If the rumours are true that Jose wants him, can anyone else see what Jose is trying to do? He's getting in players who are really quick on the transition - Lindelof and Semedo seem to be able to bring the ball out from defence to attack really quickly. Add to the fact there's Mikhitaryan and Martial and we could become a really fast paced direct counter attacking team.
Nelson Semedo
- Thread starter OohAahMartial
- Start date
he's fecking rapid indeed, I'd bring someone who is able to paly on both sides if Shaw is injured because we have a big gap in quality when he's unfit
I genuinely think Blind has had better appearances at LB than Shaw this season.
I remember when Jose managed Chelsea and said his good record over Fergie was because 'United are a counter attacking team, so no counter attack'. Maybe he really wants to emulate Fergie
Martial, Griezmann, Mkhi, Pogba, Semedo, Shaw, Bailly, Lindelof, Rashford would be one of the quickest teams out there in a few years time.I remember when Jose managed Chelsea and said his good record over Fergie was because 'United are a counter attacking team, so no counter attack'. Maybe he really wants to emulate Fergie
It's always good to have multiple strings to your bow! Would love to be a quick counter attacking team but you can tell this side is quite comfortable on the ball of need be (aka teams sitting back).
Add pace to our side and we'll be pretty damn good I tell ya!
I don't think he was anything special tbh but Shaw wasn't good that's true or he failed to meet really high expectations we have for him which is why it leads people to think some things..
Blind is really not on the level of a fullback I'd like to see playing for Manchester United as a back up okay, but when I see the other side and Valencia, you see the big gap left on the left by a palyer who is perhaps inteligent and has a good pass in him but very slow and if we want to play free flowing attacking football, he's defon not part of it... wingers on that side also might struggle because fullback lacking quality and most importantly pace and power..
A carbon copy of Berba's assist against West Ham
Some nice stuff in this thread, I'm properly excited!
SemedON? SemedOFF? I have no clue tbh.
We're paying over the top for Lindelöf and that extra is initial payment for Semedo according to The Daily Stain.
I reckon, we'll "overpay" massively for both, if we get them.
I think if we are in for him when we do ultimately sign Lindelof we will also have a verbal agreement in place for semedo too for the summer.
He and an in form Mikhi on the right would be jizzworthy. Brilliant attacking interplay between a full back and a skillfull winger is something we haven't had since Ronnie and Evra left.Rafael was great but not so good defensively and always injured.
Is he related to Ruben Semedo, who plays for Sporting?
Is this guy better than Gelson Martins ?
Gelson Martins is a right midfielder, Semedo is a right back.
Really ? He looks like an attacker on some of the clips. Back to YouTube for more i suppose.
Yup, all 21 games this season have been at RB according to WhoScored. I imagine he's an all-action, marauding right back who can attack as much as he does due to Benfica's dominance against most sides domestically.
He definitely looks like a real handful going forward, would be an exciting signing. Can anyone comment on how he actually is at defending though?
Wow, just watched the videos and he really does look good, absolutely rapid and shows some nice touches. It seems his talent is somewhat wasted though at RB, he looks like he could be better suited as a winger.
I feel like it's more the case of him being a failed winger and switching to a full back. But because of that his offensive game is very strong for a full back, though I haven't seen enough of him to know much about his defensive ability. Physically it looks like he could improve a bit aswell.
I remember him scoring a screamer in the CL. I'm excited about this.
He looks very good. Yes, he's rapid and going past players, playing the ball with either foot and scoring some very nice goals. But he's also making a lot of tackles.
Is that an assumption or is it based on fact? What i've read about him suggests he's always been a fullback/wingback. I don't think being switched to another position at a young age is necessarily an indication of failure. Its the job of the coaches to see where players fit best. Scholes was a striker at first and so was Evra. Bale was a young left wing back/left back but clearly his skills where wasted back there.
An in-depth scout report from 2015 written by Portuguese writer Tiago Estêvão
Who is Nelson Semedo?
Nélson Semedo is proof that for a player to start getting recognized as a youngster, he doesn’t have to be “stuck” in a major academy since his pre-teen years. Born in Lisbon, Nelson played for his local side Sintrense all the way upto the age of 17, when he made his senior debut for the club. The Portuguese giants Benfica brought him in afterwards, giving him all the conditions necessary for his potential and talent to be unleashed. Despite Benfica’s massive influence in his growth as a player, both physically and mentally, the fact that Semedo started his senior career in a third division side is more than worthy of a mention. It represents the quality of work done in the youth set-ups of the lower division clubs; it shows professionalism from those who, even with an underwhelming budget, strive to feed the dreams of a multitude of youngsters out there. Looking at today’s football world, some could even consider Nelson somewhat of a “late-bloomer” – taking into account that for example Ruben Neves was starting for FC Porto last season at only 17, and Semedo is having his breakout season at 21. Either way, the youngster has been playing and has been doing so well. After a loan at Fatima and number of games in Benfica’s B side, Rui Vitória decided that the kid would be the one competing with Sílvio to fill the void that Maxi left in the squad.
Style, Strengths and Weaknesses
Most wing-backs in modern football are more offensive than anything else. Nélson is no exception, and being in a team who has been playing an offensive 4-4-2 for years is beneficial to his strengths. A great dribbler and a really solid crosser of the ball, “Nélsinho” won his place in the starting eleven – having played this season’s 9 matches so far at the time of writing for Benfica. Known to support the attack and push forward often, the soon-to-be Portuguese international, already has one assist and a goal in the league. Something interesting to note on his offensive actions are his movements since not only does he overlap the wingers as the ordinary wing back, he also tends to drift inside where he often ends up free of marking. This allows for combination plays to happen either with the winger or the forwards, generating danger for the opposition.
Defensively the youngster had a bit more trouble at the start of the season. While in the attack he can show all his inherent talent, defensively he had to be smart and deal with all the pressure he had on him. When “out of the blue” Nélson appeared in the starting line up of the Supercup match versus Sporting, everyone knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him, no matter how much he worked and prepared the days prior. With that said, the youngster was mistake prone in the first half, losing a few plays due to poor ball control and just giving quite a lot of space to Sporting’s wingers. In the second half everything changed, he looked more confident, he wasn’t as reckless defensively and on the ball, and he even made some crucial tackles that, while not differentiating the winner of the match, definitely changed its outcome.
If asked, I’m sure he’d consider that the most important match of his career because from that half time on everything started going up for the Benfica wing back.
Committed to every match, he always gives his all both mentally and physically – and has played every minute this season so far. This is another reason why he has been (and will continue to be) edging it over Sílvio for the spot in the team, in consideration of Sílvio being so injury-prone and just purely being unable of playing consistently the full 90 minutes at Semedo’s level.
Part of a really solid defence, Semedo has picked up only one yellow card so far this season which is exceptional (especially if we consider that it was against Porto) and even more if we compare it to the previous Benfica right back.
What does the future hold?
The youngster signed a new contract with his club recently and is now contracted to SL Benfica until 2020. Besides the longevity of the contract itself, there’s a 20 million release clause that keeps most clubs away from the player for now.
Just called up for the national team, I believe he can compete with Southampton’s Cédric Soares for the starting spot and they may very well be the two right backs that get called up for the Euros (with Vieirinha also competing for a spot if he’s fit).
With all of that said I can see Nelson growing continuously as a player in Benfica’s starting eleven (and maybe even in the national team’s eleven), during the next couple of years. Nélsinho seems to be a key part of Vitória’s squad and a representation of what he wants to do with it – give opportunities to youngsters who’ve been striving for them for years.
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/10/11/nelson-semedo-benfica-portugal-right-back/
Another interesting feature
Man United target Nelson Semedo - Five things to know about the full-back
Nelson Semedo is one of only two Benfica players who have not missed a single game this season, and his contribution has been key to the club going top of the Portuguese league, making it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League and securing a round of 16 berth in the Portuguese Cup.
An attack-minded right-back, the defender burst onto the scene by making a sensational start to his debut season for Benfica last year, only for his progress to be curtailed by a serious knee injury he suffered on his Portugal debut.
Back to full fitness, the 23-year-old has taken his game to the next level this term, and is garnering interest from a host of clubs, including Manchester United who reportedly scouted him in Benfica's Champions League match against Napoli on Tuesday.
Here are five things you should know about Benfica's man of the moment.
1. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise and has a fearless attitude
Semedo's rise to stardom has been remarkably fast. At 18-years-old he signed for Benfica from lower league club Sintrense, three years later he was making his full debut for the Portuguese champions, and just two months after that Fernando Santos had selected him as Portugal's right-back in the European Championship qualifier against Serbia.
"He is an out-of-the-ordinary lad," says Luis Loureiro, his former coach at Fatima where he played on loan. "He is very introverted off the pitch, but when he steps onto the grass he is completely transformed. With the ball at his feet he is at home, and he doesn't fear anything."
Curiously, the literal translation of his name "Sem Medo" is "Without Fear" and his fearlessness has been a feature of his career to date, taking on each step up without any noticeable issues, so much so that it is difficult to argue with the assessment of his former Benfica team-mate Victor Andrade, now playing in Germany at TSV 1860 Munich, who said: "I've always said and I continue to say that he's a superstar. If he hadn't got injured he'd have been a European champion with Portugal -- he would have been the first-choice right-back."
2. No Maxi, no problem
Semedo showed terrific potential from the moment he was surprisingly chosen as the replacement for Uruguayan stalwart Maxi Pereira. The combative Pereira had been a firm favourite among the Benfica faithful for eight years, patrolling the right side the defence with verve and determination before his sensational transfer to bitter rivals Porto in the summer of 2015.
Semedo soon made fans forget about Pereira, as a sensational start to the season saw the then 21-year-old called up to the full Portugal team by September. "Will he make people forget Maxi Pereira? Benfica ended up losing nothing," was the assessment of the legendary former Benfica right-back and captain Antonio Veloso. "You're going to hear a lot more about him." It's a verdict that is unanimous. Losing Maxi and gaining Nelson made Benfica stronger, not weaker.
3. His injury setback has been forgotten
As alluded to above, it came as a surprise when Benfica coach Rui Vitoria selected Semedo for the season-opening Super Cup match against Lisbon rivals Sporting. Benfica lost, but Semedo acquitted himself well, and the following week he scored on his Liga debut against Estoril.
The right-back was outstanding in the opening months of the season, leading to his call-up for Portugal, where he produced a typically assured display on his debut. Unfortunately for Semedo and Benfica, he fractured a bone in his right knee in the match, which led to several months on the sidelines, virtually writing off the rest of 2015-16.
Any concerns that Semedo's development may have taken a backward step have been quelled this season, with the defender showing machine-like consistency since day one. Semedo has played all but eight minutes of season -- he was substituted late on in week two -- tirelessly flying up and down the whole length of the right flank in all 20 matches.
Semedo has been attracting attention.
4. He is the full package -- defending and attacking
Semedo's defending has improved markedly over the past 18 months, his tenacious tackling and high-energy play making it difficult for opposition forwards to get away from him.
However, it is the contributions he makes in the other half of the pitch that really make him stand out. He began his career as a right midfielder before being successfully adapted to full-back, and his attacking instincts are fully intact. It is common to see him surging forward and combining well with experienced Argentine winger Toto Salvio and fellow rising Portuguese star Goncalo Guedes. He is also not averse to going for goal himself either, and scored a spectacular strike against Besiktas in the recent Champions League tie.
5. He could be Portugal's most expensive - €80 million buyout clause
Benfica are currently in negotiations with Semedo to improve and extend his contract. According the Portuguese press, he is set to sign a contract that will include an eye-watering €80 million buyout clause.
If confirmed, it will make him the player with the highest release clause in Portugal. The message is clear for all suitors. If you want to buy Semedo, prepare to pay big.
Tom Kundert was ESPN FC's Portugal blogger at Euro 2016. Twitter
http://www.espnfc.us/blog/transfer-...emedo-five-things-to-know-about-the-full-back
Who is Nelson Semedo?
Nélson Semedo is proof that for a player to start getting recognized as a youngster, he doesn’t have to be “stuck” in a major academy since his pre-teen years. Born in Lisbon, Nelson played for his local side Sintrense all the way upto the age of 17, when he made his senior debut for the club. The Portuguese giants Benfica brought him in afterwards, giving him all the conditions necessary for his potential and talent to be unleashed. Despite Benfica’s massive influence in his growth as a player, both physically and mentally, the fact that Semedo started his senior career in a third division side is more than worthy of a mention. It represents the quality of work done in the youth set-ups of the lower division clubs; it shows professionalism from those who, even with an underwhelming budget, strive to feed the dreams of a multitude of youngsters out there. Looking at today’s football world, some could even consider Nelson somewhat of a “late-bloomer” – taking into account that for example Ruben Neves was starting for FC Porto last season at only 17, and Semedo is having his breakout season at 21. Either way, the youngster has been playing and has been doing so well. After a loan at Fatima and number of games in Benfica’s B side, Rui Vitória decided that the kid would be the one competing with Sílvio to fill the void that Maxi left in the squad.
Style, Strengths and Weaknesses
Most wing-backs in modern football are more offensive than anything else. Nélson is no exception, and being in a team who has been playing an offensive 4-4-2 for years is beneficial to his strengths. A great dribbler and a really solid crosser of the ball, “Nélsinho” won his place in the starting eleven – having played this season’s 9 matches so far at the time of writing for Benfica. Known to support the attack and push forward often, the soon-to-be Portuguese international, already has one assist and a goal in the league. Something interesting to note on his offensive actions are his movements since not only does he overlap the wingers as the ordinary wing back, he also tends to drift inside where he often ends up free of marking. This allows for combination plays to happen either with the winger or the forwards, generating danger for the opposition.
Defensively the youngster had a bit more trouble at the start of the season. While in the attack he can show all his inherent talent, defensively he had to be smart and deal with all the pressure he had on him. When “out of the blue” Nélson appeared in the starting line up of the Supercup match versus Sporting, everyone knew it wasn’t going to be easy for him, no matter how much he worked and prepared the days prior. With that said, the youngster was mistake prone in the first half, losing a few plays due to poor ball control and just giving quite a lot of space to Sporting’s wingers. In the second half everything changed, he looked more confident, he wasn’t as reckless defensively and on the ball, and he even made some crucial tackles that, while not differentiating the winner of the match, definitely changed its outcome.
If asked, I’m sure he’d consider that the most important match of his career because from that half time on everything started going up for the Benfica wing back.
Committed to every match, he always gives his all both mentally and physically – and has played every minute this season so far. This is another reason why he has been (and will continue to be) edging it over Sílvio for the spot in the team, in consideration of Sílvio being so injury-prone and just purely being unable of playing consistently the full 90 minutes at Semedo’s level.
Part of a really solid defence, Semedo has picked up only one yellow card so far this season which is exceptional (especially if we consider that it was against Porto) and even more if we compare it to the previous Benfica right back.
What does the future hold?
The youngster signed a new contract with his club recently and is now contracted to SL Benfica until 2020. Besides the longevity of the contract itself, there’s a 20 million release clause that keeps most clubs away from the player for now.
Just called up for the national team, I believe he can compete with Southampton’s Cédric Soares for the starting spot and they may very well be the two right backs that get called up for the Euros (with Vieirinha also competing for a spot if he’s fit).
With all of that said I can see Nelson growing continuously as a player in Benfica’s starting eleven (and maybe even in the national team’s eleven), during the next couple of years. Nélsinho seems to be a key part of Vitória’s squad and a representation of what he wants to do with it – give opportunities to youngsters who’ve been striving for them for years.
http://outsideoftheboot.com/2015/10/11/nelson-semedo-benfica-portugal-right-back/
Another interesting feature
Man United target Nelson Semedo - Five things to know about the full-back
Nelson Semedo is one of only two Benfica players who have not missed a single game this season, and his contribution has been key to the club going top of the Portuguese league, making it through to the knockout stages of the Champions League and securing a round of 16 berth in the Portuguese Cup.
An attack-minded right-back, the defender burst onto the scene by making a sensational start to his debut season for Benfica last year, only for his progress to be curtailed by a serious knee injury he suffered on his Portugal debut.
Back to full fitness, the 23-year-old has taken his game to the next level this term, and is garnering interest from a host of clubs, including Manchester United who reportedly scouted him in Benfica's Champions League match against Napoli on Tuesday.
Here are five things you should know about Benfica's man of the moment.
1. He has enjoyed a meteoric rise and has a fearless attitude
Semedo's rise to stardom has been remarkably fast. At 18-years-old he signed for Benfica from lower league club Sintrense, three years later he was making his full debut for the Portuguese champions, and just two months after that Fernando Santos had selected him as Portugal's right-back in the European Championship qualifier against Serbia.
"He is an out-of-the-ordinary lad," says Luis Loureiro, his former coach at Fatima where he played on loan. "He is very introverted off the pitch, but when he steps onto the grass he is completely transformed. With the ball at his feet he is at home, and he doesn't fear anything."
Curiously, the literal translation of his name "Sem Medo" is "Without Fear" and his fearlessness has been a feature of his career to date, taking on each step up without any noticeable issues, so much so that it is difficult to argue with the assessment of his former Benfica team-mate Victor Andrade, now playing in Germany at TSV 1860 Munich, who said: "I've always said and I continue to say that he's a superstar. If he hadn't got injured he'd have been a European champion with Portugal -- he would have been the first-choice right-back."
2. No Maxi, no problem
Semedo showed terrific potential from the moment he was surprisingly chosen as the replacement for Uruguayan stalwart Maxi Pereira. The combative Pereira had been a firm favourite among the Benfica faithful for eight years, patrolling the right side the defence with verve and determination before his sensational transfer to bitter rivals Porto in the summer of 2015.
Semedo soon made fans forget about Pereira, as a sensational start to the season saw the then 21-year-old called up to the full Portugal team by September. "Will he make people forget Maxi Pereira? Benfica ended up losing nothing," was the assessment of the legendary former Benfica right-back and captain Antonio Veloso. "You're going to hear a lot more about him." It's a verdict that is unanimous. Losing Maxi and gaining Nelson made Benfica stronger, not weaker.
3. His injury setback has been forgotten
As alluded to above, it came as a surprise when Benfica coach Rui Vitoria selected Semedo for the season-opening Super Cup match against Lisbon rivals Sporting. Benfica lost, but Semedo acquitted himself well, and the following week he scored on his Liga debut against Estoril.
The right-back was outstanding in the opening months of the season, leading to his call-up for Portugal, where he produced a typically assured display on his debut. Unfortunately for Semedo and Benfica, he fractured a bone in his right knee in the match, which led to several months on the sidelines, virtually writing off the rest of 2015-16.
Any concerns that Semedo's development may have taken a backward step have been quelled this season, with the defender showing machine-like consistency since day one. Semedo has played all but eight minutes of season -- he was substituted late on in week two -- tirelessly flying up and down the whole length of the right flank in all 20 matches.
Semedo has been attracting attention.
4. He is the full package -- defending and attacking
Semedo's defending has improved markedly over the past 18 months, his tenacious tackling and high-energy play making it difficult for opposition forwards to get away from him.
However, it is the contributions he makes in the other half of the pitch that really make him stand out. He began his career as a right midfielder before being successfully adapted to full-back, and his attacking instincts are fully intact. It is common to see him surging forward and combining well with experienced Argentine winger Toto Salvio and fellow rising Portuguese star Goncalo Guedes. He is also not averse to going for goal himself either, and scored a spectacular strike against Besiktas in the recent Champions League tie.
5. He could be Portugal's most expensive - €80 million buyout clause
Benfica are currently in negotiations with Semedo to improve and extend his contract. According the Portuguese press, he is set to sign a contract that will include an eye-watering €80 million buyout clause.
If confirmed, it will make him the player with the highest release clause in Portugal. The message is clear for all suitors. If you want to buy Semedo, prepare to pay big.
Tom Kundert was ESPN FC's Portugal blogger at Euro 2016. Twitter
http://www.espnfc.us/blog/transfer-...emedo-five-things-to-know-about-the-full-back
Really hope his buyout clause isn't 80 million euros...
Can he cross with his left foot ?
With all the respect to Valencia, God i've missed that
With all the respect to Valencia, God i've missed that
If it is nobody will pay it...
20-25 million sounds more likely
Looks like he can play as a winger?
Based on assumption. It's just that he looks like an offensively better version of Valencia without the physical attributes, which is similar to the skill base you'd assume of a winger. I haven't seen enough of him to know how good he is defensively either, but if he's solid there aswell, he can be a potentially world class full back.
I wouldn't worry we won't pay anywhere near that, if we're in for Lindelof then we'll have come to an agreement about Semedo.
Yes. He can even smash one into the top corner with his left foot. Mind you Rafael could do that too
Thanks @Loublaze - interesting read
Definitely can smash it with his left, that's for sure. It looks like his left may be even stronger than his right (like it happens with truly ambidextrous players)
Dear Santa,
If you could bring us Nelson Semedo for Xmas, I promise to be on my best behaviour for the next year.
All my love,
Muppet.
If you could bring us Nelson Semedo for Xmas, I promise to be on my best behaviour for the next year.
All my love,
Muppet.
Dear @VanGaalEra ,
I am a Chelsea fan and I just helped broker the Oscar deal for £60m. I'm currently working on them being the new PL champions. Unfortunately, I can't help you as I hate José for breaking my wife's heart; Eva Caneiro. She has placed a bad luck spell on United this season. Good luck getting 4th.
Yours sincerely
Blue Santa
Come on mate, everyone knows Santa is a Red!
Till he got a massage from Eva.Come on mate, everyone knows Santa is a Red!
He would never cheat on Mr's Claus.Till he got a massage from Eva.
Right Giggsy?............Giggsy? 
