82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

[bondsman]

Ahh I'd say he was most to blame for the goal - didn't pick up his man on the switch, jogging back (as a fullback he should be busting a gut to get there) & gets lucky ball didn't get played first time, and when it eventually does he still hasn't even scanned to see who he should be defending

I think he’s average but Pep loves him. Doku cost us the goal his fucking attempt to take that ball down was the reason they scored.

 

[RayCTID]

The issue is we can't take him out of the firing line because we lack real depth.

 

[super_city_si]

The issue is we can't take him out of the firing line because we lack real depth.

Prefer him right back over walker right now but thats not really an endorsement.

Looked better when we were operating with wide fill backs but as soon as he goes inverted role it goes to shit.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Hasn't got a defensive thought in his mind and doesn't show any signs of developing one. Where I am, I get the perfect view of him second half and there's so many fundamental basics that he's truly woeful at.

Just a few examples off the top of my head, Akanji goes up for a header around the halfway, loses out, their player flicks it on, Lewis should have been on the cover, it's simple basic defending and theres no threat at all if he does this. Instead he stands still, watches Akanji lose the duel and let his man run off him towards goal as the ball is flicked into his path.

Another one of their breaks down our left Rico, not exactly sprinting to get back is let off the hook as their player didn't play what should have been a simple ball across to a player running off the back of lewis for a free effort at goal and likely goal. Rico gets back when they delay and then completely abandons the back post, a little dink over and they've got a free chance, to Ricos credit he did block the effort that deflected for a corner but he shouldnt have been allowed that space to have the shot in thr first place

Anyone see that abysmal defending from their corner? straight to the back post where Lewis for some reason is marking a player nearly 2ft taller than him, Lewis not once is even facing the ball, he has no idea where it is as it comes straight to him, their player just jumps for the free header whilst Rico facing him offers zero resistance. He's never going to win that aerial battle and shouldn't be marking a player that size which I have to imagine isn't his fault and he is just following a set piece plan but you've got to do better than basically nothing.

He will never be a defender, midfield or bench.

 

[David White]

He’s done ok. He is 20 years old and is performing as well as most of the rest of the squad. Granted, nobody is doing well at all currently but he’s playing in 3 or 4 positions and he keeps going, his head doesn’t drop.

I’m convinced he’s playing in shackles too. I think he’s being told what pass to look for and what he is and isn’t allowed to do and because he is doing it, he stays in the team.

Pep loves him. He’s going to be in the side as long as pep is here, possibly longer depending on his progression and the next manager we have.

 

[chris85mcfc]

It's very concerning when I see people say he's not a defender, as I'm not just completely lost as to what he ever was, even as an academy player.

So he can't defend, he can't really pass the ball progressively, and he clearly has no eye for a goal, as the fella in row ZZ found out I'm the 2nd half.

Will have played 100 games for the 1st team by the end of this season, and I'm struggling to think of 2 or 3 where I thought he'd warranted that number of games.

Pray that we bring in better quality in the next windows, and this lad becomes lucky to even get on the bench.

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

I would ask his critics to name two players who put more effort in for City this season. He is probably more suited to growing into a Bernado Silva role but injuries and aging squad have forced him to play right back. He is a really talented player and I wish people would encourage, rather than diss our young players. But I guess that is too much to ask.

 

[K-Bo]

I don't think he's good enough to be a starter for city, I think he's good enough to be a utility squad player for city. I think that's what he would be without the injuries which have forced him to play every week.

 

[Tricky_Trev]

It's very concerning when I see people say he's not a defender, as I'm not just completely lost as to what he ever was, even as an academy player.

So he can't defend, he can't really pass the ball progressively, and he clearly has no eye for a goal, as the fella in row ZZ found out I'm the 2nd half.

Will have played 100 games for the 1st team by the end of this season, and I'm struggling to think of 2 or 3 where I thought he'd warranted that number of games.

Pray that we bring in better quality in the next windows, and this lad becomes lucky to even get on the bench.

He is a football player that doesn’t have an actual position, and not in the good way such as when we had a peak Bernardo Silva and he could just play anywhere we wanted him to. With Rico it’s entirely in a bad sense, where you look at him and cannot name a single area of the pitch that suits him.

 

[pudge]

Wasn't awful at full back, the goal was a mix of everyone standing off the crosser and Akanji shitting the bed before it had anything to do with him.

The biggest issue is when he's moved into midfield. He's wank and hinders the whole team. He was nowhere near the final third when we took the lead, then Pep pushed him further and further as the game went on