82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

Interesting, well 3 in 67 appearances said by Chris above. I haven’t the will to work out his rate for just when he’s played in defence vs our other defenders, but bearing in my the way we play, with him coming into midfield from defence and how much of the time our whole team is up the field, my perception is that his rate is awful. To my eyes he seems to lack composure, confidence and ability when in goal scoring positions. If you think different, fair enough.
This is just going off Transfermarkt, which is pretty reliable but not 100% accurate. For instance, Rico often plays a hybrid role that you can only really judge with the eye. He might technically appear in a "midfield two" on the teamsheet but will spend most of the game alongside the CBs. Still, just going off raw data.

Of those 67 games he's played, he's apparently started 49 of them.

Of those 49 games he's started, he's been a defender in 27 of them.

So that means he's started 22 games as a midfielder.

Of the three goals he's scored in a City shirt, two of them have come when playing in midfield (both vs Crystal Palace) while one of them came while playing in defence (vs Sevilla).

Of the eight assists he's provided, three have come from defence and five have come from midfield.

So when starting in defence his record is 27 appearances, 1 goal, 3 assists. And starting in midfield his record is 22 appearances, 2 goals, 5 assists.

If a teenager finished a season with 44 games, 4 goals, and 10 assists from central midfield you'd expect a bit of improvement but you could really see the potential imo.
 
TBH he is more suited to midfield role than Matheus.

At least he can play aggressively in defence and make some tackles, recover some balls.
He could be used to cover for Foden, KDB and Bernardo..

Ideally I would play him like this:

---------------------Ederson---------------------------
---Walker/Akanji---Ruben----Guardiol/Ake--------
------------John/Akanji---Kova/Gundo---------------
Savio-----Foden/Bernie--KDB/Rico--Doku/Grealish
-----------------------Haaland-----------------------------
 
TBH he is more suited to midfield role than Matheus.

At least he can play aggressively in defence and make some tackles, recover some balls.
He could be used to cover for Foden, KDB and Bernardo..

Ideally I would play him like this:

---------------------Ederson---------------------------
---Walker/Akanji---Ruben----Guardiol/Ake--------
------------John/Akanji---Kova/Gundo---------------
Savio-----Foden/Bernie--KDB/Rico--Doku/Grealish
-----------------------Haaland-----------------------------
We have become a team of A player vs B player. It’s always Rico is better than Walker, or Grealish is better than Doku etc etc and that’s their defence for the player. The argument isn’t new but in years gone by it was Walker (at his peak) vs Cancelo, or Sterling vs Mahrez etc etc. it’s fine when you’re arguing top class vs top class but when your doing it for mediocre vs mediocre, does it really matter?

I can see why some blues like Rico, it’s not that he’s a bad player but if you were arguing Rico to prime Walker, almost everyone would be in unison that Rico isn’t fit to lace his boots. However, we are now in a position where Walker looks finished and because of that, some blues have concluded that Rico is the answer. Just because Walker is a shadow of his former self, it doesn’t mean that someone who is slightly better than him, is the solution to the problem. If we fill the side with players who are slightly more preferable to others that are finished, our dynasty is over.

The answer to our problems is finding a new world class RB, whatever the cost. Not settling for mediocrity, just because he came through the academy and is a good kid.
 
We have become a team of A player vs B player. It’s always Rico is better than Walker, or Grealish is better than Doku etc etc and that’s their defence for the player. The argument isn’t new but in years gone by it was Walker (at his peak) vs Cancelo, or Sterling vs Mahrez etc etc. it’s fine when you’re arguing top class vs top class but when your doing it for mediocre vs mediocre, does it really matter?

I can see why some blues like Rico, it’s not that he’s a bad player but if you were arguing Rico to prime Walker, almost everyone would be in unison that Rico isn’t fit to lace his boots. However, we are now in a position where Walker looks finished and because of that, some blues have concluded that Rico is the answer. Just because Walker is a shadow of his former self, it doesn’t mean that someone who is slightly better than him, is the solution to the problem. If we fill the side with players who are slightly more preferable to others that are finished, our dynasty is over.

The answer to our problems is finding a new world class RB, whatever the cost. Not settling for mediocrity, just because he came through the academy and is a good kid.

I am talking about - what should happen till the transfer window.

What's the best way to survive and where each player from current squad fits better.

Of course Rico isn't answer to anything.
 
I am talking about - what should happen till the transfer window.

What's the best way to survive and where each player from current squad fits better.

Of course Rico isn't answer to anything.
I just wouldn’t have Rico in the discussion when it comes to a struggling City side. IMO he needs to be removed from the equation completely. He’s serviceable when those around him are at their best but in this current shit-show of a side, he looks like an U14s playing mens football.
 
I just wouldn’t have Rico in the discussion when it comes to a struggling City side. IMO he needs to be removed from the equation completely. He’s serviceable when those around him are at their best but in this current shit-show of a side, he looks like an U14s playing mens football.
Yep
 
I thought he had a very good first half playing in midfield (as a supposed left back).

Most of the team were shit after half time.
It was an intriguing position he played. Inverted inside Gvardiol in the build up, but outside when defending.

He’s fine in the build up. He’s not fine as a defender when defending at left back.
 

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