Wasn’t this k own when we signed him?
Wolves fans said as much.
Any slight doubt or criticism here was met with opposition however
21 | Rayan Ait-Nouri - 2025/26
- Thread starter Blue_Lightsaber
- Start date
Wolves fans said as much.
Any slight doubt or criticism here was met with opposition however
He'll be fine. He's not actually been properly fit for any game this season.
He was warming up during hi 90 mins against Wolves after the summer and played well. Then he got injured after 25 mins against Spurs (which was the point the game fell apart for us), and then he hasn't been fully fit since.
Bad first half against Swansea but still got the assist for Doku, then was part of our stronger second half until he was given a rest. O'Reilly still the main man at LB but Ait-Nouri is good competition.
He was warming up during hi 90 mins against Wolves after the summer and played well. Then he got injured after 25 mins against Spurs (which was the point the game fell apart for us), and then he hasn't been fully fit since.
Bad first half against Swansea but still got the assist for Doku, then was part of our stronger second half until he was given a rest. O'Reilly still the main man at LB but Ait-Nouri is good competition.
This is not exclusive to RAN who imo is a good player, but I want us to start signing players who are specialists in their posistion, we can pick the utility/versatility from our youth teams. It's wasteful to sign a defender who is average/poor defensively, a number 8 who cannot duel, dictate or finish well and a forward who's neither a winger/inside forward or centre forward.
simon23
Well-Known Member
Agreed but Nico G had already gone into position to defend. the cut back to the player doesnt happen if RAN defends properly....he showed him inside but then let him have a free run.
1. why not show him down the outside....does he not back himself for pace? - he doesnt look slow - so show him outside away from the goal
2. if you are going to show him inside towards where other defenders are then at least get tighter to him -watch RAN body position - his footwork was poor and he couldnt turn fast enough to go with the attacker...what happens when he comes up against someone actually at the top level?
I hadn't seen much of him at Wolves, but watching YouTube when we signed him smacked of 'here we go again' - every video was of him attacking the opposition area, nothing to show that he could defend.
Then watching him in the CWC, no doubt that he was exciting on the ball, but immediately clear that he had zero defensive instinct. So often his first movement would be in the wrong direction and at the speed of the game today that meant he was playing himself out of the game without even asking a question of his man.
So disappointing, especially after having endured defensive mistake after mistake, since Christmas. It made me wonder whether the recruitment team had been watching the same matches?
And here we still are - ¼ into the season and still no left back. NOR is making a brilliant fist of it, and with Khus on the right (despite his nightmare against Swansea) they're part of the best back line we have, but there's no substitute for a natural defender.
There's no way that opposing coaches will be oblivious to this. We're going to have to accept that we'll be shipping a few and just rely upon outscoring everybody.
There must be genuine defenders out there somewhere, surely?
Then watching him in the CWC, no doubt that he was exciting on the ball, but immediately clear that he had zero defensive instinct. So often his first movement would be in the wrong direction and at the speed of the game today that meant he was playing himself out of the game without even asking a question of his man.
So disappointing, especially after having endured defensive mistake after mistake, since Christmas. It made me wonder whether the recruitment team had been watching the same matches?
And here we still are - ¼ into the season and still no left back. NOR is making a brilliant fist of it, and with Khus on the right (despite his nightmare against Swansea) they're part of the best back line we have, but there's no substitute for a natural defender.
There's no way that opposing coaches will be oblivious to this. We're going to have to accept that we'll be shipping a few and just rely upon outscoring everybody.
There must be genuine defenders out there somewhere, surely?
Was he? I thought he was alright and gave us a decent outlet on the left.
The grey line is the point when he was subbed off.
The other coaches are salivating at the thought...
How dare you! Wash your mouth out immediately...
warringtonblue
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But if the players I mentioned had tracked back, he'd have had no one to pull it back to.
On Sunday, Villa's willingness to cut out crosses and block shots was like chalk and cheese comparted to ours
Would you rather we had gotten the kid who went to Liverpool?
I noticed lots of folks who were adamant we got the wrong left back have been quiet of late about Kerkez. Im not sure if you were one of those who thought he was the better option.
Ait Nouri's technical ability suggested then and now that he was the better fit for us.
There is no point rushing to any conclusions until he has a run of games. He was gimpy and rusty last game.
Either way, we already have a World Class left back Potential in NO'R
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You are right. Lets condemn him on the basis of 1 summer league game he played 2 weeks after joining his new team, and a game 2nd game he played after returning from injury.
I mean, these are the parameters for intelligent analysis.
Barcon
Well-Known Member
Are you having a stroke?
We bought a wingback to play LB. We really hate buying players just for a certain position , do we? He is completely bad on defense. There‘s no need to come up with stats if you actually watched some wolves games he was always good on the offensive side and with the ball but shit off the ball.
I was wondering how some here claimed that he was strong on defense when it was NEVER the case.
I was wondering how some here claimed that he was strong on defense when it was NEVER the case.
I think defensively he looks awful but he wasn’t against Spurs. He
I get what you’re saying but the worrying thing for me is he positions himself so badly when defending, especially 1 v 1. Obviously he should improve with fitness but you’d still expect to see the basics done right from a good defender
Earlyriser
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Summer League Game! It was the WCC.! He went into that tournament fully fit. His abysmal performance was nothing to do with integrating into a new team. It was down to the fact that he was consistently caught in possession high up the field, lost the ball in tackles and failed to get back up the pitch when.
oakiecokie
Well-Known Member
Well if you want to look at the facts, every City player in that game was shit.