All the “guns” on Andrei Rațiu after Turkey

Andrei Rațiu is the most wrinkled “tricolor” after the defeat against Turkey, 0-1 in the semi-final of the World Championship qualifying round.

coach Mircea Lucescu found him guilty point blankthat he didn't collect to block Ferdi Kadioglu's demarcation: “If Rațiu didn't make that mistake… He was afraid of being dribbled.”

Gigi Becali offended him: “Of course I liked him, I used to say he plays for any team in the world, but well, [a fost] the prison of prisons!”.

Mihai Stoica criticized his behavior on the field: “Rațiu has no attitude towards the national team! He comes and beats us all!”.

Andrei Rațiu, the lowest grade among the “tricolors” and disastrous statistics: 1/8 duels won

What do the statistics say support these claims?

According to Sofascore, Ratio won only one duel on the ground out of the total of 8 he played, was dribbled twice and managed a total of 7 decisive contributions: 5 rebounds, a tackle, an interception.

They are the worst defensive statistics in the “tricolor” defense. The other full-back, Nicușor Bancu on the left, was NEVER dribbled, won 4/5 ground duels and made 10 defensive contributions: 3 tackles (from 3 attempts), two interceptions and 5 recoveries.

Stoppers Andrei Burcă and Radu Drăgușin have less decisive contributions, Burcă 3 (a tackle, a blocked shot and a recovery), Drăgușin also 3 (an interception, a blocked shot, a recovery), but none of them were dribbled, Burcă won 2/2 duels on the ground and 2/3 aerial duels, and Drăgușin 1/2 duels on the ground and 2/3 aerial.

In this context, Sofascore gave Rațiu the lowest score among Romanian players, 5.9. No other player was below 6.

Leaving aside Rațiu's football successes and failures, Mihai Stoica had problems with the attitude of the defender from Rayo Vallecano.

At PrimaSport, the FCSB official thundered that “Rătiu has no attitude towards the national team, he comes and takes us all over the leg!“. And he highlighted a phase passed in the background, in the conditions in which Rațiu was pointed with the finger especially for the lack of reaction to Kadioglu's goal:

“And it was only number 2, again he dribbled them through the touch, we almost scored“.

The phase incriminated by Mihai Stoica: Rational, apathetic

Mihai Stoica referred to what Rațiu did in the 32nd minute. Now, the film of the phase:

• Ratiu receives a touch from Dennis Man. Facing the opposing half, he is pressed by Kenan Yildiz and Ferdi Kadioglu, Turkey's left wingers.

• He does not try to pass or remove the danger by clearing at random, but tries to overcome the two opponents simultaneously with a kind of pirouette, a procedure he uses quite often with the club team as well.

• Yildiz dispossessed him cleanly, the Turks go on the counterattack. Rațiu raised his arms towards the referee, complaining of an alleged foul, and he returned to jogging, disinterested, although the defense was disorganized and in great danger.

It was one of the sequences after which Mihai Stoica concluded that “Rațiu made several mistakes, one decisive, but also others”.