In the 2021-22 La Liga round of the 21st round, Barca played a big upset against the lower team in the table, Rayo Vallecano. Although the loss will not affect Barca's rankings, it will not be difficult to finally get the top 4. But it was Barca's third defeat in their last four games, in sharp contrast to their previous 15-game winning streak. And the last 2 games have been lost to the recognized weak team (the last one was lost to relegation team Cádiz), and Barca's form has fallen to a low point.
Poor performance often breeds doubts and contradictions, which is an eternal truth. After the game, De Jong's dissatisfaction with being replaced sparked widespread discussion among fans. It was in the 61st minute of the game, when Xavi replaced De Jong with youngster Nico Gonzalez. From the live footage of the match, de Jong's face was displeased, and he was obviously dissatisfied with the manager's decision.
According to reporter David Ibá ez, after being replaced, De Jong was very angry, and at one point he went straight back to the dressing room instead of back on the bench. However, after a brief period of calm, De Jong returned to the bench.
In the fans' impression, De Jong is a personable player, and a smile is often on his face. So he was really angry this time. So why get angry? The media after the game was mixed. Some believe that it is because the players played dirty on the field, and the Vallecano players played dirty, but the referee was obviously biased. But more fans tend to be unhappy with Harvey's substitution decision, and it's the final outburst that accumulates over a long period of time.
Although De Jong's performance after Xavi joined the club has improved to a certain extent compared with before, there is still a gap from the expectations of the outside world, in the words of fans: "This is not the real De Jong." "The current Xavi positioning in Barca is vague, the last game against Real Sociedad, De Jong started in the left midfield to play a highlight performance, handed over 96% pass success rate, 3 key passes, 4 steals, 3 shots on goal, all the highest in the game, after the game to get the MVP. But against Rayo Vallecano, Xavi put De Jong in right midfield.
The head coach's arrangement is not the most critical issue, and frequent substitutions may be what makes De Jong dissatisfied. In the last 10 games, De Jong has been replaced in the middle of 6 games, 2 substitutes, 1 non-appearance, and only 1 full game. And there are 3 times when they were replaced less than 60 minutes in the second half, and this treatment is acceptable once and twice, but it is the Nth time in the whole season. Long-term dissatisfaction in such a heart has accumulated to a certain extent, and it is only a matter of time before it breaks out.
After the game, the news of De Jong's departure from the team was once again hotly discussed. Considering that his mentor Tenhag at Ajax is about to take over the whip of Manchester United and Manchester United are eager to strengthen the midfield this summer, the news that Tenghag is the primary target of de Jong in the British media is not without credibility.
When reporters threw the issue to Barca football adviser Cruyff Jr., he dismissed the possibility of selling De Jong: "We are not going to sell De Jong, he is a player who is very valued in club and European football, he is the kind of player who is very marketable, but we have not considered this option at all. We just want to try to stay calm and let the team win games, which is what we need. ”
Barca's top brass says they will not sell De Jong, but this does not mean that De Jong is their non-sale product, and Barca can only move Pedri in midfield at present. Therefore, if Tenhag's willingness to get De Jong is strong enough, and the Manchester United executives give enough support, and the offer meets the psychological expectations of the Barca executives, then the deal is likely to become a reality.
For De Jong, playing for Barca is his dream though. But he has been booed by home fans more than once, and his performances have so far failed to deliver on his €86 million worth. Tenhag certainly knows how to use him, and when he gets to Manchester United, he can also get his favorite position without being stuffed everywhere like a jackpot player, a cameo center-back, a left midfielder, a right midfielder, a front and back.
All deals start with rumors, the summer window is not far away, let's wait and see.