Not everyone who's criticised Rico is doing it out of spite or ego. Plenty of people have valid concerns about his form this season
I know he's had a shit season, you know he's had a shit season, he knows he's had a shit season. There's valid criticism
People are now acting like Lewis single-handedly carried us to the final.
Worst player is the league
What a great response. Cheers for the discussion.Dunno what game you watched
I disagree.He looked good in the role that he should play for us moving forward. Not quick or strong enough to be a right back or an 8, but he has shown promise when he drifts forward from those positions and we're moving the ball around on the edge of the opposing box. He's not going to be our first choice 10, but could be a good rotation/sub option.
I disagree.
Lewis - even when playing RB - has drifted into mid by design. And in this semi-mid, semi-RB role, he's been awful. Especially on defense - but also his offensive production has been terrible. In other words, Lewis has a track record of offensive performance in a quasi midfield position that's been poor for at least 1 year if not 2.
On Sunday, Lewis played a different role - a true midfield role. And he scored a goal. Great! But what else did he do? Not much. Every once in a while, a poor player will score a goal and will otherwise have an OK game. And that's what happened on Sunday with Lewis.
Lewis is so bad defensively that starting him in any defensive role - including semi-RB is suicide.
And his offensive production is very poor too.
Lewis' sole strength is that he's tidy on the ball and can make accurate - but not penetrating - passes. If in mid and if not pressed and if not having to defend - he's OK. But for that many ifs we could get someone else actually decent to fulfill a backup role.
I understand why he's saying it, though. The other guy claiming that people get a hard on bullying players online or need to do it to feed their egos is just as ridiculous.
That said, decmancity is objectively right about everything else. People are now acting like Lewis single-handedly carried us to the final. Yes, it was a fantastic goal but let’s be realistic. We didn’t play well and were lucky to come away with a 2–0 win.
So your just a happy clapper then. No player has ever made a mistake or had a bad performance?I didn't say that.
I said they are clueless, in recent years Rodri, David Silva, John Stone among others have all had the same " get rid","they're shit",sell them for 10million" crap." They think like you that they know more than pep.
Most clubs have bully boys who like to boo constantly criticise certain players.
It is just a fact of British football.
These players get to the top elite level for a reason, not because they are shit.
If some supporters do not have the aptitude to acknowledge that so be it.
Ian Bowyer
Richard Edgehill
Joe Corrigan....
And it goes on. Lewis is just the most recent.
At the Brighton match after 1 minute 44 secs, a group of 4 behind me reacted to a misplaced pass by Lewis with a horrendous tirade of verbal abuse aimed at Lewis and the Manager.
They pay for the ticket, say what they want, I also paid for mine and told them what I thought of their wonderful support.
They all left after 79 minutes.
City were far superior on Sunday.
14 shots 6 on target.
Forest had 1 shot on target.
Forest had chances through a couple of individual errors and losing possession in certain areas of the pitch.
Quote me whenever , but don't make stuff up.
Yeah you pretty much said that.I didn't say that.
City were far superior on Sunday.
14 shots 6 on target.
Forest had 1 shot on target.
Why are you on here and not coaching Barcelona or Madrid?So your just a happy clapper then. No player has ever made a mistake or had a bad performance?
May as well close this forum up if Pep is such an infallible god that knows everything about football and has never made an error.
That being said, your seemingly the top blue of the forum. Thank goodness you were there to dish out a good telling off to other blues who voice their feelings at the Brighton game.
Shots on target is nonsense, they hit the woodwork three times. As close as you can get to scoring.
Watch the games with your eyes not an abacus.
I don't really like Spain, too hot for me.Why are you on here and not coaching Barcelona or Madrid?
You are such a fucking expert.
Yeah you pretty much said that.
What are you basing that on? Using shots as the main metric is plain dumb. If you check the Opta stats, you'll see that we had an xG of 1.37 compared to Forest’s 1.68, that tells a clearer story of the game.
tugay isn't even worth answering. running in circles.
Yeah you pretty much said that.
What are you basing that on? Using shots as the main metric is plain dumb. If you check the Opta stats, you'll see that we had an xG of 1.37 compared to Forest’s 1.68, that tells a clearer story of the game.
tugay isn't even worth answering. running in circles.
So your just a happy clapper then. No player has ever made a mistake or had a bad performance?
May as well close this forum up if Pep is such an infallible god that knows everything about football and has never made an error.
That being said, your seemingly the top blue of the forum. Thank goodness you were there to dish out a good telling off to other blues who voice their feelings at the Brighton game.
Shots on target is nonsense, they hit the woodwork three times. As close as you can get to scoring.
Watch the games with your eyes not an abacus.
With respect, I disagree with this.I dont think that's quite fair in terms of the semi-RB role.
You have to remember that Pep "isn't one for the tackles". When Rico plays there he isn't expected to output goals and assists or even penetrating passes - he's really just to link the defence to the more creative players. Often if he's getting caught in possession, it's because there aren't options available - with Pep's tactics there should always be players available for passes, so if that isn't happening it's not down to the player on the ball.
When people are shouting out for players who are better defensively, well that would be the ideal - as long as they could look after the ball as well as he does also. Those two skillsets don't always go together and Pep will always prefer players who are good on the ball.
It's a bit like the problems he had in the first season here - people telling him to water down his tactics and go a bit more safety first, but instead he dialled it up to 11.
There is quite a bit wrong with what you have said but ill tackle the most egregious one.With respect, I disagree with this.
The ideal semi-RB role is someone who both defends well, and passes well. The role isn't solely about the ability to "link the defense" - it's much, much more. And it's such a complex role that few players can fill it to perfection. Why? Because not only does this role require excellent passing skills and - since you're the RB - excellent defensive skills - it also requires the ability to read the game - knowing when to move forward into a midfield role - and when to retreat into a defensive RB role. And it requires pace - because you'll often be far forward - out of defensive position - with the immediate need to rush back towards your own goal to fill defensive gaps.
Rico is manifestly unfit for the semi-RB role on numerous counts: he's not good on defense; he's not good on offense; he's slow; he doesn't read the game well; and when pressed on offense - he gives the ball away too frequently.
===
I think we agree that Rico is unfit for the semi-RB role.
Let's move on to a midfield role
====
Rico is not suited for a midfield role either.
The midfield role in Pep's system is this: keep the ball, move the ball quickly, see the game - pick out the excellent pass to defeat the defense if available; always, always, always, move into a triangle with other teammates - the triangle formation ensures that the maximum number of players are available for a pass. And, when the ball turns over, immediately press - either the ball - if close to you - or cut off passing lanes.
Rico doesn't do most of this.
Rico doesn't make penetrative passes.
Rico doesn't move from three-in-a-line to form passing triangles often enough.
When the ball turns over, Rico doesn't participate adequately in the ensuing press. He's slow and can be dribbled against. He can't read the game: meaning that Rico's ability to, at the very least, cut off passing lanes, is poor. In short, when the ball turns over, Rico does little to make sure we rapidly regain the ball.
Finally, Rico isn't good at all when pressed. When we have the ball, against a team that's going to press us, Rico is a weak link. Rico either can't find an open man (usually because he doesn't have a mental picture of the field when he receives the ball) or draw a foul (he's not strong on the ball and can be bullied) or pass back (mental picture of the field is poor) or hoof it out-of-bounds as a last resort - with any consistency. He'll give the ball away much more often than any of our other players in a midfield role.
===
Which leads me once more to summarize Rico:
Rico is an OK-ish backup midfielder against teams that mostly won't press (in this regard, Forrest is the perfect opponent against which to play Rico). But is this an adequate baseline performance bar- even for a backup - for a side that expects to challenge for the Premier League and Champions League titles?
No, it absolutely is not.
He isn't the ideal, YET.@BlueMoonAcrossThePond
Happy for you to disagree, that's your prerogative. I disagree with your disagreement. :)
The one thing I'm glad if is that you've at least given reasons, unlike many, though some I'd say are more opinion than fact. So are my points though, so... Eg. 'he is slow' - I don't think he is, I think he's got a decent turn of pace, but he isn't elite speed.
I don't think he is unfit for any of the roles mentioned. He just isn't the ideal perhaps. It is a fact that he isn't one of the first names on the team sheet, so I'd have to say there are potentially better options in the role, but as long as Pep keeps picking him and Rico keeps trying his best, then he deserves better than some of the comments he gets on here. Which is why I try and see the positives in him. Tbh though, if he wasn't getting shit from some, I'd probably end up sticking up for him less.
Quite - makes me wonder why Pep hadn't noticed all the things he pointed out ;-)There is quite a bit wrong with what you have said but ill tackle the most egregious one.
"Rico isnt good when pressed and about how he doesnt understand how to be in a triangle."
Rico ranks high in progressive passes received (so he makes himself available) and progressive passes played (he finds others between the lines).
He is hardly dispossessed and boasts extremely high pass %, so in no way does he give the ball away or hoof it to nobody, otherwise these wouldnt be as good as they are.
He has higher fouls drawn than bernardo, and ranks fairly high here. So again, your making stuff up.
He doesnt rank high in chance creation, but thats an odd thing to point out as neither does Bernie when he plays midfield. It also isnt his role, as he does the other things well.
Rico also runs alot and carries the ball alot, as does Bernie, he does alot of the things we like that Bernardo does in midfield.
Almost everything you said is inaccurate.
Source: fbref data
Totally agree. He took the game to them as soon as he came on.Did more in five minutes than Gundo/KDB(bar the goal) did all match.