive abilities have earned him a reputation as a standout player. By studying and incorporating aspects of Rodri’s game, De Jong could elevate his performance and impact for Barcelona as a pivotal midfielder.
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