It's Quiet the £250m return

Dribble said:
Facts are facts mate. You need to be more lucid & precise before you go making throwaway comments trying to be clever.

So after unpicking your reply, let's cut to the chase. Most of what you've claimed is your personal opinion, which I appreciate you have a right to hold.

Let's start from what we agree with...

1. Neither of us likes Pep's inverted RB system.

2. We agree we don't have anyone better than Rico at the club to play that role.

3. Inspite of your criticisms of Lewis, you can't name one player in world football who can perform that role, or is playing the inverted RB position better than Rico, so we can contrast & compare.

OK, we can settle on those points.

So then who's responsible for the role Rico plays? Rico or his manager? If it's his manager, why are you getting on Rico's back for playing him in that role & not his manager?

In terms of player comparisons, you're comparing world class seasoned professionals at the zenith of their careers against a former EDS player barely out of his teens. Kind of like comparing Foden at 20 to Maradona & saying he's not good enough & never will be!

You've compared Rico's No 10 position, final ⅓ passing play to the magician David Silva (too small & flimsy for English football), his No 6 & No 8 play to Fernandinho, Yaya, Plodri (current world's best player) & Bernardo?

Thst high praise indeed for Rico if you have to go to those exhalted levels of playing legends to validate your ultra negative opinion of the kid.

In this respect, let's say I agree. Rico's no Messi on the right, no Ronaldo on the left, or no Pelé through the centre either, & I too would be pleasantly surprised if he ever attained those levels. They seem like rational comparisons too huh?

Rico's been around our first team squad since 2022-23. Again we can agree that opposition players targeted him for brutal treatment knowing that it would knock him off his stride & shake him up.

However, I've noticed something different about him recently. He's seriously bulked up & since the CWC, & I can't recall a player bullying him since, without it being penalised as a clear foul.

Following in his Dad's footsteps, Rico's always practiced Jujitsu, & he's now apparently taken up boxing & more importantly, boxing training. Take a close look at his thighs, calves & his chest area. He's definitely added significant muscle mass, which probably explains why the kid isn't so easy to throw around any longer.

Against Wolves a player clattered him from behind around the halfway line, which was awarded as a foul, & again two players clattered into him as he was shielding the ball as it was dribbling out of play in our area. That should've been given as a foul, not a corner imo, but still... Aside from that, can you cite any instances since the CWC where Rico was physically weak or bullied?

At no point over the first two games of this season, can I recall Lewis being bullied, but have you already made up your mind about a 20 year old, that he'll forever be "Little Lewis" & that he'll never fill out into possibly becoming "Rico the Rock"?

Despite his physical shortcomings, Lewis has the heart of a lion & a football intelligence that belies his years. Says who? Says the best football manager I've ever come across, the former England manager & Nottingham Forest who were reportedly told to fuck off when they recently made a derisory opening £30m bid for a player who you deem to be totally deficient in all aspects of football, & has zero redeeming attributes as a footballer.

So the question is, what have Pep Guardiola, Nunes Espirito Santo, Gareth Southgate & a host of other top flight football managers across England & the European continent missed that you've seen? Is there anything at all that you rate about him?

As for Lewis not being a competant traditional RB, you've not cited an instance of him playing there to comment on. Not one, because it's quite clearly evident that Pep Guardiola has bigger plans for the player, whether you wish to acknowledge it or not.

I get it, you don't rate the guy, but how can you confidently say that Rico Lewis can't now or ever play as a traditional over/underlapping RB, when you can't tell me a time when he has, & what other criticisms you have of the lad playing there?

Tbh mate, it seems like Rico is your modern day replacement for Richard Edgehill. The difference being that Rico's career has barely started, & you can't see ONE redeeming facet to attribute to him.

I seriously can't believe you've cited prime David Silva, Fernandinho, Yaya, Rodri & Bernardo as comparisons to prove your reasonings as to why 20 year old Rico Lewis is shit.

Not ONE of them was ever tasked with playing Pep's inverted RB role. Ask yourself why mate...
Click to expand...
A spirited retort, but alas, he’s not good enough.
 
Lee the Blue said:
Absolutely this.

We don't need centre halves at right back (Khusanov), we don't need shit midfielders at right back (Nunes) and Rico isn't anywhere near good enough.

Given Pep's system the failure to replace Walker has been astonishing. Contrary to what some believe, Livramento is not the only right back in the world - I fail to believe with our resources we couldn't have hugely upgraded that spot. Muniz at Palace for one would be ideal for us.
Click to expand...

Munoz is 29. Can't wait to see how Bluemoon is feeling when he's 32, won't leave and still has 2 years on his deal.

Livramento is 1 of maybe 5 (even somewhat) attainable right backs in the world that definitely improves us.
 
Lee the Blue said:
Absolutely this.

We don't need centre halves at right back (Khusanov), we don't need shit midfielders at right back (Nunes) and Rico isn't anywhere near good enough.

Given Pep's system the failure to replace Walker has been astonishing. Contrary to what some believe, Livramento is not the only right back in the world - I fail to believe with our resources we couldn't have hugely upgraded that spot. Muniz at Palace for one would be ideal for us.
Click to expand...
Said Muniz the otheer day and got told he was too old.

people have bizzare takes, the fella has been consistant for 3 season, 29. is not an issue when we have such a young squad, some experience and solidity would be helpful
 
GK (Donarumma) and RB (Livramento) is needed if we want to even challenge for the PL this season. I feel like Liverpool and Arsenal getting at least 85-90 points this season.

Probably not gonna happen but a CB (Guehi) and LW (Rodrygo) inc the two previous players I mentioned will make us favourites for the league and even UCL, Especially if Rodri comes back as Balon Dor Rodri.

But Let’s be real there’s 3 days left, no concrete links to any player, it’s gonna be Trafford and Rico Lewis in the starting lineup vs Mbappe and co.
 
Blue_Lightsaber said:
View attachment 167753

After we move the ones in red.. we're set but able to do 1 for 1 business.

Makes sense somehow Akanji was indecisive on the pitch.. now his indecisiveness is killing us OFF it.

Wouldn't mind sending Kovacic packing for a quality CB/ RB signing at all.

Oh and we need to move Kalvin Philips too..
Click to expand...
I think Gundo will probably go as well, probably in some deadline day deal.

I also have this sneaky feeling someone is going to come in for Nunes. I'm not ITK, just have a gut feeling.
 
Cobwebcat said:
I’m starting to think, for the first time, we are done.

Maybe Esbrand and Kabore loaned or sold. Maybe Ortega. Nobody wants Kalvin. None of the old guard want to leave and will see their last year out it seems.

As for incomings I think it maybe too late now.

4 days left for new signings.

Strange thing is we had got the average age of our squad right down but then loaned or sold a lot of the younger players we brought in meaning we are back to having the 6th oldest in the PL as it stands right now and even older if Esbrand and Kabore go too.

I hope some of these loaned young signings do well and come back to stay next season.

A weird window all around for me. I don’t know what to make of it yet.
Click to expand...
What’s everybody’s rating of the window.

I still find it bizarre that after 2 years we still don’t have an actual RB. Other than that I can’t complain. 7.5/10
 
if Pep leaves out Akanji, Gundo again from squad vs Brighton how big message that would be. like you can stay but this is what waiting you...
 
BluestBlue said:
What’s everybody’s rating of the window.

I still find it bizarre that after 2 years we still don’t have an actual RB. Other than that I can’t complain. 7.5/10
Click to expand...
Too early to say. Question marks over Ederson, Akanji, Gundogan and Ortega. Outstanding issues to sort with Phillips, Kabore, Mbete and Wilson-Esbrand. Will we get a RB? Will Donnarumma arrive? These are all things for which we do not yet have the answers.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top