Mumbai City FC have acquired the services of former Kerala Blasters fullback Mohamad Rakip on a two-year contract.
From Manipur, Rakip is a product of the AIFF Elite Academy. He joined Kerala Blasters in the 2016-17 season and was drafted in to the reserves side who were competing in the 2nd Division League. The next season, the right back was promoted to the senior team and over the last two seasons, he has notched up 26 appearances in the ISL.
The now 20-year-old was especially impressive last season and his performances have led the new Mumbai City FC coach Sergio Lobera to earmark him as a replacement for his preferred right back at his former club FC Goa – Seriton Fernandes. The two are markedly similar and are in the mould of a modern attacking fullback.
I am excited at this huge opportunity I now have in front of me and I want to thank Mumbai City for the faith they have shown in me.
I am 20 and I believe that I have a lot to learn and achieve in my career. I have a lot of admiration for coach Sergio Lobera and the way he helps younger players grow.
Working with the best players in India and the best coach in the league will certainly help me become a much better player.
I want to give my best in every training and every time I get a chance to wear the Mumbai City shirt.
Mohamad Rakip to MCFC
Here’s a thread from our analyst Shlok on the player’s versatility in defence and attack.
I got a few questions about how the graph works, so today I’ll be doing a thread explaining and analyzing the graph using new boy Mohamad Rakip as an example.
The x axis is the percentile ranking of Rakip for the metrics mentioned on the y-axis. If the bar exceeds the 50 percentile line, it means that Rakip exceeds that stat with respect to an average ISL full-back.
Obviously, crossing this 50 %ile threshold does not necessarily mean he is "good" at said stat, conversely being lower than 50%ile doesn't always mean he is "bad". It's all about context.
For example, defensive challenges – he attempts fewer than average but he has the best success rate when he does attempt one. There could be multiple reasons for why he doesn't attempt as many, won't get into it right now.
Aerial challenges are a cause for concern. Attempts the lowest, and wins fewer than average. Could do with some work there.
If you’ve seen/heard me fanboy over him on @UziMumbai, it’s because of his technical prowess. Pass attempts are a little over average, but his pass completion rate is supreme. It’s obvious why @SergioLobera1 wanted to snap him up.
Crossing stats are pretty good too, attempts more than average and has a nice completion rate wrt the league. Given that the right flank usually sees more crossing from the full-back in Lobera's system, this could be another key factor in his recruitment.
Overall verdict: Rakip is a steal. Though he may be defensively shaky at times, he can still improve. His ability on the ball is one of the best in the nation, and he could get called up in the near future. I know I've said this a lot but he is definitely one to watch.
Originally tweeted by shlok (@KeepItRowllin) on 20th October 2020.
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