Diego Rico

Tinpot Club said:
Never really understood why opinion is still so divided on him.

I get there are a few passes straight out for a throw in or aimless balls down the line. These are obvious but non costly mistakes.

In terms of defending fundamentals he’s the best natural defender in the squad by far...after Nathan of course!
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Ummm sorry but at least one suicide pass per game, one to lerma in the box v Leicester
 
I think his strength is in taking set pieces and coming forward. H'es done pretty well this season all things considered but needs to work on his defending.... incidentally, the same was said about Alexander Arnold last season. To be fair, he hasn't had a decent run of matches since before January. I believe he has an energy about him that can lift the team though and I think he's a great character to have in the team, highly underrated.
 
Gloria Hunter said:
I think his strength is in taking set pieces and coming forward. H'es done pretty well this season all things considered but needs to work on his defending.... incidentally, the same was said about Alexander Arnold last season. To be fair, he hasn't had a decent run of matches since before January. I believe he has an energy about him that can lift the team though and I think he's a great character to have in the team, highly underrated.
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I agree that he's decent going forwards, one of the few players who can deliver an early ball, but I don't think he gets enough credit for his defensive work. His interceptions and tackling in particular are excellent, often breaking up opposition attacks, often winning the ball back and rarely giving away a free kick. You can argue about some of his positioning and occasional stray passes but these days he's not significantly worse than anyone else in the back 4 and brings so much to the team. The stats speak for themselves

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/player-comparison
 
Red Sky said:
I agree that he's decent going forwards, one of the few players who can deliver an early ball, but I don't think he gets enough credit for his defensive work. His interceptions and tackling in particular are excellent, often breaking up opposition attacks, often winning the ball back and rarely giving away a free kick. You can argue about some of his positioning and occasional stray passes but these days he's not significantly worse than anyone else in the back 4 and brings so much to the team. The stats speak for themselves

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/player-comparison
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A comparison with Smith is interesting as they've played a similar number of games. As expected, Rico's defensive stats win out in almost all areas, but he also has more assists, big chances created, shots (inc on target) and interestingly, almost double the forward passes and significantly fewer backward ones. Might go someway to explaining the lower pass completion percentage.
 
It’s like I said on another thread if his surname was Rice and he’d cost 1m from Luton then @Topfarrier and all his detractors would be waxing lyrical about his stats.

Instead people wait for the time he gives the ball away and bang on about it. Jack Stacey meanwhile is the next Kyle Walker despite being slightly less impressive (but still a great prospect)
 
klaus_afcb said:
A comparison with Smith is interesting as they've played a similar number of games. As expected, Rico's defensive stats win out in almost all areas, but he also has more assists, big chances created, shots (inc on target) and interestingly, almost double the forward passes and significantly fewer backward ones. Might go someway to explaining the lower pass completion percentage.
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That was the comparison I made and came to the same conclusions as you. I still think of Smith as an attacking fullback but those stats show he's more negative these days. I feel he needs to develop a new partnership down the right to get the best out of him.
 
Neil Dawson said:
It’s like I said on another thread if his surname was Rice and he’d cost 1m from Luton then @Topfarrier and all his detractors would be waxing lyrical about his stats.

Instead people wait for the time he gives the ball away and bang on about it. Jack Stacey meanwhile is the next Kyle Walker despite being slightly less impressive (but still a great prospect)
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Don't think you can class me as a 'detractor' tbf....I've said that he's not an attack minded full back in the Daniels or Smith mould so there is no point in @Neil Dawson or anyone else banging on about the fact that our full backs dont overlap our wingers anymore whilst at same time moaning that Rico isn't being picked.

I praised his defensive performance against Spurs as I thought he was excellent .....his first half performance against Leicester however was dreadful imo.....although he wasn't alone.
Some of us are capable of giving an opinion based on what we see rather than sticking to a predetermined agenda.
 
Red Sky said:
I agree that he's decent going forwards, one of the few players who can deliver an early ball, but I don't think he gets enough credit for his defensive work. His interceptions and tackling in particular are excellent, often breaking up opposition attacks, often winning the ball back and rarely giving away a free kick. You can argue about some of his positioning and occasional stray passes but these days he's not significantly worse than anyone else in the back 4 and brings so much to the team. The stats speak for themselves

https://www.premierleague.com/stats/player-comparison
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Yes, definitely no worse and has had fewer matches to improve. I like him a lot and think he has a lovely manner with fans. Reckon he has the potential to score a few cracking goals too with that left foot. I can see why he's so well-regarded in Spain. Wonder if he'll return there. Too much talent to be 3rd/4th in line for a position in a team like ours this season. Maybe he expressed his thoughts/feelings and Ed shut him out? Good luck to Diego wherever he is next season. He deserves it for his patience and effort.
 
Red Sky said:
That was the comparison I made and came to the same conclusions as you. I still think of Smith as an attacking fullback but those stats show he's more negative these days. I feel he needs to develop a new partnership down the right to get the best out of him.
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In the past we have really missed Adam smith’s attacking ability but he seems to be playing more cautiously now and this really blunts out attack. Stacey not as good defensively at times but provides more energy in the team.
 
Said this on another Rico thread but IMO he isn’t a full back in EH’s traditional attacking mould which begs the question over our recruitment. He isn’t one to go on marauding runs or overlaps and does most of his attacking play from deep, which means the dovetailing with wingers doesn’t work the same way as Pugh/Daniels for eg....so again contributes to us as a team not pressing the opposition back. That said he does have a lovely delivery on him though (not that we sling crosses into the box) and has shown he can get assists through weighted balls into the channels - think his “assist“ for Solanke’s goal against Leicester is one of those ones that highlights the questionable nature of stats, since the goal owes more to Callum working the first defender off the headed clearance and Solanke taking initiative to cut in and shoot rather than Rico laying on the chance himself.
 
Red_Dez said:
Said this on another Rico thread but IMO he isn’t a full back in EH’s traditional attacking mould which begs the question over our recruitment. He isn’t one to go on marauding runs or overlaps and does most of his attacking play from deep, which means the dovetailing with wingers doesn’t work the same way as Pugh/Daniels for eg....so again contributes to us as a team not pressing the opposition back. That said he does have a lovely delivery on him though (not that we sling crosses into the box) and has shown he can get assists through weighted balls into the channels - think his “assist“ for Solanke’s goal against Leicester is one of those ones that highlights the questionable nature of stats, since the goal owes more to Callum working the first defender off the headed clearance and Solanke taking initiative to cut in and shoot rather than Rico laying on the chance himself.
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I’m sure I mentioned this before but he’s the sort of full back who would be a good fit for Burnley (apart from being foreign!) In some ways he’s the typical English full back from the 80’s or 90’s. Does his job defensively, a good cross from deep when needed, but leaves the fancy stuff to the attackers.

As much as I like him, yours is a good point on the recruitment. Did we recruit specifically to play more cautiously, or did we misjudge the more ball playing attributes of his game?
 
Red_Dez said:
Said this on another Rico thread but IMO he isn’t a full back in EH’s traditional attacking mould which begs the question over our recruitment. He isn’t one to go on marauding runs or overlaps and does most of his attacking play from deep, which means the dovetailing with wingers doesn’t work the same way as Pugh/Daniels for eg....so again contributes to us as a team not pressing the opposition back. That said he does have a lovely delivery on him though (not that we sling crosses into the box) and has shown he can get assists through weighted balls into the channels - think his “assist“ for Solanke’s goal against Leicester is one of those ones that highlights the questionable nature of stats, since the goal owes more to Callum working the first defender off the headed clearance and Solanke taking initiative to cut in and shoot rather than Rico laying on the chance himself.
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See the thing is in his first few games, he was. He was whipping dangerous balls in, Chelsea particually sticks out in my mind despite losing 2-0, he must have played 4-5 really dangerous crosses in from behind the fullback. So either his first few games were a fluke or in trying to concede less, he hasn't had license to do it.
 
I really havent seen too much of Rico that excites me defensively.

He has some nice forward passes in him, one against Leicester that curled beautifully amongst the touchline and back into play, and the one that gave Solanke his first goal after Wilson (first time ever) managed to win a header and flick it on.

Defensively he looks good at shadowing the opposition, but beyond that his positioning isnt the best when on the back foot.

Get him transitioning quickly from defense into attack he panics, and offers a suicide Gosling type pass.

If he gets the ball and has a second or two ahead of him to try an attacking pass that he can pick out he's also great.

Bit of a love in with him to be honest, but when have we seen him take on the opposition, or cut inside, like Smith can.

All about opinions and Smith has taken his fair bit of criticism lately, but I feel Smith is the better player.
 
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