There is no doubt that Pep Guardiola is the most backed football manager in the game. No other manager in football would be allowed to sell a player like Joao Cancelo, their best defender for the last three years. However, the Catalan has always been a man known to set his players straight when they don’t perform to the level the Spaniard expects.
Another reason for allowing Cancelo to leave was the emergence of the 18-year-old prodigious fullback Rico Lewis.
The youngster who is a product of the club has taken the mantle, and the more he plays, the less ridiculous the decision of letting Cancelo leave looks. Lewis’s emergence is proof that years of heavy investment by the wonders in the club’s youth setup is finally paying off. Phil Foden has already set a precedent going from the academy to becoming one of the team sheets’ first names. Now Rico Lewis has the chance to replicate that.
While Cancelo will return from loan at Bayern Munich after the season ends, it seems Pep Guardiola has put his entire trust in the English youngster.
Rico Lewis stats
Rico Lewis’ rise has been surprising, and the fact that he has only played 992 minutes of senior-team football in his career is a perfect indicator of that. However, even in a limited time, he has made an incredible impact at the club. One of the significant reasons Guardiola likes Lewis is his passing which he completes with a 92.9 per cent accuracy. In addition, his crossing accuracy is also a respectable 60 per cent accuracy.
Lewis is also brilliant at duels, rarely losing them. However, we know that to be a Pep Guardiola fullback, a player needs to be impressive in the attack, and this is where Rico Lewis shines. According to fbref, he averages 55.06 carries per 90 minutes this season among the top three percentile fullbacks. This trend continues with 65.94 live passes per 90 minutes, among the top five percentile of fullbacks.
What makes Rico Lewis brilliant is that the quality of his passing usually remains the same irrespective of where it occurs on the pitch. In addition, Lewis’ quick feet and impressive dribbling also allow him to win fouls in advantageous situations for his team.
Lewis is also brilliant at helping his team deploy an attacking press. This season he has already averaged close to one blocked pass per match, putting him in the top four percentile of fullbacks.
Rico Lewis’s strengths and weaknesses
Rico Lewis has been tasked with a role that is among the most…
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