33 | Nico O'Reilly - 2025/26

Very rare that id say this but he was poor tonight in the middle and it didnt work with him and Bernardo in there together
 
Not ready for midfield. Can't just switch him there after playing left back for so long. Need to be so much more switched on to play there, he will be a midfielder eventually but not yet and a title chasing run-in isn't the time to be blooding him in there. Left back for the rest of the season and he gets his midfield chance next season.
 
Love him but not his best game - positioning and awareness at 6 wasn't great & that miss at the end was shocking. Ah well, he'll have better games in midfield
 
Not a midfielder YET - goes missing too much (not through lack of effort) and that can’t be done in a midfielder. It’s the reason Reijnders doesn’t play much.

Compare Nico G’s involvement to his tonight, shows a midfielder comfortable getting the ball and knowing where to be to recycle.

Not a slight against NOR at all; I adore the guy. Just not ready for central roles yet. IMO anyway.

Keep him at left back, he’s mint there and will eventually elevate areas of his game which will help him in midfield.
 
Not good enough in the midfield, today was the best example. Needs to play as a LB until the end of season.
 
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City_Sean said:
I absolutely love him but just do not want him playing alongside Bernardo in a midfield two.

Hes much better impacting the game from left back at the moment.

I understand why Pep tried it, but I hope against Everton he's back in at left back.
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Agree 1000%. Great young player but not yet ready for CM role in these games.
 
Master-Lotus said:
Not good enough in the midfield, today was the best example. Needs to plays as a LB until the end of season.
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*for the rest of his career.

No need to move him, I don’t care where he played in his youth, he’s found his role in senior football so allow him to flourish there.

We’ve struggled to adequately fill the leftback void since the days of Kolarov and Clichy sharing the role - now we have one from the academy who could do so for the next 15 years as a legitimate goal threat, let’s not mess about with him.
 
Had a rare stinker. Maybe his worst game in a City shirt to date. Still flashes of brilliance…

But that sitter at the end was beyond a joke.

Might give him sleepless nights if the title comes down to goal difference.
 
#5- said:
*for the rest of his career.

No need to move him, I don’t care where he played in his youth, he’s found his role in senior football so allow him to flourish there.

We’ve struggled to adequately fill the leftback void since the days of Kolarov and Clichy sharing the role - now we have one from the academy who could do so for the next 15 years as a legitimate goal threat, let’s not mess about with him.
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Personally, I agree with you.

I think O Reillys ceiling as a LB surpasses it as a midfielder.

At the same time I know he will play midfield because thats his "natural" position and his size as well.

But im not a fan of it. Just let him be the best LB in the world.

Im not sure why the fullback position has become undervalued in football but I dont like it.
 
The game just showed how outstanding Rodri is. Comparing a man who has barely played a senior midfield game with a player recognised as the best in the world is what we were faced with, and it didn't work last night. That doesn't mean it won't work in the future, but that was a big difference.

Knowing Nico, he will know that, and he will reflect and improve on it.

For me, the game only needed Nico G to come in as the only change, but the reality is that we could easily have won five or six. On we go, in a position we would never have considered ourselves in
 
Why do people want to limit O'Reilly's development to just being a LB for the rest of his career? He's got years to be able to perfect multiple roles and the issues he had as a midfielder last night are fixable. He has the talent to be brilliant in multiple roles and a great environment to learn them.
 
Ajm1985 said:
Why do people want to limit O'Reilly's development to just being a LB for the rest of his career? He's got years to be able to perfect multiple roles and the issues he had as a midfielder last night are fixable. He has the talent to be brilliant in multiple roles and a great environment to learn them.
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Indeed. He has all of the attributes to succeed.
His growth this year has been astounding.
Rodri is Rodri though - and that's a hard act to follow.
 
Pep needs to stop shoe horning him into midfield beside Bernardo don’t get me wrong I understand it but I just don’t think they complement each other not to mention 2 left footers at the base of midfield is way to predictable
 
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