Ruud Gullit: “I’ll say something to Frenkie. Johan Cruyff said to me: ‘you have to improve your teammates’… Because when you improve your teammates, you always play well! But Frenkie doesn’t do that, he’s playing badly. He doesn’t live up to the level he has. He was a ghost in World Cup”

by -The-Term-

7 comments

  2. I agree and disagree. Frenkie played well when he was fit for Barca and I don’t think he really ghosted given how Netherlands team was but then I again I feel there is an issue of improving each other which is missing in whole Barca team.

    The players are talented save a few but I felt they could never gel well together there were always glimpses. I feel most of the time what Xavi wanted wasn’t implemented on pitch.

    This could be due to many reasons, Xavi communication and vision – great player being great coach is uncommon. Players not liking Xavi is also possible. Moreover lack of a caption material senior player specially a La Masia one.

    Puyol, Xavi and Iniesta had that commanding aura and respect on field.

    Anyway, that’s my sitting in basement analysis.

  3. Fair point, but… *how* exactly does one “improve their team mates”? It’s not a valid criticism unless Gullit goes into the specifics. If not, then it’s idle talk.

    Cruyff once made a casual point (which should thus not be taken as some fundamental dogma) about players thinking they’re helping out a team mate by moving towards them. But if the team mate likes 1v1 situations, then you help them by staying away and not dragging more opponents towards him.

    Xavi, as a player, talked about how important it is not only to make the right pass at the right moment to the right team mate blah blah, but also *executing* the pass correctly. You have to apply the right spin, the right weight on it etc., so that your team mate could receive it as cleanly as possible, on their dominant foot, and play on as quickly and comfortable as possible.

    Pep used to fume at Thiago for not doing what Xavi described. Thiago would make the right choices, but would execute the passes poorly, applying his Brazilian flair in unnecessary situations.

    So… does Frenkie ever make such mistakes? Yes, but I would’ve preferred Ruud addressing them specifically. Instead, his criticism boils down to “Cruyff told me X and Y, Frenkie ghosted”.

    Very poor punditry.

    edit: lmao if THIS is getting downvoted then the fanbase’s gone insane beyond belief, enjoy the downfall you’re fueling

  4. Almost as if they use “being blunt” as an excuse to be a sack of shit

  6. Well he hasn’t been the player for us he was expected to be. Two teenagers overshadowed him. He has to step up massively for the wages he’s being paid

  7. I watch most of the Netherland games including the one versus USA live in Qatar. Frenkie was their best player by far. They were hindered by their tactical set up.

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