For starters the majority of the teams Barcelona face implement a low block. This means forwards will have little space to play in, and consequently will have to rely on plays in tight spaces. Dembele as he has shown in the past two years does not have the skillset to play in tight spaces, particularly due to his ball control and dribbling in tight areas. Dembele doesn't seem to excel in quick short passing either, which Barcelona relies on even when they're not playing against low blocks. The issue is technical and related to football intelligence. For example, although he's capable of magic his first and subsequent touches are considerably inconsistent. Secondly, he regularly takes a second too long pick an option for a pass. We can see him being mediocre, invisible, and down right bad due to these aforementioned problems in various matches throughout the season. Just look back at the posts from October 2018 questioning his technique, his decision making with the ball, and comparisons to Lukaku for multiple matches. If you think I'm delusional well I'll say at least I'm not alone. Last point which is related to his intelligence, is his constant isolation from build up play and low chemistry with his teammates. You guys attribute that to several external problems: lack of consistency in minutes (even though he regularly started for a good chunk of the season), lackluster teammates (ageing players being too slow for him), and being too individualistic in style. I'd point out Arthur and Aleсa are also greenhorn, far more than he is, and seem to be more involved in build up play than he is. Hell, riqui puig shows more understanding with them and he's not even a senior player. Considering he has the same build up issue in France, whereas his teammates (Griezmann, Mbappe. Matuidi) don't show similar issues I'm inclined to assert it's due to his low ability tactical ability and decision making.
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