I've been saying all along many posters are treating this lad like the new Richard Edghill, ridiculous. Because he hasn't the skills of Foden, he gets the stick Foden never got, when he's been thrown in at the deep end. I hope this lad goes on to be a really decent player.Rico will be a top notch player, hopefully for us, in a year or two when he gets that physicality. He’s still growing into his body but has been thrust into the limelight because of the injury crisis.
As a club and as a fanbase we’re just going to have to see it play out without all the bullying and if we can be patient we’ll have a superb player on our hands.
Unfortunately, given the nature of the entertainment side of football, he’s becoming the object of the fans disaffection, and I hope he doesn’t have to leave to a club that will allow him to grow at the right pace.
Foden was a similar age when he came into the first team but Pep allowed him the space to grow as the team was in a much better place when he was coming through.
It’s not about not having the skills of Foden. He doesn’t have to be the next Foden. He has to be the next Walker/Cancelo or at the very least, the guy that can play 20 solid games a season, as backup to the next Walker/Cancelo. If he isn’t either…he is of no use to us.I've been saying all along many posters are treating this lad like the new Richard Edghill, ridiculous. Because he hasn't the skills of Foden, he gets the stick Foden never got, when he's been thrown in at the deep end. I hope this lad goes on to be a really decent player.
Edgehill was a seriously good player with pace and fire in the tank, much maligned we could have done with him now.I've been saying all along many posters are treating this lad like the new Richard Edghill, ridiculous. Because he hasn't the skills of Foden, he gets the stick Foden never got, when he's been thrown in at the deep end. I hope this lad goes on to be a really decent player.
According to reports Rico was acting more like a captain than Walker after the game, whilst Grealish was laughing and joking in the Villa areas, and Kyle was first back in the dressing room and first on the coach. Apparently Rico spoke well after the game, and was honest along with Haaland.
It’s not about not having the skills of Foden. He doesn’t have to be the next Foden. He has to be the next Walker/Cancelo or at the very least, the guy that can play 20 solid games a season, as backup to the next Walker/Cancelo. If he isn’t either…he is of no use to us.
For all the stick that Walker now receives, nobody doubts that he was one of the best RBs in the world. He has just fallen off a cliff as he has aged.
Cancelo got dogs abuse on here at times but he was a top-class RB, who also did a decent job at LB and was the successful guinea pig for the inverted full back. He made some mistakes (a few high profile), spat his dummy and that was the end. That being said, nobody will convince me that he was a worse defender than Rico. In possession, it was chalk and cheese, like comparing David Silva to Kalvin Philips.
This period was/is Ricos chance to show that he is our long-term RB and he is failing miserably. He is small, weak and slow. He cannot defend and he offers next-to-nothing going forward. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have any standout qualities, unless you consider keeping it simple a big plus. I referred to Cancelo being the inverted full back, can you imagine if Rico had been the guinea pig instead? I reckon that particular tactic would have lasted about 2 games before fans were calling for Pep to bin it.
All Rico has shown since coming into the 1st team, is that he can do the 20 games a season as back up…as long as we are at full strength elsewhere. However, in our current malaise, with key players missing, we are seeing Rico for what he really is…average across the board.
Players like Rico, who can “do a job”, hanging on the coattails of other much better players around him, are ten-a-penny. I’m not saying that he can’t have his uses as a squad player but I believe that those that think he is something special, are seriously viewing him through blue-tinted specs.
We need a new RB.
Ironic that Pep won’t play any academy kids “in order to protect them”, yet exposes this lad to failure and derision week after week.I find the vitriol levelled at Rico shameful and frankly pathetic. I was at Villa today with a load of mainly younger blues behind me who hammered him from minute one. He is a young player who we have played in a different position every week, often like today two or three positions in the same game. He never hides, he seeks to get on the ball and there are far bigger high profile, big name, problems in our team, than Rico, but no, let’s scapegoat the academy graduate who is an easy target.
He's 20 years of age as I understand it. He's still learning the game at Premiership level. He's had to play in different positions in his very young career by a World Class manager. But yes, we do need a RB, we also need a LB too.It’s not about not having the skills of Foden. He doesn’t have to be the next Foden. He has to be the next Walker/Cancelo or at the very least, the guy that can play 20 solid games a season, as backup to the next Walker/Cancelo. If he isn’t either…he is of no use to us.
For all the stick that Walker now receives, nobody doubts that he was one of the best RBs in the world. He has just fallen off a cliff as he has aged.
Cancelo got dogs abuse on here at times but he was a top-class RB, who also did a decent job at LB and was the successful guinea pig for the inverted full back. He made some mistakes (a few high profile), spat his dummy and that was the end. That being said, nobody will convince me that he was a worse defender than Rico. In possession, it was chalk and cheese, like comparing David Silva to Kalvin Philips.
This period was/is Ricos chance to show that he is our long-term RB and he is failing miserably. He is small, weak and slow. He cannot defend and he offers next-to-nothing going forward. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have any standout qualities, unless you consider keeping it simple a big plus. I referred to Cancelo being the inverted full back, can you imagine if Rico had been the guinea pig instead? I reckon that particular tactic would have lasted about 2 games before fans were calling for Pep to bin it.
All Rico has shown since coming into the 1st team, is that he can do the 20 games a season as back up…as long as we are at full strength elsewhere. However, in our current malaise, with key players missing, we are seeing Rico for what he really is…average across the board.
Players like Rico, who can “do a job”, hanging on the coattails of other much better players around him, are ten-a-penny. I’m not saying that he can’t have his uses as a squad player but I believe that those that think he is something special, are seriously viewing him through blue-tinted specs.
We need a new RB.
You still parroting the faith?Isn't any different to Cole Palmer's impact with City. Same with Nunes could do with squad depth.
Are on the wind up?You still parroting the faith?
I was at the game at Villa Park and anyone who criticised Rico after that game clearly has an agenda against the kid because he was one of the top performers on that day.
These fans are not objective in their criticism of any player but are just desperate to be proven right.
Some just dislike him because he’s getting more game time than their favourite player.
Sad.
This is a big few months for him. With some of our CBs (hopefully) returning to the side, and the defence having a more settled look to it, that will help him. I'd be happy to see....I’m not entirely sold on Lewis but seems a bit harsh writing him off on the basis of recent/current performances.
Let’s face it, Dias and Ake (when fit) have been playing fairly well. And Ortega has done fine. Everyone else has been shit for weeks/months. Not sure Lewis has been any worse than others.
Spot on. Whereas I understand the fact that Kyle Walker, Gundogan, or Bernardo can't perform at the highest of levels forever, you would expect a guy with close to 90 senior appearances to step in and make the spot his. It is worrying how this is what we have as a Kyle Walker replacement. We need much better than that. A utility player at best when everything around him is world class. I think by now our board understands this, which is why Pep keeps on saying how he doesn't have his defence. We will probably return to 4 CBs, a system that won us the treble, as soon as we have the players to do so. We are also allegedly looking for a RB, which is a relief. Long overdue.It’s not about not having the skills of Foden. He doesn’t have to be the next Foden. He has to be the next Walker/Cancelo or at the very least, the guy that can play 20 solid games a season, as backup to the next Walker/Cancelo. If he isn’t either…he is of no use to us.
For all the stick that Walker now receives, nobody doubts that he was one of the best RBs in the world. He has just fallen off a cliff as he has aged.
Cancelo got dogs abuse on here at times but he was a top-class RB, who also did a decent job at LB and was the successful guinea pig for the inverted full back. He made some mistakes (a few high profile), spat his dummy and that was the end. That being said, nobody will convince me that he was a worse defender than Rico. In possession, it was chalk and cheese, like comparing David Silva to Kalvin Philips.
This period was/is Ricos chance to show that he is our long-term RB and he is failing miserably. He is small, weak and slow. He cannot defend and he offers next-to-nothing going forward. In fact, he doesn’t appear to have any standout qualities, unless you consider keeping it simple a big plus. I referred to Cancelo being the inverted full back, can you imagine if Rico had been the guinea pig instead? I reckon that particular tactic would have lasted about 2 games before fans were calling for Pep to bin it.
All Rico has shown since coming into the 1st team, is that he can do the 20 games a season as back up…as long as we are at full strength elsewhere. However, in our current malaise, with key players missing, we are seeing Rico for what he really is…average across the board.
Players like Rico, who can “do a job”, hanging on the coattails of other much better players around him, are ten-a-penny. I’m not saying that he can’t have his uses as a squad player but I believe that those that think he is something special, are seriously viewing him through blue-tinted specs.
We need a new RB.