75 | Nico O'Reilly - 2024/25

[Delphinho]

 

[Tevez City]

I think that was our best move this window.


The guy has all what it takes, just needs a run of games

 

[WallyA]

His talent is so obvious.

I feel like Pep over the years just trusts the youth less and less and or is sympathetic towards senior players.

Nico would be such a good player to mold into the team, Im not understanding how Pep doesnt see it, he is far too fearful

 

[ScottSinclair]

I'd love us to implement a 2-Nico midfield for the rest of the season. At least give him some minutes Pep.

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

His talent is so obvious.

I feel like Pep over the years just trusts the youth less and less and or is sympathetic towards senior players.

Nico would be such a good player to mold into the team, Im not understanding how Pep doesnt see it, he is far too fearful

He does trust youth though, as long as they aren’t from our academy. We’ve just signed two unproven centre backs, which show that.

With us signing a new midfielder I can’t see him getting any minutes apart from the fa cup.

Apparently we didn’t want a palmer 2.0. The best way to avoid that is by actually playing them.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

He does trust youth though, as long as they aren’t from our academy. We’ve just signed two unproven centre backs, which show that.

Not unproven, and Nico has been given chances and taken one of them.

With us signing a new midfielder I can’t see him getting any minutes apart from the fa cup.

We are rebuilding the team and he has the attributes that could prove invaluable, but he has to be in the top 150 midfielders in the country to get a game. It’s brutal when the entire globe is your “academy,” esp when you might provide the kind of “home grown profit” that helps bring in two players!

Apparently we didn’t want a palmer 2.0. The best way to avoid that is by actually playing them.

Pep is here to keep City challenging for domestic silverware and in the Champions League, not babysit young Academy players.

If they’re one of the best 18 players available on game day, they get a seat in the dressing room and some kit. If not, then they need to turn up for training on Monday ready to change Pep’s mind.

And, if you feel you can’t wait for that, or you’ll never change his mind, then good luck to you and have a great career!

 

[Cheadle_hulmeBlue]

Not unproven, and Nico has been given chances and taken one of them.



We are rebuilding the team and he has the attributes that could prove invaluable, but he has to be in the top 150 midfielders in the country to get a game. It’s brutal when the entire globe is your “academy,” esp when you might provide the kind of “home grown profit” that helps bring in two players!



Pep is here to keep City challenging for domestic silverware and in the Champions League, not babysit young Academy players.

If they’re one of the best 18 players available on game day, their get a seat in the dressing room and some kit. If not, then they need to turn up for training on Monday ready to change Pep’s mind.

And, if you feel you can’t wait for that, or you’ll never change his mind, then good luck to you and have a great career!

I’d argue a young centre back who played what a season in France is unproven, especially at the top level. Similar with Reis.

O’reily has barely played all season. that is not enough game time to develop and he will get to a point where he needs regular football. You do not have to be world class (barely any 18 year olds are), as we’ve seen with lots of our players. He’s more than talented enough though to make a difference.

Babysit academy players? Who’s saying that and do you really think they are that bad? No ones saying they should start every game. When most of the team has performed terribly and we have no midfield why not try someone like O’Reily.

Everything seems to be a risk or people are almost scared to trust our very talented young players.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I’d argue a young centre back who played what a season in France is unproven, especially at the top level. Similar with Reis.

These are scouted internationals who are some of the best players their age in the world.

O’reily has barely played all season. that is not enough game time to develop and he will get to a point where he needs regular football.

And, if his cameos had shown that he makes the early pass, rather than overrunning and losing it, I’d imagine he’d have played more. However, don’t forget, there have not been too many games where we’ve been 3 up with 20 mins to go and could sub on an Academy prospect.

You do not have to be world class (barely any 18 year olds are), as we’ve seen with lots of our players. He’s more than talented enough though to make a difference.

If that were true, it would be self-evident, but I appreciate you answering your own questions.

Babysit academy players? Who’s saying that and do you really think they are that bad?

It’s not a question of bad, it’s a question of good enough to play for the Champions and keep other midfielders out. In his cameos, I don’t think he’s done that. Do you?

In addition, if he was lighting it up in training, he’d be getting time, too.

No ones saying they should start every game. When most of the team has performed terribly and we have no midfield why not try someone like O’Reily.

Don’t get me wrong…I’d love nothing more than to see him play and be a world beater, but for his size, speed and physicality, he looks languid, holds onto the ball too much and rarely puts himself into a good position and drifts around filling space. He is not what I would call dynamic for an 18 yr old, probably because he’s always been one of the biggest and best players in the teams he’s played in until he got to the City First Team squad.

He’s 18. He needs to get his head down and learn what he doesn’t have that pros do. He’s a kid in a big boy body, so we need to let him mature.

Everything seems to be a risk or people are almost scared to trust our very talented young players.

City are a $1B per year business. Every point matters. We are not an 8th-16th team, where a point here or there doesn’t harm you. Every game we play is a Cup Final for the opposition, and it takes a special kind of player to handle that at 18. Nico might be one, but he has to show it in the arena.

I don’t think Pep is scared of anything or anyone. He trusts his own judgment, and has earned our trust, so I’m going to err on the side of Pep, who watches him every day, then has to decide if he deserves minutes over Kova, Gundo, Phil, Matheus, Bernie, Jack, the other Nico, Macca, or anyone else. And, not to put too fine of a point on it, everyone of those players, with the exception of Macca, is a full Senior international player…and we are already complaining McAtee isn’t getting enough time!

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough. Pep has shown that with Foden & Lewis, not to mention plenty of cameos for others.

I’m not sure if you fully appreciate the gap in quality, speed, size, strength, speed of thought, and overall physicality between the EDS/U21 and the Premier League. It is a chasm that devours players every year.

 

[Delphinho]

Still only 19, which means he’s just over 3 years younger than Nico Gonzalez. He probably deserved to have played more than he has this season, but just imagine how good he could be in 2-3 years! He’s probably ahead of what Rodri, Bernardo and Gundo was at 19. By the start of 26/27 season I expect all of Kovacic, Bernardo and Gundogan (and probably Nunes too) to be gone, so there is definitely a pathway for him. By slowly integrating him over the next 18 months he could easily be one of the 4-5 DMs and CMs

Rodri, Nico G, new CM/DM and O’Reilly for DM and CM options, and Foden & Echeverri AMs

 

[paulchapo]

This one is a bit baffling. In a season when our midfield has been crying out for some physicality and youthful pace this kid can't get a look.in, in spite of an impressive showing in the charity shield. He will turn out to be another Morgan Rogers if we let him leave.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Still only 19, which means he’s just over 3 years younger than Nico Gonzalez. He probably deserved to have played more than he has this season, but just imagine how good he could be in 2-3 years! He’s probably ahead of what Rodri, Bernardo and Gundo was at 19. By the start of 26/27 season I expect all of Kovacic, Bernardo and Gundogan (and probably Nunes too) to be gone, so there is definitely a pathway for him. By slowly integrating him over the next 18 months he could easily be one of the 4-5 DMs and CMs

Rodri, Nico G, new CM/DM and O’Reilly for DM and CM options, and Foden & Echeverri AMs

Exactly! What’s the rush? Develop him into the next iteration!

 

[ChicagoBlue]

This one is a bit baffling. In a season when our midfield has been crying out for some physicality and youthful pace this kid can't get a look.in, in spite of an impressive showing in the charity shield. He will turn out to be another Morgan Rogers if we let him leave.

The need has been in the middle of the middle, and he just isn’t that player atm.

That position is so crucial to not only getting the ball out of the back, but in distributing it when we are going forward. He’s not shown anything near the quality for that job during the worst period in Pep’s career.

 

[paulchapo]

The need has been in the middle of the middle, and he just isn’t that player atm.

That position is so crucial to not only getting the ball out of the back, but in distributing it when we are going forward. He’s not shown anything near the quality for that job during the worst period in Pep’s career.

I disagree. He couldn't do any worse in our midfield than what we have had in there this season due to injuries.

 

[pee dubya]

Would love to see him given a go, maybe playing in front of Kovacic and Gonzalez. With a front 3 of Foden, Marmoush and Haaland we'd suddenly have some freshness and legs in the team.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Joy to watch

they not aware he played LB in youth academy?

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Exactly! What’s the rush? Develop him into the next iteration!

we seem to have a constant demand to play our youth players straight away here in England and do them until death.

Correct we dont need to rush him

 

[supercity88]

we seem to have a constant demand to play our youth players straight away here in England and do them until death.

Correct we dont need to rush him

Loan him out, then say we want him to stay the following year before rarely play him and eventually letting him go...that's probably how it will go!

I hope I'm wrong, but the lack of time for Nico and McAtee this season despite our troubles doesn't suggest we'll see more of them when things improve and new players arrive sadly. It's a tough gig for our kids and I'm fairly certain Pep's protecting them from the potential criticism they'd get playing in a side low in confidence. People turned on Rico pretty quick and younger players could be seriously harmed by that exposure and pressure. Simpson-Pusey even got a lot of stick for the Feyenoord result even though players crumbled around him and he wasn't responsible for any of the goals.

 

[Dax777]

Has to play tomorrow. Desperately in need of legs in the midfield.

Id rather play him at Left back for now

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Loan him out, then say we want him to stay the following year before rarely play him and eventually letting him go...that's probably how it will go!

I hope I'm wrong, but the lack of time for Nico and McAtee this season despite our troubles doesn't suggest we'll see more of them when things improve and new players arrive sadly. It's a tough gig for our kids and I'm fairly certain Pep's protecting them from the potential criticism they'd get playing in a side low in confidence. People turned on Rico pretty quick and younger players could be seriously harmed by that exposure and pressure. Simpson-Pusey even got a lot of stick for the Feyenoord result even though players crumbled around him and he wasn't responsible for any of the goals.

So, they’re good enough to play with men, but not men enough to take some stick?

I used to get it from FOCs at the side of the pitch telling me “You’ll never be as good as your Father!” At the time, I was playing at school, for my county, for a club team and Sunderland…and I was 14!

Taking stick, both on and off the field, has always been part and parcel of being a footballer.

When I was that age, I once turned out for our pub team (I grew up in a pub!) because we were short of players. Some guy goes in a bit reckless and one of our lads goes, “Leave it out, he’s only 14 and plays for Sunderland Youth Team!”

Next time down the muddy pitch, I’m running with the ball, fella slides in, takes me and everything else (which was considered a great sliding tackle back in the day!). I’m lying on the floor about to get up when he rolls towards me and hits me, full fist, smack dab in the face, and says, “Yer playin wiv big boys today!” 47 years later, and I remember it like it was yesterday!

I went with the manager when Jimmy Adamson moved from Sunderland to Leeds United and at about age 16, Terry Connor and I had a private training session with Dave Merrington. He liked what he saw and next day I trained with the First Team…for about an hour!

We did drills and played some small games and then played some situational one on ones. Harvey was in goal and Merrington knocks a ball into me from the sideline (I played center forward). I collect it and bring it down and I’m supposed to try to turn, get past Byron Stevenson, and see if I can score.

I shield the ball and quick as a flash, I turn, nutmeg him, run past him laughing, and have a crack. Harvey saves it! A bunch of the first team laughs at him, and me, for the nutmeg.

“Again!”

Merrington knocks it into me again and as I’m trying to bring it under control, I get knobbled from behind. Absolutely leathered and I’m not even sure I can get up, let alone walk away. Stevenson stands over me, glares, and tells me not to nutmeg him or laugh at him EVER again!

As I try to get to my feet, Merrington sees I’m in pain and tells me to get up and go see the Physio. And that was that!

Football is a cruel mistress and you’ve got to be ready for everything she throws at you. I thought I’d made it training with Terry Connor and then the first team, but it took one laugh (which was stupid, but reflexive) to tell me I needed to grow up some, toughen up some, and actual BE a man, not just have a few skills that men had, before I could even entertain the man’s game.

After that, I knew I needed to go to Uni and not chase the almost impossible dream without a solid fallback position. I’d seen my Dad be an almost man, even though he was great, broke records and was a worldie at Alty in the 70s. But, in my heart, I was a player who could play really good, not a really good player! I did play pro, but nothing to write home about, and I did have an education to fall back on, which many don’t. Here’s hoping Nico doesn’t need to be smart arse!

When you see the swagger of players like Grealish, Foden, KDB, it’s because they know who they are. They know it’s THEIR LEVEL, THEIR STAGE, THEY BELONG THERE. Young players have to develop that, no matter how precocious they are. They have to hold their own, physically, but also mentally, with men for whom this is just another Tuesday, because this is who they are.

THAT is when you know he’ll have made the leap. Take a tackle and bounce back up. Give a tackle and bounce back up. Play a worldie pass and keep going like you not only meant it, but you do it all the time. It’s about stature, how you carry yourself, how you react to being clattered, how you receive a ball and release it…it’s EVERYTHING about the way you interact in “the arena of men.”

Nico O’Reilly, good as he is, isn’t that…yet…but I think he can get there. He’s big, he’ll get stronger. He can pass, he’ll learn to pass quicker. He can run with the ball, he’ll learn when the ball needs to do the running.

It’s an entire “thing,” and you see it in some players and you just don’t see it in others. It’s one reason I don’t think MacAtee will make it at City. Even now, he doesn’t come on and look like he belongs. He drifts around. He provides little to no impact off the bench. He’s 6’ tall but doesn’t seem to have developed any “football” strength on the ball.

I hope Nico can develop it, but for some it takes time and for others, it’s like a light switch. Savinho…instantly looked like he was at home on the pitch. He wasn’t afraid to be who he was. He wasn’t afraid to run, put in a challenge, take a player on, and take a lump or two. You could just tell…PLAYER!

Nico needs to not look out of place when he’s lining up at kick off. He needs to look like he’s confident and the players around him have confidence in him. Sadly, we saw the exact opposite in Khusanov when he started against Chelsea. He showed timidity and panic, but then Bernardo took him under his wing for 5-10 mins, took the pressure off him and it allowed him to grow into the game.

After 20 minutes, he didn’t look out of place. He wasn’t tearing up trees, but he survived an almost unfair baptism by fire. He’ll never forget it, just like the FOC taunts, the punch in the face, the leg breaker from behind from a Welsh ****.

They either add to you or they take something out of you, and I desperately want Nico to add these experiences to his game and develop, mature, fill out, and become a man in a City shirt.

Early days.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

Loan him out, then say we want him to stay the following year before rarely play him and eventually letting him go...that's probably how it will go!

I hope I'm wrong, but the lack of time for Nico and McAtee this season despite our troubles doesn't suggest we'll see more of them when things improve and new players arrive sadly. It's a tough gig for our kids and I'm fairly certain Pep's protecting them from the potential criticism they'd get playing in a side low in confidence. People turned on Rico pretty quick and younger players could be seriously harmed by that exposure and pressure. Simpson-Pusey even got a lot of stick for the Feyenoord result even though players crumbled around him and he wasn't responsible for any of the goals.

I agree with all of what you said.