33 | Nico O'Reilly - 2025/26

Ridiculously good, unfortunate for him that Doku was immense as he also deserved motm.

His introduction into 1st team football might be seamless we've seen at City, including Foden (granted he was a touch younger).

He was superb today, locked up Salah, kept possession well, backed Doku up and gambled at the correct times. In that 2nd half Szoboszlai and Gravenberch tried to overload him but he recognised it and managed to close them down before they could use Salah.

As I said Ridiculously good.
 
Didsbury Dave said:
Zinchenko too. Is there another manager out there who redefines players like this?
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Not at their ages, you see it a lot in youth football but by the time they get to the 1st team they're usually set, especially the ones that have played 1st team football for years.

Pep just sees the game better than most though.
 
His whole trajectory so far is very weird and funny:

- Good pre-season last year as CM
- Started last season in a few cup games as CM, struggled
- Pep then benched him and didn’t even use hime at all, even when there was a big midfield crisis at the club. Lots of people here called out for him to give him a try, but nothing happened, everyone feared he might be another Palmer, since there were some Chelsea interests.
- Then came March and April, Pep started using, but somehow as LB instead. Did well, scored a few goals even, but eventually by the end of the season he was gassed, iirc.
- Club then decided to buy a proper LB in Ait-Nouri, Nico then back to the bench. RAN started the first 3 games, but did poorly and eventually got injured.
- He then returned to the starting 11 as LB, and never looked back. Somehow improved leaps and bounds and eventually got an England callup.
 
Zin 'messiah' Zimmer said:
Mental he’s currently the best left back in the country and it’s not even his position…

Already strong as an ox and will get even stronger, the kid could be the best to come through under Pep
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I said it last season that i see a World Class left back in the making. Hence why I wasn't particularly sure why so many qere in such a rush to move him out of a position he is clearly going to be World Class at, to play another position


After every game last season, there wrr always posts of people saying they couldn't wait till he got game in his preferred position.. and im always like, "Why?"

He is already heading to World Class here. Forget his preferred position... I want him in his World Class position.
 
Still waiting for someone to tell me which left back in the Prem they would trade this kid for...
 
This O’Reilly performance against Salah was the best game any of our left-backs has had against him since he came into the league back in 2017.


Everyone’s struggled with him — Laporte, Zinchenko, Cancelo, Delph, you name it. He’s scored some proper scrappy goals too, ones that just bounce off him and end up in the net. But none of that applied last night — he was absolutely pocketed, just as he deserved.


Proper Nuno Mendes vibes.
 
TurboDuo said:
This O’Reilly performance against Salah was the best game any of our left-backs has had against him since he came into the league back in 2017.


Everyone’s struggled with him — Laporte, Zinchenko, Cancelo, Delph, you name it. He’s scored some proper scrappy goals too, ones that just bounce off him and end up in the net. But none of that applied last night — he was absolutely pocketed, just as he deserved.


Proper Nuno Mendes vibes.
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Angeliño had a torrid time against him at Anfield in that 3-1 defeat there in 2019.
 
TurboDuo said:
This O’Reilly performance against Salah was the best game any of our left-backs has had against him since he came into the league back in 2017.


Everyone’s struggled with him — Laporte, Zinchenko, Cancelo, Delph, you name it. He’s scored some proper scrappy goals too, ones that just bounce off him and end up in the net. But none of that applied last night — he was absolutely pocketed, just as he deserved.


Proper Nuno Mendes vibes.
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I seem to remember Ake playing pretty well against peak Salah.
Nico has been great though.
 
Cityfan said:
I seem to remember Ake playing pretty well against peak Salah.
Nico has been great though.
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When we beat them at home 2-1 in 2019, Laporte was great. Aké did well against him in the 4-1 win in 2023, even though Salah did score and play well in that game, Aké had to be right on it and did well.
 
MCFC1993 said:
Not at their ages, you see it a lot in youth football but by the time they get to the 1st team they're usually set, especially the ones that have played 1st team football for years.

Pep just sees the game better than most though.
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I think partly it's because he has the authority to do so. It's a bit different with Nico and Zinchenko as they were teenagers when he moved them, but if most managers went to a 26 year old £53m signing and said "You're a right back now" they'd either tell him to fuck off, or just not buy into it so it wouldn't work.

Pep's earned the authority and trust of any footballer so if he decides to move you around, you go for it.
 
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