Sergi Roberto

khaled_a_d

Senior Member
Roberto was horrible last season defensively too in a vast majority of the games that mattered. Atrocious in both legs vs. Chelsea, made Willian look like a god winger. Atrocious vs Roma even though he wasn't a defender but was getting killed 1v1 all the time. Horrible vs RM in the 2-2 and got sent off. Horrible in the game he played in the Supercup vs RM where we lost 2-0. The only significant game where he was solid defensively as a RB was the 3-0 Clasico.

Alves in 15/16 made do just fine with a lazy Messi abandoning RW and Rakitic as his only defensive support. We were superb that season with an extremely long unbeaten run and honestly unlucky to not make it through in CL. The season after in the EXACT same situation Roberto was horrible and led to us having to change formation eventually because of how often he'd get targeted and abused. Nothing changed on that right hand side except Roberto, so enough with that excuse that he is the only defender who's seen his wing get exposed.

There is no evidence at all that Roberto is even close to acceptable defensively for the CL/high stakes level. At most you've provided extremely flimsy excuses for it. It is baffling that a guy who is flat out unplayable in big games defensively and has 0 UCL assists and a career of multiple high profile disasterclasses in the UCL is seen as "the best we can do" at RB.

Both Paulinho and Dembele abandoned their defensive work most of the game against Chelsea, Roberto was attacked by Alonso,Willian and Hazard, at least 2 of them at each time while Paulinho and to lesser extent Dembele not giving any support in a 442 formation where Raki doesn't support right side. Same thing against RM with Coutinho playing his worst game here, and Roberto was doing very well considering 2 of Benzema,Cr7 and Marcelo was on him alone. Do you seriously expect any FB to look good when 2 players are overlapping him? You are gonna bring Roma game when talking about RB? I mean seriously :lol:

Our struggles on right side started with Alves, don't twist things man, we started that season with Messi as RW, around January he moved to SS and left the right side, we play RM after break and Zidane exposes right side with Alves, we almost lose the league, get out of CL and even struggled in CDR final after every coach attack us from this side. Roberto had to pick up the shit that started with Alves, so no Alves wasn't even close of being superb at that year when teams attacked him with no support.

So enough with this theory, no RB in the world would do well if he is left alone, no one in front of him, and even the CB supporting him is now the worse one.
 

Danic

New member
And why did this never happen to semedo in this way?!
Are u seriously telling us he is some kind of genious RB without any flaws?!
 

Gnidrologist

Senior Member
Indeed. This can come only from a plastic fan who never understood Barca style. Roberto isn't genius like Xavi or Iniesta, but he is very productive overall in any position he plays because he knows the underlying system. This is why player, who has much more raw talent than him in case of Dembele (even Semedo), are struggling to be productive part. Roberto might not be flashy, but he fits our overall play as a glove. It's coache's problem to find him the most appropriate role, even if it's of the bench.
 

Zidane82

Well-known member
Indeed. This can come only from a plastic fan who never understood Barca style. Roberto isn't genius like Xavi or Iniesta, but he is very productive overall in any position he plays because he knows the underlying system. This is why a player, who has much more raw talent than him in case of Dembele (even Semedo), are struggling to be productive part. Roberto might not be flashy, but he fits our overall play as a glove. It's coache's problem to find him the most appropriate role, even if it's of the bench.
That's his place really .... off the bench sub in midfield when the opposition are tired and he can make those fast darting runs .... He should never play at RB again though ...
 

serghei

Senior Member
He is a fine RB, but not great. Would be nice if we could combine Roberto and Semedo and get the best out of both, but as it stands, no matter who we play of the two, we lose something important in that position.
 

DonAK

President of FC Barcelona
He is a fine RB, but not great. Would be nice if we could combine Roberto and Semedo and get the best out of both, but as it stands, no matter who we play of the two, we lose something important in that position.

He's just not a top tier FB regardless of whether Semedo flops or not. He has some very obvious weaknesses which puts him behind several other FBs and is a definitive weak link in defence.

I just want this team to have a top tier RB ever since Dani Alves left. Don't care about Team of the Season gimmicks where Busquets never appeared even during his prime.
 
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serghei

Senior Member
He's just not a top tier FB regardless of whether Semedo flops or not. He has some very obvious weaknesses which puts him behind several other FBs and is a definitive weak link in defence.

I just want this team to have a top tier RB ever since Dani Alves left. Don't care about Team of the Season gimmicks where Busquets never appeared even during his prime.

The market doesn't have a world class RB we could buy. And remember that Alves came at Barcelona and spent 4 years with Pep, under which he developed immensely and became an all time great fullback. It's Guardiola we're talking about, not freaking Valverde. It's like night and day in terms of player development. You only have potential great RBs on the market that take a lot of work under a great manager to become truly world class.

We can't be buying world class players in every position anyway. Which is why we need to appoint the right manager who could develop these younger talents we have. We haven't got a manager like that in years. Tito, Tata, Lucho, and Valverde were or are pretty weak in this area. Which is very important mind you. Player development and youth integration are like some of the most important things a manager has to get right.
 
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mc_lovin

Senior Member
Alves already looked immense for Sevilla... sure, Guardiola is a great coach, but he doesnt magically create all time greats. You need quality for that.
 

RMU ReBorn

New member
Alves was a top class Rb in sevilla and won them two Europa leagues and a Uefa super cup beating Barca back in 2006 . He was one of their best players . Pep has nothing on him :lol:

Alves already looked immense for Sevilla... sure, Guardiola is a great coach, but he doesnt magically create all time greats. You need quality for that.

Except Busi ,Pep hasn't created any all time great . That too Busi wasn't a regular in his first session and had the cushion of Yaya toure who was world class . Last season we had Andres Gomes of all people to rest either Busi or Rakitic.
 

Nothanks

New member
i've learned this week that pep is responsible for everything and anything, from dani alves' jump to stardom, to messi asking out his partner and cutting his hair....

...jesus
 

xXKonan

Senior Member
Bar that assist he was awful.

Struggled to defend and at times his attacking contribution was poor as well. Pitch was bad so I could get his attacking stuff not coming off as good but defending though? just poor.
 

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