82 | Rico Lewis - 2024/25

[Chak19]

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

Pep should drop this inverted FB bollocks as it's not working anymore, problem is can he be a decent overlapping FB ? I'm not sure.

 

[The Stockport Iniesta]

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.

Exactly, injuries and Walkers form dropping off a cliff is getting him into the team, not his performances. It is what it is and we've got to get on with it until we can get some new players in.

 

[chiswick blue]

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.

It would also give him some more time to mature without being under constant pressure. I don’t think he’ll get any faster but it’s likely his reading of the game and strength will improve

 

[Durutti City]

I still like him. And I still think he'll come good. I will go further than that and say he already has come good.

To put it another way, imagine it had been your first game today; never been to a match before. You're in the pub after. And your mate (say, who had bought you your ticket) told you the right-back is basically a kid who was in the Reserves a year or so ago. You'd probably say, "OK, not everything was perfect. But he got stuck in. Didn't hide. And it's not like he got absolutely roasted time and again down his flank and continually gave the all away. Could have been worse (say, Ged Taggart against Blackburn million of years ago - and anyway, he learned from it and went on to have a good career)."

"But, the big lad up front (who cost God knows how much and is, apparently 'World Class') looked absolutely out of his depth - is he from the Reserves, too?"

If the young lad (Mubama?) on the bench had come on and ponced about like Haaland had all afternoon, you'd be saying he was way out of his depth.

Rico will come good.

 

[eastmanc]

Pep should drop this inverted FB bollocks as it's not working anymore, problem is can he be a decent overlapping FB ? I'm not sure.

Not for me.

 

[.db.]

He did better in some respects against Everton (worked harder defensively, won some 50:50s that he’s previously not looked interested in for months), but I watched him closely for a spell and he doesn’t know where to position himself defensively nor when players have the ball (he stands and watches them rather than making space for himself to be passed to).

 

[Keeper!]

The abuse this lad is getting from our fan base is a disgrace, you should be utterly ashamed.

Is Rico a great player, no, could be but he is a players that never goes missing or hides.

People slaughtering him are the same ones who used to say Phillips is a "nice" guy, Grealish will come good etc, we are always had a very weird element to our fan base.

 

[Coljj]

The abuse this lad is getting from our fan base is a disgrace, you should be utterly ashamed.

Richard Edgehill MkII

 

[toffee balls]

He’s bloody awful .

He looks and plays like a schoolboy, and an average one at that.

Many bad traits but the one when he turns his back is unforgivable at any level of football.

We all pay good money to be free to express our opinions and I for one , will continue to do so without remorse.

Experiment is over.

 

[oldius]

All 20-year-olds have room for development.
When we were winning, this guy came in for universal praise.
Now we are losing, he is one of a couple being singled out.
He is not one of our worst performers by a long shot.
He will make the odd mistake, as all players do.

 

[.db.]

All 20-year-olds have room for development.
When we were winning, this guy came in for universal praise.
Now we are losing, he is one of a couple being singled out.
He is not one of our worst performers by a long shot.
He will make the odd mistake, as all players do.

I don’t know. When we beat Arsenal in the FA Cup Fourth Round in 2023, he was poor at right back defensively that night and people could see that he didn’t look a good defender even taking into consideration his age, and said so at a time we were winning regularly.

 

[Akira]

At present, he's not at the level needed to be a starter at City. Unfortunately, until we get a proper RB in or have all our defenders back fit so we can play Akanji or Stones there, there isn't much of an alternative solution. Because even if Walker's back fit, he'd present a different set of problems.

 

[sh249]

Didn’t play especially well (who did?), but I wouldn’t make him the main culprit for their goal. Akanji much more culpable, and Kovacic should have done more to stop the cross.

 

[.db.]

Didn’t play especially well (who did?), but I wouldn’t make him the main culprit for their goal. Akanji much more culpable, and Kovacic should have done more to stop the cross.

It was more Doku and Bernardo who could have stopped the cross.

 

[Johnny Mars Bar]

Feel like I should just copy and paste my same comment after every game.

He needs cutting some slack. He’s a kid still learning. He should be under someone’s wing and being introduced to the first team slowly, like Foden was at his age.

Instead he’s playing every game in a team full of checked out lazy FOCs and players that just aren’t good enough.

Rico has bags of potential and this current situation isn’t his fault.

Call the older players as many names as you want but I’m not having people bullying a fucking kid.

 

[sh249]

It was more Doku and Bernardo who could have stopped the cross.

Stopped the ball coming inside, perhaps. But once there, Kovacic did nothing to engage Doucouré - just stood right next to Ake doing fuck all.

 

[Roachy]

Can't fault his endeavour and energy. He's a tidy little player with some obvious shortcomings. Will be interesting to see what position he eventually ends up in.

 

[oldius]

Can't fault his endeavour and energy. He's a tidy little player with some obvious shortcomings. Will be interesting to see what position he eventually ends up in.

A nice, balanced post.

 

[Pelegrinni]

An absolute calamity defensively, offers next to nothing in possession. Seems allergic to playing a forward pass. What are his strengths? Someone please tell me

He played as expected yesterday and was not directly responsible for the goal.
However, it doesn’t matter what happens on the field, Lewis will never win with some fans.

 

[Pelegrinni]

He's done really well before the goal and I honestly don't think you can blame him too much for it.

The goal was not his fault either.
The deflection took the ball away from him and landed at the feet of the Everton player.
Go and rewatch it.