82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

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"OK Rico, you've had a tough season, you've got worse as the season has gone on, you've made mistakes, the fans are on your back, some are even blaming you for our problems, you're playing out of position and a few weeks back I took you out of the team because you were struggling so badly. Now I'm gonna throw you on for 45 minutes in our biggest game of the season against the best winger in the world. Good luck mate..."
 
This guy is a walking disaster. It is incomprehensible why he came in. At least the Uzbek kid is muscular and fast on paper at least, and in my opinion a far better choice than him, who is a weak ass.
 
akrh215 said:
This guy is a walking disaster. It is incomprehensible why he came in. At least the Uzbek kid is muscular and fast on paper at least, and in my opinion a far better choice than him, who is a weak ass.
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Only seen him twice but I can guarantee had he not tried to head that ball Lewis shied away from he'd have taken the lot and Vini Jr would have been put into Row Z.
 
Much as I’ve critiqued Rico this season, to the point of suggesting at the start of the season that he would not be here at the end of next season, it is a little unfair to suggest his one obvious mistake was A) purely his fault, and B) the reason we lost.

Rico, God love him, is industrious, understands the system, and can put in a decent shift against decent teams.

The problem, of course, is that he is always asked to play a multi-role game for which he seems ill-equipped.

He can definitely “invert,” but it is up for intense debate whether he can perform the primary task of an inverted full back, which is to defend his flank. I would suggest most opposition teams believe not, as is becoming the prevailing sentiment with City fans.

He seems like an outstanding young man who can, no doubt, have a successful professional football career. However, it seems to me that career will not be at the top level with a world class team.

Sadly, he has not been blessed with a few of the attributes that would enhance his obvious footballing abilities, so they’re always going to hinder him.

I wish him nothing but the best, especially while he wears a City shirt, but I fear the time has come to cash in on his development and use whatever proceeds we can muster towards a world class full back who can also do other things in addition to the primary job, as opposed to instead of it.

Maybe, and I’m not King for the day so my opinion matters not one jot, we can all be a little less personal and little more analytical in our dissection of his performances.

As I have said, he frequently does a good job in trying circumstances for us and deserves our appreciation whenever possible.
 
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I like him as a player but I am not particularly sure why Pep has this need to fast track him, he is getting far too many games for his level. Take the time with him until he attains a certain level of maturity and experience first. If anything this obsession with fast tracking his development has seen him take a few steps back in his career trajectory this season.
 
Thought he generally played well tbh. Got beat a couple of times, but then won a few tackles also. Was very good on the ball and I thought he should have had a penalty when taken out late after putting a cross over.

On the 3rd goal... He hesitated, then it was too late. It wasn't a nice pass from Kova, but if Rico had gone in for it, and even been second best, he would probably have committed the foul and been booked, no big deal. But he didn't have time to think, like he possibly did, as that made it too late.

I don't like some of the criticism he's getting because he isn't being helped much by more senior players. Kova's pass was ill-advised, while Ederson's decision to come out was horrendous, just opening up the goal. Not the first shocking decision he's made in the tail end of CL games this season. Stones could probably have been stronger against Bellingham too tbh.
 
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The hyperbole here is staggering

He was sold short at the worst moment with an horrendous pass by Kovacic, and then couldn't keep up.

This his whole 45 minutws was shit bollocks is jist nasty boo boy bollocks.

He isn't able to play wing back, and shouldn't be employed as one or an inverted fullback again, but we lost that game with the second, didn't mattter where it came from the 3rd was inevitable
 
Thought he actually played okay, until that horror moment. Not entirely his fault because Kova dealt him a hospital pass, but maybe he could've handled it better.
 
Akira said:
Thought he actually played okay, until that horror moment. Not entirely his fault because Kova dealt him a hospital pass, but maybe he could've handled it better.
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Maybe but the issue with him is in most games he concedes chances because of lack of positional awareness. Last night he was given a dreadful pass from Kovacic (who flatters to deceive and will never be a solution for us) so that was unfortunate - but it was the couple of times he left Bellingham because he didn't even know he was behind him - Real could and should have scored 2 more from direct chances down his side. He has some nice touches but against top sides you see the difference in quality. Perhaps he will get it as he gains more experience but this is someone who has already played 80+ games for us and I don't really see any improvement from when he first burst onto the scene - and that is the main issue.

I think most knew that when he came on Real would exploit his weaknesses - mind you I think as a team we have become allergic to making a tackle - that is why for me Kusanov should have been on as a pure defender first.
 
When he comes on we lose. In the NBA is a stat for it in each game. The - and +. I know Lewis would get slammed if this was the NBA. Can’t even be mad at him. It’s crazy from Pep. Everyone and their father knows that they are going to run rings around him. 40M for defenders we not going to use.
 
urban genie said:
The hyperbole here is staggering

He was sold short at the worst moment with an horrendous pass by Kovacic, and then couldn't keep up.

This his whole 45 minutws was shit bollocks is jist nasty boo boy bollocks.

He isn't able to play wing back, and shouldn't be employed as one or an inverted fullback again, but we lost that game with the second, didn't mattter where it came from the 3rd was inevitable
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Johnny Mars Bar said:
When we’ve got experienced senior players making fuckup after fuckup every single game it’s frankly pathetic and cowardly to dig out a bloody kid.

Some of you lot need a good talking to.
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I think he did OK last night but was culpable for one of the goals.

The problem is its another sub par performance. OK is not the level. He's becoming a useful squad player and with Waller gone we need an elite right back.
 
King Jay said:
When he comes on we lose. In the NBA is a stat for it in each game. The - and +. I know Lewis would get slammed if this was the NBA. Can’t even be mad at him. It’s crazy from Pep. Everyone and their father knows that they are going to run rings around him. 40M for defenders we not going to use.
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I was wondering why we went for Reis, Kusanov and Bah without bringing in an above average right back! 3 defenders in one transfer window and no attempt to bring in a replacement for Walker, so now we have to throw the dice on Rico, Akanji or Nunes.
 
Rico is not guilty Pep thinks he is good enough to play vs Vin Jr. Ultimately, Pep is responsible.

Pep loves Rico, but he is guilty of thinking that a player without the physical attributes to be a FB is good enough to play at FB in a big game.

That's part of Pep's philosophy of rating technique and intelligence over physicality, which in this case is pushed to absurdity.
 
Txiki Txiki Bang Bang said:
I was wondering why we went for Reis, Kusanov and Bah without bringing in an above average right back! 3 defenders in one transfer window and no attempt to bring in a replacement for Walker, so now we have to throw the dice on Rico, Akanji or Nunes.
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I suspect Pep will have his ideas about one of them becoming our right back. Same way Gvadiol was a cb but is now our LB and is a very good one. Maybe Khusanov is the one. He's got pace and loves a tackle.
 
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