82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

Status
Not open for further replies.
Goal wasn't his fault - cross shouldn't have been so easy and there was a lucky deflection off Akanji. I thought defensively he was better than he has been and it felt like he's been advised to stop going down so easily. In possession he was as inconsistent and shoddy as a lot of them - either making the wrong choice, executing badly or not on the same wavelengths. However, I've seen him play much worse.
 
Legal Alien said:
I agree he needs a rest and others could've done better.

But he's playing RB and in that position you need to know where your man is and mark him. Today, and he's done this before, he got caught ball watching and his man was standing free in the area, had time to control the ball and score.
Sorry but that ain't good enough for any team, let alone the reigning Champions!
Click to expand...
Nah, the ball deflected off Akanji and ricocheted perfectly into Ndyiae’s path, who took an early shot on the half volley. No full back could have got to him in the time he had to react.

Akanji should have got a better touch on it to stop the chance.
 
Dawsenna said:
Something is very wrong if he’s the only one from the academy to ever get an extended run in the team not including foden obviously as he was always an outlier whether you think he is average good or potential to be world class something is seriously amiss if he’s the best we have produced for our first team
Click to expand...
He got his chance through pure luck. We had Walker and Cancelo and in any normal circumstance, Rico would never have broken through. It was inconceivable that both Walker and Cancelo could be struggling so badly at the same time. I think Pep wanted to make an example of them, to show them that their performances weren’t good enough and gave Rico a go. However, I don’t believe that the original intent was that Cancelo would end up booted out of the club. His own dummy-spitting led to that. I expect that after taking his medicine, Cancelo was supposed to come back into the side and Rico largely disappear from the lineups.

Since then, Rico hasn’t ever really held down a regular place (he hasn’t been good enough to do so), he’s been a squad player and to a certain extent, has done ok. The problem has been this season, because of injuries and Walker being done, Rico is playing every week, in a much weakened side and his serious limitations have become clear for all to see.

We just have to hope that the best coach in the world, is seeing the same and realises he massively jumped the gun with his Lahm comments. If he thinks Rico is the future, we are in big trouble.
 
Ajm1985 said:
Goal wasn't his fault - cross shouldn't have been so easy and there was a lucky deflection off Akanji. I thought defensively he was better than he has been and it felt like he's been advised to stop going down so easily. In possession he was as inconsistent and shoddy as a lot of them - either making the wrong choice, executing badly or not on the same wavelengths. However, I've seen him play much worse.
Click to expand...
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
 
Leroy Leroy Leroy said:
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
Click to expand...

Ball doesn't get there if we decide to actually close down the guy with the ball about to cross.
 
Leroy Leroy Leroy said:
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
Click to expand...
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
chris85mcfc said:
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.
Click to expand...
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.
 
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
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top