Youngster Nico O'Reilly has attracted a lot of attention with his impressive performances in City's three recent friendlies, including that of City's old man Wright-Phillips. Speaking on the club's podcast, Wright-Phillips spoke highly of O'Reilly, saying that he has shown great maturity in his performances on the field.
Wright-Phillips said he had been watching O'Reilly and praised him for his particularly good performance in the third friendly. From holding the ball, creating chances and the way he plays, O'Reilly has shown maturity and solidity that belies his age. Wright-Phillips specifically mentioned that the friendly against Barcelona was one of the toughest challenges City have faced, but O'Reilly didn't shy away from the game and took his responsibilities bravely.
Talking about the specifics of the match, Wright-Phillips recalled that the first 15 minutes of the game were very intense, especially the first 4 minutes when Barcelona's outstanding performance left him and another guest, Lescott, in awe. However, as the game progressed, City gradually found their form and took the initiative on the field. Wright-Phillips felt that City could have taken a bigger lead in the first half if they had capitalized on their chances.
Although Manchester City did not field a full starting lineup in this friendly, Wright-Phillips was still satisfied with the performance of the young players. He said that it is very encouraging to see so many young players have the chance to show their talents in a big club like Manchester City and hopefully become the backbone of the team in the future. At the same time, he also praised the young players for playing the game the way they are now, believing that they are gradually growing and adapting to the pace of the game at a high level.
