11 | Jeremy Doku - 2023/24

[GX Blue]

FFS Talk about looking for negatives.

I like Doku.

This a Doku discussion. Good or bad. Funny or whatever.

It was just an observation.

 

[supercity88]

I thought he was okay yesterday. Worked hard defensively. Mixed his game up by taking Dalot on or looking to square it. Nothing really came off, but that was true of most of our work in the first half. Pep noted we needed more composure and to manipulate the space more so made the substitution and it worked well. He's a threat for certain circumstances, and he is young enough to develop his all round game and mix things up more.

 

[Craig]

Going through a spell where not much is coming off for him and teams are definitely reading and marking him better. He’s a young lad though with plenty of potential to improve and kick on in time.

One thing that i think is holding him back a bit at the moment is him getting caught in 2 minds. His natural instinct and talent is for attacking his man but at times lately he’s stopping and taking a few touches. By which point teams have an extra man across to double up on him. When we get it to him quickly in a one on one he needs to get back to being really positive and backing himself.

 

[CC1]

I like Doku.

This a Doku discussion. Good or bad. Funny or whatever.

It was just an observation.

agreed if we're talking about performance and commenting that he has still got a lot to learn from Pep and is only young etc but to comment on the fact he looked unhappy when we scored is - well - just unnecessary

 

[roman totale]

Shades of Jesus Navas at his most predictable, ineffective worse yesterday. Frankly, he’s not ready to be a starter yet, not was that the game for him with the rags parking the bus. He’ll get better, I’m sure.

 

[GX Blue]

agreed if we're talking about performance and commenting that he has still got a lot to learn from Pep and is only young etc but to comment on the fact he looked unhappy when we scored is - well - just unnecessary

Where can I talk about this observation then?

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

A bit like our other new signings in the summer, all take time to get that instinctive knowledge of where the game changers are, it took Mahrez, Grealish and Gundogan time to settle, with more coaching he will know where the likes of Phil, Kev and Bernie are when he crosses, he’s not without skill but sometimes I wish he would look up more, simply put the defender on the back foot and make the simple passes as they arrive. OK it was hard for him yesterday and at Bournemouth because both quickly got their blocks in, until:they didn’t. Patience!

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

This thesis is just too long.

It's football not some diplomatic treaty.

A thesis is around 75,000 words long, his reply was about 1% of a thesis.

 

[Belgian Flash]

I have previously called him a special talent, a star in the making, etc., so I hope my comment is seen as in good faith. I still think he can live up to it, but it largely depends on whether he has that fire in him to develop his game. Anyway, the link doesn't work for me, but I presume it's his highlights/one of those every-touch videos (although these are often not accurate/lack context). Instead, I will refer to my observations/some stats and try to justify why he is criticised right now/for a while now.

To begin with, not doing anything wrong is not enough to justify a starting place in this City side. Not in the position he is playing in. Whereas Nathan Ake fits the description of someone who usually doesn't do anything wrong (his main job as a defender) and is rightly praised for it, Jeremy occasionally gets dispossessed in positions that often lead to counter-attacks and cost us goals in the past. Even if he doesn't do anything wrong in a particular game, then it's still not enough. For example, Sergio Gomez hasn't done anything wrong this season per se, yet he doesn't get a sniff and hasn't played in a long time. He is great technically, provides dangerous crosses, and doesn't get dispossessed much. In a way, he is more of a City-type player than Jeremy, but he probably lacks this one thing he excels at. Of course, I am not claiming Gomez is better than Jeremy. Jeremy has some very special talents, which is exactly why Pep keeps on giving him chances. What I am trying to say is that what makes or made (earlier in the season) Jeremy special is what he can provide in terms of a direct, attacking threat. Therefore, can he use his acceleration and dribble past his opponents as the biggest dribbler in Europe, and thus create chances for himself or others? If he can't, then he suddenly has very little use to this City team since he is a little one-dimensional as it stands.

Now, let's compare him to the other players. For example, you mentioned Bernardo, KDB, and Haaland. Firstly, Haaland is the exception in this City team and is the only player allowed to contribute not much other than holding up the ball and creating space for others with his big, physical presence. However, he is judged by his goals. That's his special skill. If his goals were to stop, he would be criticised, and it happened before (1st half of the game yesterday, even). Nevertheless, because he scores ridiculous amounts of goals, he justifies his place in the City team even if it seems like he is not doing much else. That brings me to KDB. Again, Kevin is special for his creativity. Consequently, he is mostly judged based on chances created for others and assists. He does that incredibly well, even if he doesn't assist in a particular match. For example, he had 6 key passes yesterday, 12 crosses, 4/4 successful long balls, and 1/1 successful through ball. Therefore, whereas he might have been below his usual best in the world at what he does standard, he still did his job well and created a lot of potential chances. Finally, Bernardo. For starters, his work rate is insanely high, so he contributes much more defensively than Jeremy. For example, 4 interceptions to Jeremy's 0, although Bernardo does so much more than that. On the other hand, he still had 7 key passes and 8 crosses to Jeremy's 1 key pass and 2 crosses. Bernardo had more successful long/through balls as well. Therefore, Bernardo did his job incredibly well as well. Created chances and read the game well defensively. Of course, I understand Jeremy got subbed, but both Kevin and Bernardo had better stats before Jeremy was subbed, and both proved for years that they are game-changers.

To summarise, everyone in the City team has a job and is judged based on it. Players like Haaland, Bernardo, or KDB are recognised, established world-class players, who are always capable of some magic. They have worked for that status by displaying consistently high standards for years (even in the case of Haaland). For Jeremy, he has to prove himself, so not doing anything wrong is not enough for him because recently he doesn't do what he is good at. We didn't bring him to City for his ball-retention skills. He has been playing ahead of a treble-winning Jack Grealish, who had a magnificent season last season, and Oscar Bobb, who has been previously called a Future Ballon d'Or winner by City officials. Yesterday, he also played ahead of Julian Alvarez, a World Cup winner, who scores and creates for fun since day 1 at City, or Kovacic, if you twist the tactic, so a guy who has won several CL titles, and proved himself internationally, so is generally incredible at what he does for years. The bar is set incredibly high. If you are not world-class, it's not enough to start.

That's what I make of it anyway.

You are right, but my point was that the vitriol directed at Doku based on his performance relative to others is just way too extreme. Until the 60th minute nothing came off for anyone. And while Jeremy bears responsibility for his part, mostly for being too static and predictable, some of the things being said are just plain wrong and unfair.

I find it interesting though this pattern I noticed how during the game and right after it, fans curse and diss Doku, but once they get some time to reflect and absorb what happened, they usually get some perspective and realize he hasnt been nearly as bad as it seemed to them first. I think this is because when you watch him play, due to his style you think hes capable of miracles, and then you get disappointed because hes not superhuman.

I agree that hes a bit inside his head right now and doesn't play with his usual freedom and audacity. Hes stuck between following his instincts and the instructions to not lose the ball. The only way to successfully resolve that dilemma imo is to make more runs off the ball and play more one twos.

 

[eastmanc]

He is badly laking in confidence at the moment but he is young and it will only take one game for him to get that confidence back. Having said that in the run in he might not get many more chances. I think using Jezzer as an impact sub might be the best way to use him and the best way to get that confidence back.