4 | Tijjani Reijnders - 2025/26

[Phil1]

More hope than expectation at this point that he clicks but he needs to improve in a few aspects of his game if he's to make it here.

 

[richards30]

More hope than expectation at this point that he clicks but he needs to improve in a few aspects of his game if he's to make it here.

Not for me, i think he will come very good just like Gonzalez has!

 

[Silvatoure21]

Your comments echo my thoughts. I've not seen one post yet saying this guy WON'T be good enough, but the self righteous on here like to interpret things in another way. People can only speak about what they've seen from him so far which in all honesty isn't very much. He really needs to step it up.

We see a bunch of posts that just crucify these guys who barely have been here and say they aren’t good enough, will never play etc etc. we said that about Nico G last season and he also is playing leaps and bounds better than his first 4 months. We saw Sane take a full year to look incredible. People called Rodri-Plodri, when he would hold the ball too long and get it stolen. All those guys came good to great so Reijnders will get the same treatment from me. Im not going to kill him for anything this early. Now if he still looks like this next November, then we get rid but I think he will be great. I will agree with those that say we should probably not look to Italy for talent. I mean look at my boy Pulisic. Love him since he is a USA player, but he is tearing that league up. He couldn’t see the pitch at Chelsea.

 

[youngbob]

I think he just needs to bulk up a bit and then he'll really get going. Right now he seems a bit intimidated by how rough the league is again, and how hard and physical players can be over here, but he's also just keeping things ticking over nicely enough while being randomly dropped in and out by Pep. I reckon if he'd come in 10 years ago, or even five years ago (at the same age), he'd have fit right in without skipping a beat. But he's landed in England just at the point when it's gone back to how things were in the Premier League maybe 15-20 years ago.

Between around 2014 and, say, 2023-ish, he'd have more space and time with the ball, the pace would generally be slower, teams (especially City) would be prioritising more patient build-up and winning league titles with it. He'd be more at home. But he's come into a league that's unexpectedly gone back to being fast, physical, and direct first. Where patient build-ups aren't as successful, and where you do need to throw your weight around a bit. He'll get there (he's already doing fine imo) just needs to put on another few pounds and get harder.

 

[richards30]

I think he just needs to bulk up a bit and then he'll really get going. Right now he seems a bit intimidated by how rough the league is again, and how hard and physical players can be over here, but he's also just keeping things ticking over nicely enough while being randomly dropped in and out by Pep. I reckon if he'd come in 10 years ago, or even five years ago (at the same age), he'd have fit right in without skipping a beat. But he's landed in England just at the point when it's gone back to how things were in the Premier League maybe 15-20 years ago.

Between around 2014 and, say, 2023-ish, he'd have more space and time with the ball, the pace would generally be slower, teams (especially City) would be prioritising more patient build-up and winning league titles with it. He'd be more at home. But he's come into a league that's unexpectedly gone back to being fast, physical, and direct first. Where patient build-ups aren't as successful, and where you do need to throw your weight around a bit. He'll get there (he's already doing fine imo) just needs to put on another few pounds and get harder.

Fully agree mate, let alone what it must be like for his family life etc? I guarantee he will end up doing what Gonzalez has done and in a years time will be double digit for goals every season going forward!

 

[Roachy]

We see a bunch of posts that just crucify these guys who barely have been here and say they aren’t good enough, will never play etc etc. we said that about Nico G last season and he also is playing leaps and bounds better than his first 4 months. We saw Sane take a full year to look incredible. People called Rodri-Plodri, when he would hold the ball too long and get it stolen. All those guys came good to great so Reijnders will get the same treatment from me. Im not going to kill him for anything this early. Now if he still looks like this next November, then we get rid but I think he will be great. I will agree with those that say we should probably not look to Italy for talent. I mean look at my boy Pulisic. Love him since he is a USA player, but he is tearing that league up. He couldn’t see the pitch at Chelsea.

No problem with that. People commenting on what they've seen so far really is no big deal. What happens further down the line can be discussed then.

 

[dadnlad]

anyone watched him play for holland

 

[super_city_si]

More hope than expectation at this point that he clicks but he needs to improve in a few aspects of his game if he's to make it here.

I'm hoping its a second season thing. He looks like a decent player but to my eye he doesnt seem to know where he fits in the team and so kind of floats on the periphery.

 

[Silvatoure21]

No problem with that. People commenting on what they've seen so far really is no big deal. What happens further down the line can be discussed then.

Commenting is fine. Crying about them and wanting them to be moved on is the issue I have

 

[Dax777]

If it was hide and seek we were playing he definitely did well!

Interesting. I thought his movement was fantastic. Both on offense and pressing early.

 

[Dax777]

Not happening for him.

Will he come good? I'm not too sure. His biggest attribute is reading the game but even that's missing at the moment and pace, strength, tackling, tracking back just don't get me started.

However, it's a long season, hopefully he can get it together.

If he's still performing similar this time next season at 28 by then, it'll time to move him on.

Pressing is great. Movement off the ball is great. Willingness to chase is great. Passing is very good. Shooting is erratic and so is technique. Phisicality is horrendous.

The improvements needed to go from average to very good are minor

 

[depps]

We were all drooling over this guys at the CWC and in pre-season. He will come good, he has the class to be a top player for us. Just needs a bit of time to adjust to the league

 

[Higor Douglas]

Pressing is great. Movement off the ball is great. Willingness to chase is great. Passing is very good. Shooting is erratic and so is technique. Phisicality is horrendous.

The improvements needed to go from average to very good are minor

How is the movement of a midfielder who touches the ball 15 times per game considered great?

Notice that he always plays close to the opponent’s back line, next to Haaland, almost like a second striker, leaving Nico G and the other midfielders with no passing options to break the opponent’s first line...

 

[Bluewonder]

We were all drooling over this guys at the CWC and in pre-season. He will come good, he has the class to be a top player for us. Just needs a bit of time to adjust to the league

I don't disagree with your notion that he will come good, but the CWC was mostly played at walking pace.

 

[Dax777]

How is the movement of a midfielder who touches the ball 15 times per game considered great?

Notice that he always plays close to the opponent’s back line, next to Haaland, almost like a second striker, leaving Nico G and the other midfielders with no passing options to break the opponent’s first line...

He played as a 2nd striker, wnd was very good with his movement. We had 3 central midfielders, Nico, Foden and Bernardo.

Just coz he had few touches doesn't mean much

For our first attack, he made a run unto the left flank to get open for a pass.

His run into the box for a pass from Cherki (i think) won us our first corner kick.

His run for the over the top chip from Cherki that he couldn't get his leg to was beautiful. Just before that chip he was the one who chased down and pressed the player Nico dispossessed.

Even on the cross for our first goal, it was his movement in the prior sequence that got us up the field. He looked back saw the open space on the right side took a step and pointed to Nico telling Gvardiol to pass ot to Nico. As soon as Nico got it he moved into that open space and received the pass then passed it off to Cherki who had gone right. Cherki then recycled with Nunes, then Bernie before Nunez delivers the cross.

Its so basic, but he did it constantly. He is always moving into the next open pocket to initiate attacks.


There also was the run into the box for a Cheeki pass that was nicked from him in last second by a defender as he tried to turn.

There was the run after getting open for a pass, then turns and beats Guehi who dragged him down but red didn't call the foul

If you watch Foden's goal you'd see him starting from the Nunes interception to Haaland's pass back to Cherki. TJ was open and looking for a pass every step Cherki made on the ball.

First to his left, when Cherki didnt pass he made a cutting run and Cherki could have slipped it to him. But either way, its his movement that got Foden open because the defender was worried about TJ's movement and went with him as the pass headed to Phil..

His movement was fantastic all game in my opinion.

 

[WallyA]

Player	Minutes	Goals	Assists	G+A per 90
E Haaland	1,805	23	3	1.30
R Cherki	691	3	7	1.30
P Foden	1,623	10	4	0.78
J Doku	1,437	3	5	0.5
O Marmoush	396	1	1	0.45

T Reijnders

1,423

2

5

0.44

squeezed into 6th in goals and assists per 90, mainly due to his Champions League contributions at the moment.

Those stats are highly misleading though and part of the common falacy of using assists (especially at such a low number of games) as THE measure of quality.

In the champions league Reijnders is doing 0.72A/90 which indicates a beyond world class creator, if anybody saw those goals you'd realize he made pretty routine passes that was mostly the work of the finisher (like Phil).

His xA for those was only 0.18/90, which proves this.

His premier league stats are more inline and show xA/90 at 0.12 with A/90 at 0.17.

 

[samuelyeboah]

he will come good

 

[Higor Douglas]

He played as a 2nd striker, wnd was very good with his movement. We had 3 central midfielders, Nico, Foden and Bernardo.

Just coz he had few touches doesn't mean much

For our first attack, he made a run unto the left flank to get open for a pass.

His run into the box for a pass from Cherki (i think) won us our first corner kick.

His run for the over the top chip from Cherki that he couldn't get his leg to was beautiful. Just before that chip he was the one who chased down and pressed the player Nico dispossessed.

Even on the cross for our first goal, it was his movement in the prior sequence that got us up the field. He looked back saw the open space on the right side took a step and pointed to Nico telling Gvardiol to pass ot to Nico. As soon as Nico got it he moved into that open space and received the pass then passed it off to Cherki who had gone right. Cherki then recycled with Nunes, then Bernie before Nunez delivers the cross.

Its so basic, but he did it constantly. He is always moving into the next open pocket to initiate attacks.


There also was the run into the box for a Cheeki pass that was nicked from him in last second by a defender as he tried to turn.

There was the run after getting open for a pass, then turns and beats Guehi who dragged him down but red didn't call the foul

If you watch Foden's goal you'd see him starting from the Nunes interception to Haaland's pass back to Cherki. TJ was open and looking for a pass every step Cherki made on the ball.

First to his left, when Cherki didnt pass he made a cutting run and Cherki could have slipped it to him. But either way, its his movement that got Foden open because the defender was worried about TJ's movement and went with him as the pass headed to Phil..

His movement was fantastic all game in my opinion.

But he isn’t a second striker, he’s an 8 or a 6. He should drop deeper and operate closer to the midfielders, like Cherki and Phil used to do. If the idea is to play with a second striker making runs in behind, then Marmoush should be playing instead, he’s a better finisher. It makes no sense to have two players attacking the last line when our midfielders have no passing options and are losing the second balls.

 

[Dax777]

But he isn’t a second striker, he’s an 8 or a 6. He should drop deeper and operate closer to the midfielders, like Cherki and Phil used to do. If the idea is to play with a second striker making runs in behind, then Marmoush should be playing instead, he’s a better finisher. It makes no sense to have two players attacking the last line when our midfielders have no passing options and are losing the second balls.

Im not going to get caught up in the semantics of positional names. Kevin Debruyne occasionally played that same role in years past.

Generally we had 5 midfielders. Nico was the base, Cherki was decidedly to the right. Berny and Phil were central and Tijjani was ahead of all 4. No one played on the left primarily.

Again, he did drop deeper and constantly made rums to create passing lanes to get him the ball. Sometimes his efforts were ignored or when they weren't it sometimes didn't come off.

I thought he was brilliant tactically. But he wasnt the best on aggression and his technique wasnt always smooth.

But i think lots of our fans are just used to saying he was poor. Having watched the game a few more times, i disagree. Thought he was very good. And the platform for him becoming great is easily identifiable in this game.

 

[Cigs&Alc]

I think that as we get more comfortable in build-up and just attack in general, then Reijnders will come into his own. Got to give him time.