Ousmane Dembele Showed Form For France Which Can Win Over Barcelona Boss Ernesto Valverde

Ousmane Dembele Showed Form For France Which Can Win Over Barcelona Boss Ernesto Valverde
10:46, 03 Jun 2018

That’s more like it!

The way that Ousmane Dembele played against Italy on Friday night was reminiscent of his time at Borussia Dortmund.

It harked back to the form that persuaded Barcelona to part with 147m euros (£135.5m) last summer for his services.

Unfortunately, since pulling on the Blaugrana, we’ve seen precious little of the lightning-quick pace, deft touches and crisp finishes.

Towards the end of the La Liga campaign, he’d hit a bit of a sweet spot it’s true, and maybe if injury hadn’t cruelly robbed him of much of the campaign things might’ve been different.

But there has been a reticence to take on players and move through the gears at club level.

Compare that to the man unleashed against Italy.

A sublime goal underscored a superb individual performance, and had he scored from a counter-attack – the ball eventually hitting the crossbar – it would’ve easily been the goal of the game.

The youngster showcased everything that he has in his locker in that one move: Gazelle-like sprinting, technical brilliance and a deft finish. A couple of inches lower and he would’ve raised the roof.

Barcelona are still waiting to see something like that, and it’s perhaps for that reason that rumours are still doing the rounds that he will be loaned out, or perhaps even sold.

Whether that’s because the club feel they’ve made a mistake, or it’s to make room for Antoine Griezmann, no one is really sure at this stage.

It really should be born in mind however, that Neymar took a full season to bed down at the club.

His second campaign was a stormer as he played a full part in Barca winning their second treble, which was in stark contrast to his debut season where much the same criticism Dembele has received, was being levelled at him.

There’s no doubt that when he’s at the top of his game, the Frenchman is one of Europe’s best young players, and if he can reproduce the same during the World Cup, arguably he’s earned himself a reprieve. If indeed he ever need to.

Ernesto Valverde didn’t appear to be his greatest supporter at some points of 2017/18, though his comments at various times should be seen as motivational.

If you want to be one of the stars of the show at Barcelona, then work ethic and the team come before all else. On plenty of occasions Dembele could be seen labouring to get back, only coming to life when the ball was in his immediate vicinity.

That has to change.

Talk of loans or a sale won’t rear its ugly head again if he shows up in France’s next few games.

Friday night’s Dembele is the player that Valverde has been crying out for. Time to deliver.

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