With each passing match, Memphis Depay is shrinking. It usually takes time for players to adapt to a new league.
Depay came to Barca to prove he could lead the attack
After a bright start to his time at Camp Nou, the Netherlands forward has struggled to make an impact in recent weeks and was poor in El Clasico. With each passing match, Memphis Depay is shrinking. It usually takes time for players to adapt to a new league. Still, the reverse is happening at Barcelona, where the Netherlands international hit the ground running, only to have gradually lost his edge week by week. Perhaps the intense pressure and bad vibe around Barca, exacerbated by Lionel Messi’s departure, is bringing Depay down. Upon his arrival from Lyon, he was a breath of fresh air, arriving at just the right time. Unburdened by history, painful defeats and collapses in big games, Depay came to Camp Nou to prove he could lead the attack at an elite club after his previous failure at Manchester United.
Memphis has seven goals and four assists with the Netherlands team
With Messi gone, the stage was set for a new star, someone who could distract from the pain of losing their greatest legend and start the rebuild. However, after an outstanding debut in the 4-2 thrashing of Real Sociedad, where Depay oozed class, invention and menace, and early strikes against Athletic Club and Getafe, the goals have dried up. Since August, the only goals Depay has to his name have come from the penalty spot against Levante and Valencia, and he has not provided any assists in that time either. For the Netherlands, though, it has been a different story. In his last four World Cup qualifying appearances, Depay has seven goals and four assists, proving the same dynamic presence he was for Lyon last season.
The Dutch had an extremely low-key game
Facing Montenegro, Turkey, Latvia, and Gibraltar are significantly easier than the likes of Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Bayern Munich and Benfica. Still, Depay has also fired blanks against Granada, Cadiz and Dynamo Kyiv. More problematically, he tries to do too much in possession, rarely taking the easy option, and it results in a lot of turnovers. Depay lost the ball 16 times in El Clasico on Sunday, including one where he was robbed by David Alaba, who finished the move by scoring at the other end. It sent Madrid ahead and paved the way for their 2-1 win, taking them five points clear of ninth-placed Barcelona. Depay could not get the better of winger Lucas Vazquez, who was operating at right-back and failed to get a single shot on target. “His minute impact is worrying. He had an extremely low-key game.”
Replacing Messi always seemed like an impossible job, and it is proving to be the case. Depay, though, is not giving up yet. Asked if he had any regrets about coming to Barcelona, Depay emphatically denied he did. “How could you ask that?” he told reporters earlier in October. “It’s Barcelona. I don’t think you understand how big this club is and what it means for a player if you move to a club like this. I would never regret it.”