82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

[youngbob]

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.

 

[DATOIA]

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-----------------------------

 

[OrigamiNinja]

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.

 

[DATOIA]

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.

 

[OrigamiNinja]

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.

 

[DATOIA]

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

 

[cleavers]

Think we can definitely all agree that he is not a left back!

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.

 

[cleavers]

Personally feel we would be better returning to 4CB’s at the back as it’s costing us on transitions.

Great if we ever have 4 fit.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

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.

 

[cleavers]

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

...or right back to be fair.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

...or right back to be fair.

There’s a marked difference between the two though for me.

 

[urban genie]

He has strugled recover quick enough from playing so high upfieled at times, but that is part of the fact he is too far forward due to his use as the inverted fullback.

For now either have him stay in our half and concentrate on defending or play him in midfield as atm we are no cohesive and a bit of postional disciplinefrom oir defence andnDM is needed

The lad is still young and both yesterdays goals should have been dealt with once the ball came in the area, I won't write him off due to the last few games like some.

 

[burning blue soul]

Rico isn't going to answer any of the problems we currently face.
As much as I enjoy his ability to transition from position to position, he isn't good enough in any of those positions to replace a specialist there.
His vision for a forward pass is non-existent, and his defending isn't powerful enough either.
I honestly don't know what to do with him in a team that is playing under pressure.

 

[Pubteam Lomas]

Someone I know (who has played semi-pro) was explaining that many of City's young defenders look great because they rarely get put under pressure in their age group football.
I agree we dominate, generally, so they aren't asked to defend. All look good with the ball but they aren't out and out defenders.

 

[City_Sean]

I think he's in a really awkward position. He's defensively not good enough to play RB/LB but then isn't better than any of our midfield options to play there.

He's been at the scene of the crime so much recently that I've been surprised Pep hasn't played someone else instead.

 

[oldius]

I have no real idea why some are singling out Rico, especially when much of the pressure we were put under was on our right, as the stats show.

 

[ShakesSpeare]

I don't think this was a very bad defensive intervention by Rico Lewis. He was very proactive, and he lunged himself very well onto the ball to help cover the net. He was there in time and he was proactive. That was a very proactive defensive intervention. It just didn't work out in the end.

So that I personally think Rico Lewis has a great potential as a footballer. Defensively, of course, he will not be your classic English defender. But it appears that he knows how to move and position himself very well. And, of course, he is superb on the ball and Guardiola trusts him tremendously. And lets not forget that he is just 19 years old and that he is being asked to play a central role to help what is generally considered to be the best team in world football recover and overcome a sudden period of crisis.

 

[chesterbells]

Rico isn't going to answer any of the problems we currently face.
As much as I enjoy his ability to transition from position to position, he isn't good enough in any of those positions to replace a specialist there.
His vision for a forward pass is non-existent, and his defending isn't powerful enough either.
I honestly don't know what to do with him in a team that is playing under pressure.

For me he’s a competent premier league standard player, but not one at the level for a top 4 team. (He may well be getting selected for England but that’s a different story…)
What can’t be faulted is his endeavour and work-rate, and as others have noted, he isn’t our only issue.

 

[Bluewonder]

I think he's very tidy and exceptionally talented for his age, but right now I don't see what he adds to the team (apart from not being injured).

 

[Tugay One Cup]

Yeah that was dogshit. Worst player on the pitch until Kev came on.