Nelson Semedo

[Porque]

Semedo: 71 matches for Barca, 0 assists.
Roberto, who plays on the same side as Semedo, a side from which it is "impossible" to make an assist: in the last 2 seasons: 13 assists.

13 vs 0.
A pure coincidence.

This season:
La Liga:
Roberto: 1 key pass per match
Semedo: 0,2 key passes per match
A coincidence.

Barcaforum verdict:
Semedo and Roberto are equal in attacking terms.
And EV often preferring Robrto is just "EV being EV" and one of his classical dumb moves.

For me, Semedo is an ok player.
In defending phase, I like him more than Roberto.

In attack though, he is totally lost and disconnected from a team. NOT because no one is on his side.
Out of 25 players in our rooster, it seems that he developed some chemistry only with Dembele, but that is a problem because:
1. Dembele is often injured
2. or playing on the other side of a pitch
3. or is quite often also quite disconnected from a team

Roberto understands our game and movement and with him on a field, in attack, we usually have an extra midfielder or an extra player.
Especially against parked buses.
Semedo's only use is: counters and crazy solo actions.
When we play against a parked bus, Semedo is most often less creative and helpful in attack than Rakitic-Paulinho-Gomes trio in terms of creation.

Good post. I would add that it is good to have two competing fullbacks with different characteristics. Roberto is better for a passing game, while Semedo when we require defensive stability, but also directness.

BUT I do think we can add another layer to Semedo's game with a pacy wide man infront of him. We have seen how he combines with Dembele. It is not just a case of connecting with Dembele but combining with the style of play that Dembele brings. We can use this more as the two of them can exploit space and counters. Semedo offensive talent is best for this and making offensive cutbacks. The issue is that the rest of the team does not move forward with the same pace as him (other than Dembele and probably Malcom).

For example, if you put Semedo in a team that either counters, breaks like LE2015, or has a CF like Aubemeyang, I am pretty sure we would see his attacking output increase.

 

[FinBarcelonafan]

Roberto is usually put in when we are trailing and looking for a goal. He can play with more risk and get more assists.

and anyone who has watched Semedo play for Barca knows he is quite unlucky to not have assist for Barca..

 

[Arizona Scott]

I think it was going the way of semedo or at least truly 50/50 until the cdr matches against Real. Roberto was so much more composed vs the young brazillian and barca played much better with him (2nd match).

I do like having both as options, but all in all imo more pluses for roberto and thru this year i expect to see him in the biggest matches. Bbzs figures are consistent with what i see at least. Semedo has generally shown a lot more good play this year than years past and i think may be the #1 rb next year.

 

[BBZ8800]

For guys who don't get why Roberto is more versatile and creative in attack, check this:

Semedo is a fullback. Roberto is quite a decent pivot and a central midfielder.
Roberto is almost good enough to play as a midfielder for the most complicated team in the world, Barca.
Semedo is a one trick or a two trick pony, who's attacking ideas are predictable and poor the same as Tello's or Halilovic's.

You can check a video below in this post, but 90% of Semedo's attacking actions are following the same pattern:
1. Semedo gets the ball and:
a) he is short sighted and all he sees are 2 players closest to him: Rakitic and Messi (or Dembele)
So, he will either play a short pass/backpass to Messi/Rakitic
b) or he will take the ball, put the head down, don't look for his teammates and run with the ball and driible
He will then:
c) either lose the ball
d) or dribble past the opponents, BUT since he has no clue where are his teammates, what is happening with his team and since he sees only 2-3 meters around him, he will then do his "classical move":
= even though he had an advantage over his opponents, once when he will get close to a touchline, he will stop, make his classical turn and then he will look for the only 2 players with whom he is familiar: Rakitic or Messi and play a backpass to them.

So, basically, he made a good move, made a 30-40 meters run, dribbles past 1-2-3 opponents and then he does absolutely nothing, stops the action and plays a backpass.
I guess that people are talking about THIS particular action when they say: Semedo is too fast for our team and there is no one to whom he could pass the ball.
I would say that Semedo is too dumb or without ideas for our team and this is why he is doing this, not because of his teammates.

Alba or Roberto in a similar situation could do this:
1. shoot on goal
2. play a low cross into a middle of a box
3. cross on the far post
4. or, like Semedo: play a backpass to the edge of a box

So, imo, Semedo vs Roberto:
1. very, very afraid vs confident
2. lower IQ vs higher IQ
3. one trick pony vs Barca's midfielder

Now, you can check these two videos.
Look at Semedo's video and try to find some DIFFERENT actions than these mentioned above:
1. either backpasses to Raki/Messi right away
2. or, he will do a run with the ball, run for 20-40 meters, then he will stop, make a turn and pass the ball back AGAIN to Raki or Messi

Roberto, on the other hand:
1. will do a lot f cut ins from a RB position into a middle
2. he will shoot from some positions
3. he will try some crosses to a far post for Suarez/Alba/Coutinho
4. or he will reach a touchline and run with ball towards a GK and then he will do something

Semedo is just too scared (imo) all the time, plus he has lower IQ and decisions than Roberto. Plus, Roberto is way, way, way more creative and he sees several options in every moment, compared to Semedo who puts his head down, kicks the ball, runs and hopes for the best.

Now, videos:
Semedo: (I don't know about you, but for me, it is painful to watch Semedo's attacking actions):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAhLAPj2nqA

Now, Roberto in matches vs Real Madrid, where he has 4-5 assists.
So, Roberto has 4-5 assists ONLY vs Real Madrid vs Semedo who has 0 assists in 70 matches for Barca.
Also, Semedo has 6 assists in his whole senior career.

Now, look at Roberto's attacking patterns and options.
His options are way more versatile and creative than Semedo's one trick pony attacking solutions.
Roberto can do a backpass, shortpass, low cross into a box, cross to a far post, pass to the edge of a box, dribble and shoot, dribble and unpredictable through pass etc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2hoH35EYAAo

Defending is a different story and Semedo is better since he is a true defender, faster and stronger.
And he is better in positioning (since he is playing there the whole career).
On the other hand, this is why Roberto is more creative than Semedo, because Roberto played as a CM for Barca for 20 years in youth categories and has 10s of different attacking, passing and creative solutions in any moment.

 

[CatalinR10]

We don't need a creative or ultra offensive RB like Dani Alves since we already have one in Jordi Alba. We need a deffensive one for ballance who won't get torn to shreds 8 out of 10 times a decent winger / striker runs at him.

 

[CatalinR10]

Also I remember this season Semedo assisting 2 in La Liga and 1 in the copa (?) . I don't know where this Semedo never assisted in 70 games comes from.

 

[behindbrowneyes]

Semedo also "won" some penalties. I can remember 2.

 

[Cule4life]

People getting surprised at BBZ making up/cherrypicking stats? You guys are long overdue for the "bears and the woods" talk

[MENTION=16942]BBZ8800[/MENTION] you have some merit in saying Bob is better in playmaking. But don't you want us to move on from tiki taka and play more aggressive and dynamic football? Semedo is much more suited for that style of football due to his pace and understanding with a dynamic winger like Dembele. Semedo struggles in Valgreen's system because everyone is static and the team has meaningless non threatening possession most of the time. Semedo would be lethal in a fast dynamic team like Liverpool.

 

[Danic]

I sum up where bbz needs a wall of text. If u want semedo tp have impact in the offense put a pacy winger like malcom or dembele in front of him. We akready saw that multiple times.
He is definately harmed by messis play style(ofc no offense to messi).

 

[BBZ8800]

Also I remember this season Semedo assisting 2 in La Liga and 1 in the copa (?) . I don't know where this Semedo never assisted in 70 games comes from.

People getting surprised at BBZ making up/cherrypicking stats? You guys are long overdue for the "bears and the woods" talk

[MENTION=16942]BBZ8800[/MENTION] you have some merit in saying Bob is better in playmaking. But don't you want us to move on from tiki taka and play more aggressive and dynamic football? Semedo is much more suited for that style of football due to his pace and understanding with a dynamic winger like Dembele. Semedo struggles in Valgreen's system because everyone is static and the team has meaningless non threatening possession most of the time. Semedo would be lethal in a fast dynamic team like Liverpool.

About me lying with stats, send a message to owners of Whoscored.
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/296363/Show/Nélson-Semedo

Click on:
1. History


According to Whoscored's stats, Semedo played 57 matches in La Liga and a CL for Barca in the last 2 seasons.
He has 0 assists in 57 matches in La Liga and a CL.
Maybe he assisted in a CDR, I have no idea...

On the other hand, Sergi Roberto:
https://www.whoscored.com/Players/90782/Show/Sergi-Roberto

Click on History again:
He played 64 matches in the last 2 seasons (since Semedo came here) and he has 13 assists in LA LIGA and in a CL.
I don't know how many additional assists he has in a CDR.

So, Cule, about my false stats, Whoscored says that in La Liga and a CDR, in the last 2 seasons, it is:
Roberto 13
Semedo 0

Some additional attacking numbers:
La Liga 2018/19:
Key passes per match:
Roberto 1,0 key passes per match
Semedo 0,2 key passes per match

Number of passes per match:
Roberto 56
Semedo 45

Average rating from Whoscored:
Roberto 6,99
Semedo 6,75

Roberto is more involved in an attacking phase.
He knows what to do with the ball.
He is confident, he has vision and ideas.

Imo, Semedo is mentally fragile and without confidence.
He often looks scared on a field and imo this is why he is picking the simplest solutions (backpasses to Messi and Rakitic) and is afraid to do something out of the box, or try a shot on goal.

Semedo does have his pros, though: like pace, physical skills, counters when there is a lot of free space infront of him.

But what now?
Some guys here are saying that Semedo is better when Dembele is on a right?
So what?
We should put Dembele on a right and force Suarez and Messi to play on different positions so that Dembele and Semedo would play better?
Don't fix what ain't broken.
With EV's current tactics, we will win the 2nd domestic double with 15 points advantage on top, so...

 

[Danic]

When we tried dembele on right it worked as well. So what. Im not quite sure if its important if messi plays rw or lw. Most if the time he doesnt play on the wing and ignores the right side anyway. Even when roberto plays there.

 

[te amo barca]

Agree with BBZ here, and the fact that Roberto is better in attack should be clear to everyone.

 

[Joan]

Good posts BBZ. I agree. Also, people seem to ignore Messi is our RW, at least on paper. That's not changing soon.

 

[Potroh]

Some guys here are saying that Semedo is better when Dembele is on a right?
So what?
We should put Dembele on a right and force Suarez and Messi to play on different positions so that Dembele and Semedo would play better?
Don't fix what ain't broken.

First of all your statistics are once again wrong, but I don't really care for the stuff based on baseless statistics.

"So what? - you are asking" I tell you what.
But more importantly you seem to lack the understanding of modern - attacking - football.
"Messi in the right" or "Suarez in the left" are your most problematic sentences, and even more so because you try to cover that with Valverde's "tactics".
Valverde has no tactics - whatsoever - or maybe a minimal quantity, he rather has good players, who often play well, that's how he survives and is getting contract extensions.
(Placing a particular line-up in a particular game or reducing the number of attackers - and hence increasing the quantity of midfielders ARE NOT TACTICS!)

If you had a clue on what the modern and state of the art attacking football is, you would not submerge in Semedo's attacking contribution, simply because he is more or less alone on the right, while Alba always has at least one partner (often two) there.
Obviously all folks mentioning when Dembele plays on the right with Semedo are damn right, because although it is still a single partnership, but way better than any other solutions.

So, if you really wish to understand modern attacking football, have a look at the best present example: the French National Team.
They DO play attacking football with 4 (FOUR!) attackers, whereas Valverde has still been hesitating between an "almost" 4-4-3 and his favorite 4-4-2 - all static formations.

Look at the French. The two "wingers" keep on changing sides, you never know if Matuidi (same when Fekir is playing) is in the left or right, if Mbappe will submerge in the right or the left.
At the same time, the other two attackers, Griezmann and Giroud always change positions, and only Giroud plays centrally, while Griezmann also changes sides all the time.
Also mind it please that behind them there is a Pogba who is good enough and dangerous enough to be a potentially 5th attacker.

No Static setup, no static play, constantly changing places all the time, etc.
That is modern attacking football, regardless if you try to define it 4-2-4 or 3-2-5 or whatever.

But your thinking is as static as Valverde's mediocre tactics are, so obviously you see and regard the speedy and quite talented Semedo as being a weak figure in attack.
It's not fair and blind statistics won't make it the unquestionable truth...

 

[BBZ8800]

First of all your statistics are once again wrong, but I don't really care for the stuff based on baseless statistics.

Everything you said is fine.
But, one thing is a problem:
If poor Semedo is alone on a right side and can't do anything, then how on Earth:
1. Roberto has 13 assists then in the same time,
2. from EXACTLY the same position,
3. with NO ONE around him,
4. with a bad coach,
5. in a static system where nobody moves, as you claim?