1. He does. Being more of a wing midfielder/playmaker than a wing goalscoring forward, he also has defensive responsibilities for Rennes, but he is disciplined in fulfilling them. Helps out the fullback often but he doesn't have the defensive movement instinct and reaction time he has on offense, so he will get beat in half of the situations. I think its a concentration issue, he does what he has to but it feels like he doesn't have the same cognitive engagement and determination when he defends as when he attacks. I think its normal tbh. His feel and anticipation makes him a good pass interceptor though.
2. Is Luton the new Stoke? Don't worry, most nights in France are also cold and wet too. He does have off games but I'd say the times when he's really nullified are very few and far between. Sometimes defenses really focus on him so they overload the right wing and force him into backpasses. With all the threats City has I doubt this will happen, but this is where more tactical guidance would definitely be beneficial for him: how to move between the lines, roam more smartly and get open with short off the ball runs.
When an option doesn't present itself he does pass it backward. But its very rare that he misses a clear passing option due to head down dribbling, so its most often a good decision to do that. Hes not going to force the issue if its a dead end, which IMO is a good trait.
Be aware though that these comps that appeared on Youtube since City locked in on him include clips from a few years back when he was a slightly different player. This one is probably the best one with most recent footage and displaying relevant actions:
Thank feck he isn't going to Barca!
