11 - Ousmane Dembélé - V1

[Cruyff-Total Football]

It's not only in that situation Roberto did this. Everytime he is in 1v1 he stays too far away giving the player too much time, space and options and just keeps backing off and backing off.

This is true to some extent.

 

[JamDav1982]

It's not only in that situation Roberto did this. Everytime he is in 1v1 he stays too far away giving the player too much time, space and options and just keeps backing off and backing off.

Dont agree and in this game it was not how you made it out to be.

Sevilla looked to expose other side more often.

For someone that backs off so much he has amongst the best defensive stats in the team and gets dribbled less than Alba according to who scored.

 

[5ergio_Busquets]

If you are still talking about their 1st goal, it wasn't 1 v 1 but 1 v 2 situation.

Roberto might have done better but it's extremely hard to close such situations with a lot of space not covered.

It's not in just Sevilla's first goal, Roberto is a very bad defender overall. Positioning, tackling, marking he just isn't a defender and hasn't got what is needed for this position. Going forward he isn't great either, against Sevilla on several occasions he had so much time and space to bring a cross into the penalty area but still got it blocked.

 

[JamDav1982]

It's not in just Sevilla's first goal, Roberto is a very bad defender overall. Positioning, tackling, marking he just isn't a defender and hasn't got what is needed for this position. Going forward he isn't great either, against Sevilla on several occasions he had so much time and space to bring a cross into the penalty area but still got it blocked.

Why does he get dribbled less than likes of Alba and have some of best defensive stats in the team then?

Roberto can look uncomfortable when left one on one with player in space but not as much as likes of you make out.

Proof is game v Sevilla where it gets made out he was constantly being dribbled and Sevilla targeting him which was not the case.

Going forward he is very good but like almost all v Sevilla was poor.

 

[5ergio_Busquets]

Dont agree and in this game it was not how you made it out to be.

Sevilla looked to expose other side more often.

For someone that backs off so much he has amongst the best defensive stats in the team and gets dribbled less than Alba according to who scored.

Alba went forward much more than Roberto and still both games came from Roberto's side. We already discussed why he does get dribbled by less and stats as we know can be misleading.
Your stats say he does get dribbled past less than Alba does that mean he is a better defender than Alba?

 

[JamDav1982]

Alba went forward much more than Roberto and still both games came from Roberto's side. We already discussed why he does get dribbled by less and stats as we know can be misleading.
Your stats say he does get dribbled past less than Alba does that mean he is a better defender than Alba?

The second goal was more central and it came from a couple deflections after Pique tackled the player. Not down Robertos side or anything he was at fault for.

The vast majority of times they were left in space and created the chances was down the left.

Trying to pin that second goal as being 'down Robertos side' is exactly what happens.

 

[5ergio_Busquets]

Why does he get dribbled less than likes of Alba and have some of best defensive stats in the team then?

Roberto can look uncomfortable when left one on one with player in space but not as much as likes of you make out.

Proof is game v Sevilla where it gets made out he was constantly being dribbled and Sevilla targeting him which was not the case.

Going forward he is very good but like almost all v Sevilla was poor.

No he isn't. Can't cross well, hasn't got the speed and the dribbling to beat defenders and if offered a chance unlikely to score from it. Only one thing that makes him look better than Semedo in that aspect is his understanding with the players he has been playing with for years.
Roberto been playing at RB for enough time to master that position if he got what it takes but still he is nowhere near good enough to play there in big games.

 

[BBZ8800]

No he isn't. Can't cross well, hasn't got the speed and the dribbling to beat defenders and if offered a chance unlikely to score from it. Only one thing that makes him look better than Semedo in that aspect is his understanding with the players he has been playing with for years.
Roberto been playing at RB for enough time to master that position if he got what it takes but still he is nowhere near good enough to play there in big games.

Roberto is not dribbling and crossing but he plays like a midfielder when he is in the opponent's half.
Semedo can run, dribble and cross on paper, but in reality nothing happens.

With Roberto, we have an extra midfielder in the attacking third.
With Semedo, we play with 10 men in the attacking third, as if we are red carded.

 

[FCBfan22]

Roberto is not dribbling and crossing but he plays like a midfielder when he is in the opponent's half.
Semedo can run, dribble and cross on paper, but in reality nothing happens.

With Roberto, we have an extra midfielder in the attacking third.
With Semedo, we play with 10 men in the attacking third, as if we are red carded.

You probably mean 7 men, since the CB's are not there.

 

[BBZ8800]

You probably mean 7 men, since the CB's are not there.

Either way, we play with a men less in an attacking sense when he is on the field.

In shortest, with Roberto on a field, the opponents have to cover 8 of our players (everyone except a Gk, Cb1 and Cb2).
So, that is 8 of our guys vs 10 opponents in their half.

When Semedo is on a field, the opponents don't have to mark him because he will do absolutely nothing.
That means 7 of our players vs 10 opponents in their half.

Simple maths:
When Roberto is on a field, Messi, Suarez and other guys will be covered by less opponent's defenders.
When Semedo is on a field, opponents will have more "free staff" to cover and neutralize Messi.

So, yeah, Roberto can't dribble and cross (lel), but he offers way more than Semedo on several other levels which need way more deeper understanding of a match and 1000s of almost invisible consequences on a team's strength and balance.

 

[FCBfan22]

Roberto has his leathal runs, while Semedo doesn't (yet). Simple as that.

Still, in away CL ties, I would play them both and bench Dembele.

 

[Total-Football]

if had to count our problems right now Roberto would be placed somewhere at the bottom of the list.

 

[5ergio_Busquets]

Roberto is not dribbling and crossing but he plays like a midfielder when he is in the opponent's half.
Semedo can run, dribble and cross on paper, but in reality nothing happens.

With Roberto, we have an extra midfielder in the attacking third.
With Semedo, we play with 10 men in the attacking third, as if we are red carded.

Semedo had some very good games attacking wise for Barca, the understanding between him and his team mates needs to be better but I think this can come with time.
It's remarkable how bad performances by Roberto, who has a lot of experience playing with the team get overlooked and forgotten quickly, yet a single mistake done by Semedo can make people forget everything he did well.

 

[5ergio_Busquets]

if had to count our problems right now Roberto would be placed somewhere at the bottom of the list.

What are the bigger problems then?
Roberto at RB is the weakest link in the team (if Paulinho isn't playing). Him at RMF with Semedo behind him at RB would solve a lot of the team's problems.

 

[BBZ8800]

Roberto has his leathal runs, while Semedo doesn't (yet). Simple as that.

Still, in away CL ties, I would play them both and bench Dembele.

It is not only about Roberto's solo runs.
He has our DNA, literally and knows how to play a build up and a possession game.

On the other hand, Paulinho, Dembele and Semedo are probably 3 players with the least "Barca's DNA" currently in our team.
The same as how Paulinho is unfit for our midfield standards, that way Dembele and Semedo are strange fits for our style of play.
They DO have some positive individual skills, though, way more than Paulinho (at least Dembele).

But, when you play Semedo and Dembele on the right, and if you put Paulinho or Roberto as a CM, you are losing Barca's possession style and we look like some counterattacking teams, like in Lucho's era.
Again, that doesn't mean that Dembele and guys can't provide some good stuff.
But still, their current style of play hasn't got too much with Barca and with understanding with current Barca's players.

Semedo had some very good games attacking wise for Barca, the understanding between him and his team mates needs to be better but I think this can come with time.
It's remarkable how bad performances by Roberto, who has a lot of experience playing with the team get overlooked and forgotten quickly, yet a single mistake done by Semedo can make people forget everything he did well.

People are talking about Semedo's good games all the time.
What was that, 3 matches in September, because since then he had 1 good game in the next 20 appearances.