82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

[oldius]

Good player, GREAT prospect, and just 20 years old. I will never understand some of our fanbase.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Good player, GREAT prospect, and just 20 years old. I will never understand some of our fanbase.

He’s being overused due to injuries to too many players.

Pep is a master at picking and choosing the games he should play when we have limited injuries. He’s being asked to play too much and in too many games that he isn’t ready for.

 

[oldius]

He’s being overused due to injuries to too many players.

Pep is a master at picking and choosing the games he should play when we have limited injuries. He’s being asked to play too much and in too many games that he isn’t ready for.

How Pep uses him is not on the player. As I said, he is a good player and a great prospect. I appreciate his skill, his flexibility, and his desire. Like all young players, he has strengths and areas for development.

 

[mattcity5]

Not that I watch them all the time, I don't, so I might be wrong, but Aaron Hickey and Kyle Walker-Peters (we were interested in them in the past as well) come to mind. I don't think Rico plays ahead of them at his current level.

He wouldn't play for those teams ahead of them, but they wouldn't play for us ahead of Rico either.

For teams who do a lot of defending, maybe he wouldn't be what they need. But he's way more comfortable in possession than they are, which is what we need most in any position.

The more we control games the less of a problem defending is. The problem currently is the amount of changes from game to game and the amount of players carrying injuries. Those points mean we are controlling games less.

 

[WallyA]

Honestly think he just needs rest.

He will be a good player for us, and just needs time.

I just want Pep to solidify that role for him.

I think inverted RB has potential for him, as does being molded into a pure 8 like Gundogan.

 

[sarcastico]

Not that I watch them all the time, I don't, so I might be wrong, but Aaron Hickey and Kyle Walker-Peters (we were interested in them in the past as well) come to mind. I don't think Rico plays ahead of them at his current level.

Van denBerg, a CB has been playing RB for Brentford and Walker Peters has been alternating with Sugawara but they both have been lacking.

Which is why I think Rico would have gotten his chance.

 

[cheekybids]

Yep..

I am not saying that City should throw him away, because if we have our main players in form (especially Rodri) and everything is ticking around, then you have a luxury to play Rico in that inverted fullback position and rotate someone like Walker or another one who comes to replace Walker this summer..

But Rico hasn't shown anything or any talent or any glimpse of brilliance to make an assumption that he will ever become a player, on any position, to be worthy to start for a team who fights for titles and wants to be n1 in England and in Europe.

And the reason is above mentioned description of Rico's weaknesses, user "merz" perfectly outputted for us and I don't think anyone who understands football can say that it's not true.

First touch is something that can't be improved or taught. We had a lot of examples in Sterling and Sane and other ones. Pace and physical abilities also, he isn't cut to play at high level in terms of defence.

And Pep should stop these stupid experiments if he wants to win games. Right now we are in the difficult situation, we don't have Rodri, everything isn't ticking like it used to and thus there is no luxury to play with -1 men and spend time on Rico's development. He isn't Messi or Foden or someone with the big / world-class future to sacrifice time and energy and I don't remember Pep investing that much time in Foden either. Until Phil started to play at a very high level, he wasn't getting the minutes Rico is getting right now and he is n1 in terms of minutes in our team this season.

McAtee for example, he had decent spells and was playing regularly for a PL team last season. Scored some wonderful goals and etc. but he isn't getting anything closer to Rico. Why aren't we giving a chance to McAtee, especially in midfield area, where in terms of skills, he has everything better than Rico and what's more important, there was a team in PL last season, who thought that McAtee was worth to play in their starting line up.

How many teams in PL would play him as a starter ? I don't think there is a team in PL or even in championship who would guarantee Rico that.

I can’t believe what I’m reading, dumbfounded.

 

[wolviedinho]

Very good at recycling the ball and finding space. Poor positioning at times and not strong enough. Gets caught in possession.

Not sure what to make of him tbh. I think he will be like another zinchenko type player. Good squad player but for a team needing a serious rebuild, as I say not sure.

 

[vuoso1993]

Hate for him is crazy, the kid is class.

 

[Maly]

I want to avoid this turning into outright criticism, so I’ll only highlight a few points:

as a full-back: lacks pace, tackling ability, positioning, strength, dribbling, aerial ability
as a midfielder: weak first touch, positioning, passing range, dribbling, strength, aerial duels, struggles under pressure

the players you listed are all established internationals with many considered world class. of course they can play different positions but to get the most out of them, you would probably not shuffle them as much as pep does.
this might be an even bigger topic though.

Fuck me, that’s only a few points? lol

Other than these attributes, he also lacks work rate. It was 87th or 88th minute against Forrest, we lost the ball (I don't remember if he lost it or not in this particular case), and they started running at us with a fast counter attack. He was literally just jogging back despite the fact he was less than 10mins on the pitch at that point. It happens to him a lot. This and constantly pointing fingers at others. For me, this indicates a lack of the winning mentality. Speaking of which, we took him out of the side, out of our midfield or defence, and we won convincingly. Don't get me wrong, he will have a career elsewhere, just not at this highest level. With us, he is useful when we are 3-0 up, cruising, and we need to keep the ball (he is great technically), pass it around etc. Otherwise, he will never be good enough to be a starter for any of the top teams. I wish him all the best, though.

& he’s lazy too?

Yep..

I am not saying that City should throw him away, because if we have our main players in form (especially Rodri) and everything is ticking around, then you have a luxury to play Rico in that inverted fullback position and rotate someone like Walker or another one who comes to replace Walker this summer..

But Rico hasn't shown anything or any talent or any glimpse of brilliance to make an assumption that he will ever become a player, on any position, to be worthy to start for a team who fights for titles and wants to be n1 in England and in Europe.

And the reason is above mentioned description of Rico's weaknesses, user "merz" perfectly outputted for us and I don't think anyone who understands football can say that it's not true.

Pmsl. So if I don’t agree with your opinion, I don’t understand football? Ok mate, neither does Pep, Lee Carsley, Gareth Southgate or any of City’s academy coaching staff, so I’ve no idea how we’ve been so successful with nobody who understands football at the club?

Just fucking wow lads

Sounds like the poor lad has zero attributes to me

Maybe the lad should try another profession?