82 | Rico Lewis - 2023/24

[iTyler]

I understand what you're saying, and to be honest you're the angel on my shoulder in my thinking about Rico.

We have to discuss his development though don't we? Cole had a thread when he was getting less game time, and plenty weren't convinced by him at all, and I was actually one of his bigger advocates.

Personally just not seeing it with Rico just yet, and I hope I'm wrong.

I think he's shown more than enough in certain games to show that he's going to be an excellent player in the coming years. I hate this daft term to begin with, but he's not some "generational talent" which often gets bounded about with some young players. But it's pretty clear that Guardiola likes him a lot and that's for good reason. You can question his progress, what his best position might be etc. But those saying he's not good enough to have a future with us are utter numpties.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

I don't see all the negatives being highlighted by some posters on here. This guy is very talented and with a high football IQ. I quite enjoy watching him play and think he will be a consistent player on this team for a while.
Also, Pep does not do favoritism. If Pep thinks he's good enough, then that will do for me.

Pep doesn’t play inexperienced players in midfield either. It’s taken Foden years to get to playing more centrally.

The fact Pep plays Rico as a 6/8 shows he trusts him.

I still think Rico is learning his craft in midfield. Once he gets more confidence and believes he belongs, he’ll go up a level or two.

For those worried about stature, Xavi, Iniesta, Gundogan, David and Bernardo Silva, Pirlo, Modric etc prove that you don’t need to be big and powerful.

I think Pep has proven, without doubt, that the biggest and most important factor of being a footballer is the brain. All other attributes help.

 

[SamTheGuru]

Rico had a bit of a shocker yesterday but absolutely nothing to worry about. He is only 19 and his football maturity is well beyond his age. It's a credit to him that he is now being scrutinised as a relied upon member of the squad and not an up and coming youngster.

 

[youngbob]

The guy is 19 and has Pep's full trust. That's enough for me.

 

[Vincennes Blue]

I think that in the future, Rico will be a rotation player but never an indisputable starter, like Sergi Roberto at Barca or Nacho at Real Madrid. He'll alternate between different positions and will always be ready to help the team, whether on the defensive flanks or in midfield. You always need this kind of player to maintain the club's identity, especially when the player in question has an irreproachable mentality. Having said that, and even if he can always improve in the future, he doesn't have any natural qualities that stand out from the crowd and will make him a great player.

 

[Bigga]

His defending is getting worse. Pretty evident he's never going to be a regular fullback for us. Midfield is his future.

Midfield, maybe.

But, not at Manchester City.

The hierarchy are, actively, trying to fill the void. That means the kid is going back to the bench if successful and he'll be given Bobb/ Palmer time to show his difference making.

Just depends on his patience from then on.

 

[Bigga]

Do you think Kevin De Bruyne was good most weeks as an 18 year old? Factually he wasn't. And that was despite playing at a much lesser club and without the pressure that also comes with playing for an elite club like ourselves.

Guess how many clubs De Bruyne played for before finding his feet?

De Bruyne isn't our youth player just in case you were using that as an argument...

 

[mattcity5]

Pep doesn’t play inexperienced players in midfield either. It’s taken Foden years to get to playing more centrally.

The fact Pep plays Rico as a 6/8 shows he trusts him.

I still think Rico is learning his craft in midfield. Once he gets more confidence and believes he belongs, he’ll go up a level or two.

For those worried about stature, Xavi, Iniesta, Gundogan, David and Bernardo Silva, Pirlo, Modric etc prove that you don’t need to be big and powerful.

I think Pep has proven, without doubt, that the biggest and most important factor of being a footballer is the brain. All other attributes help.

One of the things that won us the league last year was Pep deciding he'd had enough of Cancelo and playing Rico instead.

To me that was because Cancelo thought he could play killer balls all the time (losing us possession fairly often), while Rico played more sensibly, giving the ball to the actual creative talents to do that instead.

I think now he is perhaps trying to do more than just the basics on occasion, but he maybe doesn't need to.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

One of the things that won us the league last year was Pep deciding he'd had enough of Cancelo and playing Rico instead.

To me that was because Cancelo thought he could play killer balls all the time (losing us possession fairly often), while Rico played more sensibly, giving the ball to the actual creative talents to do that instead.

I think now he is perhaps trying to do more than just the basics on occasion, but he maybe doesn't need to.

Even if he is, he’s going to make mistakes as he learns. If he doesn’t learn, Pep won’t play him. The perfect education.

Hes only being played in midfield in easier games at the moment though. We found out at Arsenal that he still has a way to go. He got that start because he was excellent in Leipzig a few days before.

He’ll become a superstar, a really good versatile squad player or gets sold.

Time will show us his ceiling.

 

[Bigga]

Pep doesn’t play inexperienced players in midfield either. It’s taken Foden years to get to playing more centrally.

The fact Pep plays Rico as a 6/8 shows he trusts him.

I still think Rico is learning his craft in midfield. Once he gets more confidence and believes he belongs, he’ll go up a level or two.

For those worried about stature, Xavi, Iniesta, Gundogan, David and Bernardo Silva, Pirlo, Modric etc prove that you don’t need to be big and powerful.

I think Pep has proven, without doubt, that the biggest and most important factor of being a footballer is the brain. All other attributes help.

6/8 when the team's down in quality through injury or suspension, Lewis comes in and helps maintain that level. I don't think he takes it further up.

As for his 'footballer brain', if you've noticed, when he tries to buy fouls in offence and defence and the oppo takes advantage, Guardiola tends to take him off soon after.