Rico Lewis | Set to sign a new 5-year contract (pg33)

[chesterbells]

Both this and the savinho polls are fucking stupid.

'The right price'. Fuck off. That's different to everyone. Of course you'd sell at the right price. Would sell Haaland at 'the right' price.

Absolutely. Surprised it’s not 100% voting Yes when the question is framed like that!

 

[mexico1970]

A bigger ground, cheaper tickets, and more TV fixtures should lead to more local fans.

They make those tickets harder to transfer and of course to buy just to even that out, our crowds wont be any bigger and there wont be more local fans.

In fact unless the club changes dramatically I can see local fans being turned off.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Players do develop at City, its just that they get limited chances in the 1st team It's the way that PSR works that make the academy profitable.

They develop up to a point. They get the odd cup game and then some league matches. At the point where they need regular first team football it then becomes impossible. We seemingly only want ready made players and can’t develop our own first team regulars.

I’m looking at Oscar Bobb. He’s got all the talent in the world, but are the club prepared to give him that say two years of consistent game time? I’m not seeing a pathway at all. Chances are if a winger leaves we’ll spend another 100m on a replacement, meaning Bobb goes further down the pecking order.

If the academy is only there to making profit then fine, but some of these players are good enough.

 

[simon23]

Football has changed again and even Pep has had to adapt to this.....10 years ago Rico Lewis has a place in this team...even 5-6 years ago..

But like it or not the game has become even more physical, especially in the prem league where players do far more running than any other league, which for Rico is a problem.

He ha great movement off the ball and ability to find space, but he lacks physicality in any form. He cant play a modern right back role nor is he physical enough to play midfield...his passing isnt good enough for starts and he lacks creativity.

People will point to the likes of David Silva, Bernardo etc but one they are that bit bigger and secondly they are two steps above Rico in terms of ability.

 

[foggy1974]

I agree. I’m finding it so disheartening seeing basically all of our academy players sold off. Obviously they have to be good enough, but nothing beats that connection seeing a local lad in the side.

The club and some posters on here seemingly have no interest or patience in developing our own young players, who are often just as talented if not more than the players we bring in - for huge amounts of money. We could have saved ourselves fortunes.

Some of these transfer links are making me feel like I’m watching Madrid or some galactico side. Whilst we might win something, I feel like I have no connection with a lot of these players. As you suggest it feels very corporate.

We’ve just had our most successful era ever with young players involved, so clearly it can be done.

If these players are just as talented, then why have they not shown that talent for other clubs after being sold

 

[chesterbells]

They develop up to a point. They get the odd cup game and then some league matches. At the point where they need regular first team football it then becomes impossible. We seemingly only want ready made players and can’t develop our own first team regulars.

I’m looking at Oscar Bobb. He’s got all the talent in the world, but are the club prepared to give him that say two years of consistent game time? I’m not seeing a pathway at all. Chances are if a winger leaves we’ll spend another 100m on a replacement, meaning Bobb goes further down the pecking order.

If the academy is only there to making profit then fine, but some of these players are good enough.

I think your last sentence is the crux of the matter isn’t it?

I think academies in general for quite some time have had a their No 1 purpose as money-making ventures. For players looking to make a career in the game having the stamp of quality if you like of “Trained at MCFC” serves them well, as being a quality product for other clubs to give contracts too, all through the football pyramid.

In terms of them being good enough for our first team, statistically that would have to be a needle in a haystack wouldn’t it? Of all the players in the population out there, both UK and worldwide in all the football playing nations, to be good enough for our first team when it’s one of, let’s say for the sake of argument, the top 10 sides in the world and aspires to stay there. We’re talking the top 110-150 players in the would out of millions if not billions of players. I appreciate there’s a filtering and scouting process to get into our academy in the first place, but even so.

 

[foggy1974]

They develop up to a point. They get the odd cup game and then some league matches. At the point where they need regular first team football it then becomes impossible. We seemingly only want ready made players and can’t develop our own first team regulars.

I’m looking at Oscar Bobb. He’s got all the talent in the world, but are the club prepared to give him that say two years of consistent game time? I’m not seeing a pathway at all. Chances are if a winger leaves we’ll spend another 100m on a replacement, meaning Bobb goes further down the pecking order.

If the academy is only there to making profit then fine, but some of these players are good enough.

Oscar Bobb is a different situation as we don't know if he'd have become a starter had he not broke his leg. Maybe if the EPL was like La Liga & we had b teams then there wouldn't be a better pathway

 

[mexico1970]

Oscar Bobb is a different situation as we don't know if he'd have become a starter had he not broke his leg. Maybe if the EPL was like La Liga & we had b teams then there wouldn't be a better pathway

But we don't want to be like LaLiga that's why we are successful mate. Here's a novel idea nobody has tried before, hows about we had a league called the reserves where people could go and watch the players that are either coming back from injury or coming through the ranks?

That'd most certainly do it.

 

[bell_mcfc]

Your saying we should praise him for what he has done for us like what? No defensive awareness and costing us numerous goals, championship player at best. Id be pleased if he went tonight.

I never said we should praise him, I said I’d be gutted if he left.

He’s an academy product, life long blue that did incredibly well for us at youth level and got thrown in at the deep end in the treble season and did wonders for us.

Ok he might not have excelled at the rate some people expect but you need to understand that he’s a makeshift RB. He’s a midfielder with a level of tactical knowledge and skillset that allows him to play there and for a lot of the time isn’t an issue. He wants to play inside and we don’t always want to play with inverted full backs. You can’t single him out when several others have had bad spells and single handedly cost us games. Nunes in the derby at RB is a prime example.

Sometimes you can strip back the recent success of the club and be proud of the players that represent the club. He wears the shirt with pride and has the core values we believe in.

So while we are at it yes you should praise him. He’s done his best for the team you support, albeit it sounds like you don’t support the players that much, I guess another fan who is only happy when winning and expects the very best all the time without any understanding of how we got here.

City is much more than a football team you need to understand that.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

We’d have to pay way over the odds to get him - and he’s just not worth anything near the £70/80m it would need to get Newcastle to consider letting him go.

He’s not that good.

My view is we may look at a non-homegrown option late in the window, dependent on sales - if we can shift Gundo and/or Akanji, that would give us the space in the squad to bring a NHG player.

For the umpteenth time Gundo is going nowhere. He returned here to play 2 seasons then become a coach.

 

[Gumzy97]

I think Peps thinking short term he's got 2 years left, I definitely think Pep wants another Champions league. Does Rico right now have the qualities to be in a Champions league winning team? Especially playing as a right back as a vital part?

 

[mexico1970]

City is much more than a football team you need to understand that.

Only when suits though isn't it? How long have the club distanced themselves from the fans? How long have interactions between players and fans been choreographed just for photo opportunities and how often have fans met the players spontaneously?

Yet when a fan doesn't rate a player he's going against the club? All sounds a bit off.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

Nunes is much quicker, better on the ball and is better at overlapping. It’s his defensive decision making and softness in the challenge he needs to sort.

I agree. His defensive awareness and tackling has improved in the last 6 months and he's becoming a decent RB tbf.

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

I think it is. I think O’reily was close to leaving as well. He’s so risk averse and cautious at times. Oreily has been brilliant, so why not give him a chance. It took injury and terrible form just for a few games.

Look at other top clubs like PSG, they can develop academy players, even Madrid now are producing players and keeping them in the squad.

As I said they have to be good enough, but some of them clearly have the talent to make a difference - as Lewis did

I'm hoping our next manager will show more patience with our most promising academy players.

 

[mexico1970]

I'm hoping our next manager will show more patience with our most promising academy players.

Can you imagine what patience they would have to show considering the sheer amount of promising youngsters the club buy to loan out for profit?

We even buy promising players for £30 million and loan them out now, right in front of us the business continues unabated and it'll continue until we are less successful mate.

 

[Nicholas van Whatsisface]

For the umpteenth time Gundo is going nowhere. He returned here to play 2 seasons then become a coach.

And for the umpteenth time, you’ve got no clear evidence to support this statement.

Whatsoever.

Just because it makes sense inside your head, doesn’t make it true.

We’ve been through this before, and you didn’t provide any clear evidence last time round.

It’s boring going over the same arguments over and over again, so I’d suggest we leave it alone.

You hold your opinion, and I’ll hold mine.

 

[bell_mcfc]

Only when suits though isn't it? How long have the club distanced themselves from the fans? How long have interactions between players and fans been choreographed just for photo opportunities?

Yet when a fan doesn't rate a player he's going against the club? All sounds a bit off.

City can been a successful business at the same time. If you want the club you love to be successful these days it’s part of it.

The club took criticism on last year and is working with fan groups, Khaaldon especially seems invested in this issue in his interview so we need to see how the club react. They need to find a balance between being community motivated as well as commercially.

Everyone can have their own opinion on players, I think some have clearly been exaggerated and are overall critical. A player that tries their hardest and has actually been integral to success shouldn’t be treated poorly if you are a proper fan of this club.

I simply said I’d be gutted if Lewis left. An academy player that bleeds blue, something that means a lot to me as I love this club. And now I’m getting abuse for saying I’d be gutted. I’ve not once said he shouldn’t go, the club is a disgrace etc. it’s part of the game. I personally would be gutted - no one else, me.

As much as you say I can’t suggest someone thinks a certain way they can’t tell me how I feel about this. Ironic isn’t it?

 

[BlueMoonRisin’]

And for the umpteenth time, you’ve got no clear evidence to support this statement.

Whatsoever.

Just because it makes sense inside your head, doesn’t make it true.

We’ve been through this before, and you didn’t provide any clear evidence last time round.

It’s boring going over the same arguments over and over again, so I’d suggest we leave it alone.

You hold your opinion, and I’ll hold mine.

Gundo has said he intends becoming a coach. Probably why he wasn't tempted by Galatasary.

 

[Sir peace frog]

I agree. I’m finding it so disheartening seeing basically all of our academy players sold off. Obviously they have to be good enough, but nothing beats that connection seeing a local lad in the side.

The club and some posters on here seemingly have no interest or patience in developing our own young players, who are often just as talented if not more than the players we bring in - for huge amounts of money. We could have saved ourselves fortunes.

Some of these transfer links are making me feel like I’m watching Madrid or some galactico side. Whilst we might win something, I feel like I have no connection with a lot of these players. As you suggest it feels very corporate.

We’ve just had our most successful era ever with young players involved, so clearly it can be done.

would love a team full of our own youngsters, however you've seen the backlash after 10 years of unbelievable success ,which nobody could of dreamt of and one yes one "poor" season(3rd in the league and a cup final), half the fucking muppets on here would commit hari kari.

 

[mexico1970]

City can been a successful business at the same time. If you want the club you love to be successful these days it’s part of it.

The club took criticism on last year and is working with fan groups, Khaaldon especially seems invested in this issue in his interview so we need to see how the club react. They need to find a balance between being community motivated as well as commercially.

Everyone can have their own opinion on players, I think some have clearly been exaggerated and are overall critical. A player that tries their hardest and has actually been integral to success shouldn’t be treated poorly if you are a proper fan of this club.

I simply said I’d be gutted if Lewis left. An academy player that bleeds blue, something that means a lot to me as I love this club. And now I’m getting abuse for saying I’d be gutted. I’ve not once said he shouldn’t go, the club is a disgrace etc. it’s part of the game. I personally would be gutted - no one else, me.

As much as you say I can’t suggest someone thinks a certain way they can’t tell me how I feel about this. Ironic isn’t it?

You've explained your position and "It's just the way it is" shouldn't really cut it should it? Acquiescing to the way a business is run and accepting it because we are winning things at the present?

Oh and you're not getting abuse are you? someone disagreeing with you isn't abusing you? What made you say people were abusing you? Are you related to fucking Ederson or something?

:)