Rekik

[Arjan Van Schotte]

Why play him and then tell the rest of the team not to pass to him? Must've been what happened....

Thought he looked very nervous, didn't want to get anything wrong so always played the easy ball on the few occasions he got it.

Looked a little slow to me?

can't believe reading are calling for a penalty for his challenge on tabb though - ball was miles away and it looked to me more like tabb ran into him on purpose.

Overall, would prefer to see him come on when we're a few goals up, but he looked like he might be useful with a bit more confidence, and with his teammates giving him the ball occasionally.

[xavi6]

Thought he was very good all things considered. Did nothing silly and wasn't over enthusiastic.

As for being slow, Kebe is no slouch and Rekik had no problems. There was one time in particular from a quick break where he caught up, got his body in front and drew a foul.

Couldn't ask for much more really, a solid 7 out of 10 for me.

[City64]

Didnt fill me with confidence , always good to see a young player get a chance in a City shirt though ! Sadly it looks like Jolean is on his way somewhere , just cant get my head around this situation as he is a top center half.

[Dameerto]

I didn't get the impression he was slow. Thought he looked a little nervous waiting for kickoff (understandably). I'd much rather make my mind up after seeing him in his favoured position though.

[Nickyboy]

don't know why you think no one was told to pass to him, they kept looking to give in the ball - in fact pretty sure he got it straight from kick off at the start of the match.

[Sideshow Bob]

Did ok, but he has far more ability than he showed. Well nervous today (understandably so).

[Arjan Van Schotte]

don't know why you think no one was told to pass to him, they kept looking to give in the ball - in fact pretty sure he got it straight from kick off at the start of the match.

don't think i'm the only one mate - there was a big cheer went up at one point when someone passed to him after he'd been stood on his own on the wing for 10mins. towards the end of the first half.

[mr_nool]

don't know why you think no one was told to pass to him, they kept looking to give in the ball - in fact pretty sure he got it straight from kick off at the start of the match.

don't think i'm the only one mate - there was a big cheer went up at one point when someone passed to him after he'd been stood on his own on the wing for 10mins. towards the end of the first half.

I had the same feeling and the main culprit was Yaya. I remember him doing the same when Savic was playing left back last season.


It was also pretty clear that he had clear instructions to keep it simple and to give the ball to Yaya or Barry instead of attempting to make the play himself. Which is sensible, to be honest.

[BlueinBosnia]

there was a big cheer went up at one point when someone passed to him after he'd been stood on his own on the wing for 10mins. towards the end of the first half.

I noticed that on my stream. The commentators hinted towards it, too.

[Green & Blue]

He did not have a whole lot to do.Understandably nervous but not a bad start.I did not think he was slow at all.

[Arjan Van Schotte]

He did not have a whole lot to do.Understandably nervous but not a bad start.I did not think he was slow at all.

ah, fair enough, will have to watch the highlights later. i was in south stand so difficult to judge.

[Swales4ever]

Why play him and then tell the rest of the team not to pass to him? Must've been what happened....

Thought he looked very nervous, didn't want to get anything wrong so always played the easy ball on the few occasions he got it.

Looked a little slow to me?

can't believe reading are calling for a penalty for his challenge on tabb though - ball was miles away and it looked to me more like tabb ran into him on purpose.

Overall, would prefer to see him come on when we're a few goals up, but he looked like he might be useful with a bit more confidence, and with his teammates giving him the ball occasionally.

I saw a good first run in the Premier Leauge! by a talented under19, very much focused on orders given. He didn't nothing wrong and kept quiet a decent contender on his flank, also preventing a score in our box. In the first 15 minutes he was very much called up, then, in a way or another, some senior players felt the need to play on more expert sources of pass, while he kept keeping engaged some opponents on his flanks.

I have nothing against a good moan but, in all honesty, Mancini licker or not, I seriously struggle to understand why a fine, very well educated, brain like Yours, Arjan, should start a thread which reads: [highlight]"Why play him and then tell the rest of the team not to pass to him?"[/highlight]
Do You really think that the manager start a player and then tells the others to ignore him? If so, I wanna have a taste of that stuff, for my next moonwalk...

[Arjan Van Schotte]

Why play him and then tell the rest of the team not to pass to him? Must've been what happened....

Thought he looked very nervous, didn't want to get anything wrong so always played the easy ball on the few occasions he got it.

Looked a little slow to me?

can't believe reading are calling for a penalty for his challenge on tabb though - ball was miles away and it looked to me more like tabb ran into him on purpose.

Overall, would prefer to see him come on when we're a few goals up, but he looked like he might be useful with a bit more confidence, and with his teammates giving him the ball occasionally.

I saw a good first run in the Premier Leauge! by a talented under19, very much focused on orders given. He didn't nothing wrong and kept quiet a decent contender on his flank, also preventing a score in our box. In the first 15 minutes he was very much called up, then, in a way or another, some senior players felt the need to play on more expert sources of pass, while he kept keeping engaged some opponents on his flanks.

I have nothing against a good moan but, in all honesty, Mancini licker or not, I seriously struggle to understand why a fine, very well educated, brain like Yours, Arjan, should start a thread which reads: [highlight]"Why play him and then tell the rest of the team not to pass to him?"[/highlight]
Do You really think that the manager start a player and then tells the others to ignore him? If so, I wanna have a taste of that stuff, for my next moonwalk...

i apologise sincerely for giving my thoughts on a player i just watched, and that it offends your sensibilities to such an amount.

he looked like he might be useful with a bit more confidence, and with his teammates giving him the ball occasionally.

[Swales4ever]

i apologise sincerely for giving my thoughts on a player i just watched, and that it offends your sensibilities to such an amount.

he looked like he might be useful with a bit more confidence, and with his teammates giving him the ball occasionally.

No apology needed, as no offence was given, nor deemed.
Just a demographical poll, as Antti would say.... :-)

[Risby]

With having two away games coming up against stubborn opposition and Mancini thinking it was probably less risky today, playing him wasn't such a bad option. He did a simple job and got a taste of action in the PL. The las is young and has time on his side. If he went in all guns blazing and screwed up, we would be questioning our youth players and set up.
Also, kompany is on the verge of being back so was given another chance to rest until the away games. Other defenders not 100%. Bob picked a team that won us the points and if it wasn't for playing 11 defenders, it could have been by a larger margin.

[Peter Doherty (AGAIG)]

I thought he had a good game.

[AG7]

I have to agree, he kept making the runs forward on the left side and we never passed him to attack from that side but always on to Zaba on the right ... even when no space and ball had to be sent back centre, it just came back to the right side and I kept thinking why aren't they coming from the other side ... and there was Rekik on his own over there.

[Goataldo]

There was one moment I thought he looked a little slow running back to cover on our left flank in the second half. How rapid his oppenent was (ashamed to say I dunno the player's name), I have no clue.

Other than that, I thought he did extremely well. Always seemed to make the sensible decision. It was pretty funny when he held his position for a couple of minutes and looked the obvious ball all day long, and I loved the cheer when he eventually, finally, patiently recieved the ball, but I will need to watch the match again to see if this was a common thing for him. Maybe he's not shouting for it enough, and with a bit more confidence and first team experience will make it impossible for people not to give him the ball. Speculative admittedly, but might be a reasonable explanation.

Don't like his hair, but the boy done good.

[Blue Since 76]

For a league debut, at home and out of position, I thought he did pretty well. He got caught for pace once in the first half and a couple of times the pace of a first team game seemed to catch him out, but he grew in confidence.

Considering there was no Kompany to guide him and a raw 19 year old next to him, a good debut and hopefully more to come

[DoomMerchant]

Don't like his hair, but the boy done good.

Exactly my feelings...nothing more to add.