82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

[JewelZee]

I have watched it back about ten times, because I thought I must have missed something based on what people in this thread are saying about Lewis, and for me it is 40% on Gvardiol for not closing Semedo down (he ran away rather than to him), 50% on Stones for going walkabout (inexplicably covering no one or even occupying a position where he can impact play), and 10% on Lewis for perhaps not running back as fast as he could.

But, if you watch it back, I think you’ll see that Lewis probably can’t do anything about it even if he does sprint back a bit faster because the crosser was given so much space to put in a great cross and Stones didn’t take a line that would allow him to have a chance at cutting the ball out before it reached a far post runner.

It’s just bizarre to see so many throwing him, of all players, under the bus.

I'm not throwing him under the bus. I'm just saying he could see the potential danger some 40 yards before the ball got to Strand-Larsson but seemed content with running at 60% of his best and trailing him the entire way. Made no attempt to get front-side, goal side.

 

[Millwallawayveteran1988]

I think Stones had a shaky first 45 but a better second before scoring the winner, Gvardiol was on balance ok before his absolutely vital stunner, and Lewis, without doing anything flashy, was on the whole the better of the three over the entire match. That’s not to say he was substantially better, but that he was just more consistent and he did everything asked of him well.

I struggle to believe Pep would be unhappy with his performance, much less agree with the various assertions in this thread that Rico “isn’t good enough for us.”

It’s like people have forgotten he’s a 19 year-old not only regularly starting for arguably the best club in the world, but in one of the most demanding roles in modern football, under one of the most demanding managers to ever grace the touchline.

I am really not sure a player people apparently want to replace him even exists. They might in the future… but that will just be Lewis, two or three years older.

If he played for Bayer, Atlético, Inter, or a lower table team, and was interested in joining us, everyone would be demanding we pay the €100 million going rate to get him before Real, Bayern, or Liverpool snap him up.

I don’t agree with the £100m but I do agree with much of the rest.

He has something.

 

[nellyonthewing]

Rico was further forward per instructions, and tried to get back. Stones is meant to stay wider and have a look over his left shoulder to see if there is a runner on the far post, specifically because Lewis will often not be able to get back to cover fast enough (he can’t be in two places at once, despite the expectations of some blues on here). He can easily run to close the man in the middle of the box from that wider position, if needed—and Dias will cut any ball to the middle runner, if he can. If he can’t, Stones isn’t going to be able to do it, so Stones is there to close, not cut out, and tucking closer to the middle runner is entirely unnecessary. It means we have two CBs covering the same runner, with only one actually being able to stop a ball from getting to him.

The goal was mostly down to Stones taking a poor line and thus ceding the great position for a tap in to the Wolves player, as Lewis scrambled back from his more forward position, which Pep has told him to take up in certain possession situations.

I genuinely don’t understand that of all the players this season, Lewis is one being singled out for being not good enough. In my opinion, on average, he is in our top three best players for the season thus far.

Multiple failures for me in that goal. We leave an opponent out on our left wing unmarked almost every game .It invites problems of dangerous crosses getting put in with our defenders on their heels.

 

[SebastianBlue]

I don’t agree with the £100m but I do agree with much of the rest.

He has something.

How much do you think we would need to pay to prise a 19 year-old that has played thousands of minutes in one of the most demanding roles in modern football, in the top competitions in Europe, and has contributed to his team winning those competitions, and who is highly regarded by the likes of Pep Guardiola, away from another club in Spain or Germany? Now how much if he was an English player at another Premier League club?

 

[diamond geezer]

If we sold Lewis how much do you think we would get, @SebastianBlue ?

 

[Barcon]

If we sold Lewis how much do you think we would get, @SebastianBlue ?

Nowhere near as much as we would have to pay for him if we were buying.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Rico was further forward per instructions, and tried to get back. Stones is meant to stay wider and have a look over his left shoulder to see if there is a runner on the far post, specifically because Lewis will often not be able to get back to cover fast enough (he can’t be in two places at once, despite the expectations of some blues on here). He can easily run to close the man in the middle of the box from that wider position, if needed—and Dias will cut any ball to the middle runner, if he can. If he can’t, Stones isn’t going to be able to do it, so Stones is there to close, not cut out, and tucking closer to the middle runner is entirely unnecessary. It means we have two CBs covering the same runner, with only one actually being able to stop a ball from getting to him.

The goal was mostly down to Stones taking a poor line and thus ceding the great position for a tap in to the Wolves player, as Lewis scrambled back from his more forward position, which Pep has told him to take up in certain possession situations.

I genuinely don’t understand that of all the players this season, Lewis is one being singled out for being not good enough. In my opinion, on average, he is in our top three best players for the season thus far.

Rico was back in, him playing further forward in possession had no impact on the goal. We lost the ball on the edge of their box, They went backwards first which allowed us to reset, meaning nobody should be put of position, the ball then pretty much switches flanks twice before they scored, he had ample time to get himself on the correct line, he simply switched off and by time he tried to react it was too late.

Here's a screen shot as the ball is still in their half going out to semedo, he's back in position. just isn't quick enough to spot the danger and put on a sprint.



I'm guessing the last bit isn't directed at me as I've not singled Rico out for not being good enough, simply pointing out that goal was on him and that's something he has to improve because teams will target the space he leaves.

 

[ChicagoBlue]

I have two words to say:

Shooting practice!

When, ffs, is he going to score one of the chances he gets?

Today, he had a perfect chance to shoot from about 8 yards out and tried to beat 1 more player. Then, another time, he passed the ball off to Haaland, who was driven wide right, on his right foot, for no danger!

I like him very much and think there’s one helluva player in there, but industry and 5 yard passes are not enough if you’re going play midfield in this team.

SHOOT.THE.BALL!

 

[ChicagoBlue]

Rico was back in, him playing further forward in possession had no impact on the goal. We lost the ball on the edge of their box, They went backwards first which allowed us to reset, meaning nobody should be put of position, the ball then pretty much switches flanks twice before they scored, he had ample time to get himself on the correct line, he simply switched off and by time he tried to react it was too late.

Here's a screen shot as the ball is still in their half going out to semedo, he's back in position. just isn't quick enough to spot the danger and put on a sprint.

View attachment 135661

I'm guessing the last bit isn't directed at me as I've not singled Rico out for not being good enough, simply pointing out that goal was on him and that's something he has to improve because teams will target the space he leaves.

We played 3 defenders against a team playing a 5-4-1/5-3-2 and got done on the break by their RB (Doku’s man?!) getting the ball to their CF (Stones/Dias’ man?!), and so I’m struggling to see how Rico could be faulted.

And, let’s be honest, it was a fucking pearler of a cross field pass behind the retreating defenders!

 

[SebastianBlue]

Rico was back in, him playing further forward in possession had no impact on the goal. We lost the ball on the edge of their box, They went backwards first which allowed us to reset, meaning nobody should be put of position, the ball then pretty much switches flanks twice before they scored, he had ample time to get himself on the correct line, he simply switched off and by time he tried to react it was too late.

Here's a screen shot as the ball is still in their half going out to semedo, he's back in position. just isn't quick enough to spot the danger and put on a sprint.

View attachment 135661

I'm guessing the last bit isn't directed at me as I've not singled Rico out for not being good enough, simply pointing out that goal was on him and that's something he has to improve because teams will target the space he leaves.

He was further forward than Stones and if you watch the video, Stones is mostly at fault for the goal, though Gvardiol also shares some of the blame. Lewis was not meant to be tucked between Stones and the far post runner. That would make no sense tactically.

I simply do not agree with the assessment that Lewis is at fault for the goal. There is nothing in the actual replays that indicate he could have done anything about it from the position he was in, which is down to where Pep wants him to play. Stones was the one that was meant to be in a position to cover the far post runner and cut out ball to him. The RB, especially one meant to stay further ahead of the CBs, is not the one that is meant to defend that run, otherwise he would be asked to play RCB.

The space he leaves is by design, so if you fear for how it will be continually targeted as the season goes on, you need to take it up with Pep, not Lewis.