Nelson Semedo

[xXKonan]

Rakitic movement wasn't the fault, he came from long distance away as he was pressuring another player in the middle , the whole team shifted to left side due to Vermaelen pressuring.
Rakitic has made the best he can do in such situation really.
As for Semedo, it wasn't just the goal, he made more wrong than right that game.



Rakitic is a midfielder, not a winger. I honestly still prefer us when we had a RW and don't like that Valverde is ignoring that.



That is true, but at the mean time people will also have to understand that when Roberto is playing at the position, it isn't because EV is an idiot, but because he has been our best RB this season.

He's a Midfielder yeah but in Valverde's system he wants a more collective effort, especially when it comes to defending. Just because Rakitic is a Midfielders it doesn't mean he shouldn't at least be supporting Semedo on the right whether it be attacking or defending. It was obvious Valverde wasn't happy with both Semedo and Rakitic after that goal, and Rakitic was pulled shortly after we conceded speaks volumes considering he never gets subbed off.

 

[Neeraj]

This has to be the most pathetic comment I've read, in the first sentence you give away that you hate Rakitic and just want to blame him for something. If Semedo followed the overlap Rakitic would have gotten there in time to cover, even if he was late its much more important to follow the overlapping guy, Semedo probably saw him too late.

Yes I 'give it away', because it's a big secret Rakitic has been crap for some time now. *facepalm*

Rakitic was nowhere near being in the correct position. He should be right next to Semedo holding a jockey position. He's floating somewhere behind, not even in Semedo's peripheral vision. Maybe Semedo got caught like a deer in headlights with the 2v1, and I even admitted he didn't have a great game. So the only thing that's pathetic is your feeble attempt to defend Rakitic, for whatever reason.

 

[MessiCam]

Alba has Iniesta and/or Denis to play with when making overlapping runs and Umtiti covering his flank when he's caught napping. Semedo has Rakitic and/or Deulofeu and an out of form Pique.

Semedo will come good once the right side of midfield and wing is sorted.

 

[Gaudi]

I don't blame Rakitic here, he would have covered the run to the middle but Semedo had to cover flank.

 

[jairzinho]

I don't blame Rakitic here, he would have covered the run to the middle but Semedo had to cover flank.

Mate. I would suggest you have another look at the replay. When Guedes receives the ball at the edge of the box, Rakitic is in no position to cover the run to the middle. It means that Semedo had to cover the run to the middle AND cover against the advancing fullback.

Get out of here with your photoshopped pictures to make Semedo look good. All I see in the Real picture is Semdo being shite again. Not only did Semedo fail to contain Guedes , he also failed to cover Gaya. What a horrible player.

I see what you did there.

 

[Stoichkov1]

Mate. I would suggest you have another look at the replay. When Guedes receives the ball at the edge of the box, Rakitic is in no position to cover the run to the middle. It means that Semedo had to cover the run to the middle AND cover against the advancing fullback.




I see what you did there.

That's definitely not true, check the replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0Z5lmxJmU

Rakitic was covering the guy with the ball and a possible run in the middle, Semedo had just to follow the overlap. Rakitic has been average during the last two years but Semedo is 100% to blame here.

 

[MessiCam]

That's definitely not true, check the replay: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AC0Z5lmxJmU

Rakitic was covering the guy with the ball and a possible run in the middle, Semedo had just to follow the overlap. Rakitic has been average during the last two years but Semedo is 100% to blame here.

This is nonsense man and you know it. Firstly, Rakitic was late, approaching from the blind side while Semedo had already picked his man. What you're suggesting Semedo do is drop his man to focus on the overlap not knowing where Rakitic is. Had he done that Guedes would have been clean through. That's crazy defending and something Liverpool would do.

Rakitic is responsible for that entire play... He makes no attempt to close down the player in the centre of the field looking for the pass to Guedes or even stick a foot out. Look at Rakitic before as well as after the overlap pass is made. He makes no attempt to close down the left back down or even to pressure the vacant space behind Semedo. He's ball watching during that entire play.

Edit: Anyway, this is a typical counter-attack against a team with no wings... The opposition full backs are not covered (Cruyff spoke at length about this sort of thing). If Valverde plays this system, narrow 4-4-2 double pivot or 4-4-2 diamond, against Madrid we will get hammered.

 

[Gaudi]

Rakitic is actually ahead of entire midfield going back, stop the video on 0:51, then he is moving to the right to block inside run.

 

[MessiCam]

Rakitic is actually ahead of entire midfield going back, stop the video on 0:51, then he is moving to the right to block inside run.

He is too late to block the inside run. Semedo has already chosen to do that. As the player arriving late he should have covered the overlap or the space behind Semedo not the other way around.

 

[Neeraj]

Anyway, that's a lot of debate on one play, albeit one that lead to a goal. Clearly some people believe it's Rakitic, some believe it's Semedo.

I think the larger point here is that Semedo needs playing time to improve, and has shown potential. No reason to start going loco about RB position yet. If he's still shit after consistent playing time, then we can talk about replacements.

 

[Stoichkov1]

This is nonsense man and you know it. Firstly, Rakitic was late, approaching from the blind side while Semedo had already picked his man. What you're suggesting Semedo do is drop his man to focus on the overlap not knowing where Rakitic is. Had he done that Guedes would have been clean through. That's crazy defending and something Liverpool would do.

Rakitic is responsible for that entire play... He makes no attempt to close down the player in the centre of the field looking for the pass to Guedes or even stick a foot out. Look at Rakitic before as well as after the overlap pass is made. He makes no attempt to close down the left back down or even to pressure the vacant space behind Semedo. He's ball watching during that entire play.

Edit: Anyway, this is a typical counter-attack against a team with no wings... The opposition full backs are not covered (Cruyff spoke at length about this sort of thing). If Valverde plays this system, narrow 4-4-2 double pivot or 4-4-2 diamond, against Madrid we will get hammered.

Rakitic was covering the inside run of the player with the ball. Don't you see how close he is to him? He should not have covered the overlap because there was Semedo.

A similar situation happened to Real Madrid when Messi scored the last minute winner this april: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8GjrmtxIA0

Andre Gomes has the ball, Marcelo covers him, Alba does the overlap and Carvajal covers him. The midfielder is not supposed to cover the fullback's overlap, it's basic stuff what I'm saying.

 

[Gaudi]

He is too late to block the inside run. Semedo has already chosen to do that. As the player arriving late he should have covered the overlap or the space behind Semedo not the other way around.

And is a wrong decision by Semedo by any normal football logic, in the middle there is a chance that your defendig partners will block the run and Rakitic could do it as well, yet no one except RB can block the flank.

 

[MessiCam]

Anyway, that's a lot of debate on one play, albeit one that lead to a goal. Clearly some people believe it's Rakitic, some believe it's Semedo.

I think the larger point here is that Semedo needs playing time to improve, and has shown potential. No reason to start going loco about RB position yet. If he's still shit after consistent playing time, then we can talk about replacements.

Yeah, it's a lot of debate on one play but the broader issue this very matter reflects will remain with narrow setups. It's been happening for years, just in another sense, when Messi would drift centrally leaving the opposition left back to basically do as he pleases. We need wings in terms of offence and defence... Whether that leads to Suarez as CF or Messi as False 9 doesn't really matter.

 

[MessiCam]

And is a wrong decision by Semedo by any normal football logic, in the middle there is a chance that your defendig partners will block the run and Rakitic could do it as well, yet no one except RB can block the flank.

Because Rakitic was late, had he covered the overlap Guedes would have been clean through. So it's a lose-lose situation for him. Rakitic as the late player should have attacked the space behind Semedo.

 

[Neeraj]

Yeah, it's a lot of debate on one play but the broader issue this very matter reflects will remain with narrow setups. It's been happening for years, just in another sense, when Messi would drift centrally leaving the opposition left back to basically do as he pleases. We need wings in terms of offence and defence... Whether that leads to Suarez as CF or Messi as False 9 doesn't really matter.

Yeah, there's no doubt that our wings need more penetration. The problem, even with Alba's side, is that Alba can only do one move - which is make runs and put in a cross, which can be hit and miss. Without Dembele, we lack anyone who can take their man on. Deulofeu is the only other person who even tries, but is pretty shit unfortunately. I look at most good teams and they all have dangerous wingers/full backs who run at your defenders. We exclusively pass sideways/backwards on reaching the wings - Roberto did that at RB too, since he's NOT a wing back, and going past the opposition wing backs is not his game. I look at what Marcelo provides RM, it's unreal what effect that has on the overall setup all across the pitch.

When we saw Semedo initially, he looked confident and looked to take on his man every now and then. His confidence seems destroyed now, and I can't help but think Valverde had a big part to play in that.