Danny Murphy has claimed that Jeremy Doku is an absolute nightmare to play against for defenders.
After Manchester City’s 2-0 victory against Newcastle United in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, Pep Guardiola praised the Belgian international, describing his performance as “brilliant.”
In November, former Tottenham Hotspur and Everton winger Aaron Lennon assured that defenders must be terrified at the prospect of going toe-to-toe with the 21-year-old.
Danny Murphy says Jeremy Doku is “so hard” to defend against
Last year, Max Aarons, who went head-to-head with Jeremy Doku in his side’s 6-1 battering against City was confident that he would cause several full-backs plenty of problems this season.
Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk also described the youngster as a “very good dribbler” after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with the Sky Blues at the Etihad Stadium.
Danny Murphy was full of praise for how Jeremy Doku performed against Newcastle while emphasising how tough he is to play against.
“Great save, great move. Really, really positive again from [Jeremy] Doku. It’s a great save from [Martin] Dubravka’s left hand. So inventive, so creative, he’s so hard to play against”, he said after Doku’s shot on target in the first half on BBC Sport.
Murphy also stated on BBC Sport, “It’s that man Doku again, once he is through on goal, you can’t stop him. A good save from Dubravka, he takes a whack. Doku has really impressed so far.”
“Doku is electric. Great feet, great balance. I wouldn’t want to play against him, that is for sure. They say watch the feet, not the ball, it’s not as simple as that. I tried that once against Gianfranco Zola at Anfield, it didn’t go well.”
Patience is key with Jeremy Doku
In our view, it is hard to disagree with Danny Murphy, considering Jeremy Doku has given defenders across Europe games to forget when he has faced them.
Despite how entertaining Doku is to watch, it seems like he has his fair share of critics.
Some feel that for all of the former Rennes winger’s tricks and flicks, he lacks end product; which is a fair point, despite playing for one of the best teams in the world. Others feel that the speedster still has plenty of room for improvement when it comes to his defensive work and in terms of keeping the ball, which are also points that cannot be disputed.
But simultaneously, considering how many positive signs Jeremy Doku has shown this season, one must accept the rough with the smooth from a young player who is playing his first season of Premier League football in a Pep Guardiola side.
Over time, Doku is likely to develop into a much more mature and well-rounded player after fully getting a hang of Guardiola’s demands and an understanding of elite-level football.
