82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

[SebastianBlue]

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

Right now? Because it is us, probably 40-50 million, with buy back and sell-on clauses. We can’t sell in the same way as lower level development clubs.

If we were to buy a player of his profile and age, though, it would be at least 80 million; and for an English player, 100 million.

For reference, when we bought Stones he was 3 years older than Lewis, with less top level experience, and he cost about 67 million adjusted for inflation. Walker joined when he was 27 and, adjusted for inflation, cost around 62.5 million. De Ligt cost the Rags over 40 million. Calafiori cost Arsenal 42 million. They are both older and far more limited players.

Putting that aside, who do people want us to go after that will do what he does at a higher level in the PL and CL?

 

[youngbob]

A great DM. A pretty average RB.

 

[ninjamonkey]

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!

the screenshot should clear it up. You can't call semedo, doku's man simply because he's the rwb and doku's the left winger. Doku is in a perfectly fine position pressuring the ball, nobody is out of position there at that point. Rico simply doesn't switch on quickly enough, he starts jogging and the sprint doesn't come soon enough.

You'll notice their striker has peeled off. It would be comical to see stones stay with the striker there as the ball goes to the opposite side, when the ball is on the other side, the whole unit shifts across and the fullback tucks in on the last man, that's just the basics of a back line, you won't see 2 centre backs split, unless you watch united.

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.

I've seen the video, that's where the screenshot has come from, where pep wants him to play in possession has no influence on this goal. He's already back in the right back position before the ball even enters our half, at that point, he's the conventional fullback and expected to do the basics of a fullback. Gvardiol goes towards the ball, dias shifts across, stones positions off dias and Rico tucks in. They all actually attempt that, the error is Rico doesn't do it quickly enough.

He's another screenshot as the ball leaves semedos foot, you surely cannot be suggesting stones should be with the goalscorer there? Stones has to position himself off dias, he cannot leave a chasm between his centre back partner. It's a clear basic error from Lewis.

 

[SebastianBlue]

the screenshot should clear it up. You can't call semedo, doku's man simply because he's the rwb and doku's the left winger. Doku is in a perfectly fine position pressuring the ball, nobody is out of position there at that point. Rico simply doesn't switch on quickly enough, he starts jogging and the sprint doesn't come soon enough.

You'll notice their striker has peeled off. It would be comical to see stones stay with the striker there as the ball goes to the opposite side, when the ball is on the other side, the whole unit shifts across and the fullback tucks in on the last man, that's just the basics of a back line, you won't see 2 centre backs split, unless you watch united.



I've seen the video, that's where the screenshot has come from, where pep wants him to play in possession has no influence on this goal. He's already back in the right back position before the ball even enters our half, at that point, he's the conventional fullback and expected to do the basics of a fullback. Gvardiol goes towards the ball, dias shifts across, stones positions off dias and Rico tucks in. They all actually attempt that, the error is Rico doesn't do it quickly enough.

He's another screenshot as the ball leaves semedos foot, you surely cannot be suggesting stones should be with the goalscorer there? Stones has to position himself off dias, he cannot leave a chasm between his centre back partner. It's a clear basic error from Lewis.

View attachment 135667

Stones absolutely should be making a line toward the far post runner. The line he took had absolutely no impact on play. If you move through the frames as the ball is about halfway through the box, you’ll see he is in no man’s land: he isn’t covering the middle runner and he is nowhere near the far post runner.

Why would that be what you (or Pep) wanted Stones to do? Tactically it makes no sense; he took himself out of the game by making the run toward the Wolves player Dias was already covering.

If he had instead taken a line wide, he would have had a chance of cutting out the ball to the far post runner. He was, geometrically, the best placed to do that for a low cross that bypassed the player Dias was covering.

Lewis never had a chance of doing that.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

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!

That's actually the downside, he's not confident in front of goal. There was another occasion in the 2nd half, the ball dropped perfectly for a shot on the edge of the box and he tried the most ridiculous pass inside defenders for Savinho, the pass was never on, just take the shot.

 

[samuelyeboah]

really slow. that's just not acceptable in the positions that he's asked to take. far too often jogs back lazily to position as we get countered. without rodri to help the defense we can't play with this sort of fullback

 

[Jonas.shaffer]

really slow. that's just not acceptable in the positions that he's asked to take. far too often jogs back lazily to position as we get countered. without rodri to help the defense we can't play with this sort of fullback

That's on Pep, though. As I said previously, he literally has to run 2x further than anyone to get back into position as Pep has him deployed in possession more or less as an attacking midfielder.

 

[samuelyeboah]

That's on Pep, though. As I said previously, he literally has to run 2x further than anyone to get back into position as Pep has him deployed in possession more or less as an attacking midfielder.

yeah wasn't blaming him, just saying this is an issue that needs resolving

 

[sh249]

That's on Pep, though. As I said previously, he literally has to run 2x further than anyone to get back into position as Pep has him deployed in possession more or less as an attacking midfielder.

Yeah. It‘s one thing having the full back shuffle inside like Delph and Zinchenko have both done well in the past. It‘s another to ask him to get into pockets of space ahead of the deepest midfielders.
Feels like he (and we) would benefit from a simplification of the role, if we‘re going to stick with this shape / system.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

That's on Pep, though. As I said previously, he literally has to run 2x further than anyone to get back into position as Pep has him deployed in possession more or less as an attacking midfielder.

IMO Rico doesn’t offer enough in the opposition half to justify the loss at RB. He doesn’t score goals and has minimal impact on chance creation. Yeah he is neat and tidy in possession but I would expect the same of nearly all youngsters who have spent most of their footballing development in our academy.

I don’t see the value in having a RB who spends most of a game moving into midfield, who then fails to impact the game defensively or offensively. Maybe it’s unfair to compare but we only have to look at the impact Gvardiol has in both halves of the pitch, to see that Rico falls seriously short in comparison.

IMO this current side (a Rodri free midfield) cannot sustain Rico at RB. That’s not Ricos fault, we just need someone who is more defensively minded/solid. I am really surprised Pep hasn’t returned to the 4 CBs solution to give us more solidity. I’d like to see Akanji at RB.