Ricardo Pereira: The 'Underrated' All-Rounder Who's Key to Making the Foxes Bite

[davieG]

https://www.90min.com/posts/ricardo-pereira-underrated-all-rounder-leicester-opinion?utm_source=RSS

 

By Matt O'Connor-Simpson | Aug 10 2020

Ricardo Pereira has gone from strength to strength at Leicester | Visionhaus/Getty Images
The underrated/overrated paradox is one of the most most puzzling and tiresome concepts in football.

Fuelled by a burning desire for justice in the frequently unfair world of football Twitter, every wannabe pundit subjects footballers across the world to bipolar existence. Too much hype and you're overrated - plain and simple. Do not attract enough hype and you're overrated - plain and simpler.

The paradox also throws up a few intriguing thought experiments. For instance, if 90min surveyed one million football fans and every single one of them says a certain player is underrated - surely they cease to be so?

Ricardo Pereira is a candidate for one of the world's most underrated players | Visionhaus/Getty Images
At this point, you may be wondering why on earth we are still going on about this. The answer is that Ricardo Pereira - the subject of this article - fits this thought experiment quite nicely. Social media is awash with football supporters bemoaning that the 26-year-old is massively 'underrated'. So many in fact that surely it's time for the defender to start being considered highly rated at least?

While everyone else has been missing the point, Leicester fans have long known just how good Pereira really is. It is not an overstatement to say that the injury that kept him out of the closing stages of the 2019/2020 campaign was the main factor in the Foxes missing out on Champions League spot.

The Portugal international is vital to Brendan Rodgers' system, combining a mean streak defensively with being Leicester's most dangerous wide player going forward. Perhaps even their most dangerous creative player full stop.

Pereira was brought in from FC Porto at the beginning of the 2018/2019 season by the much maligned Claude Puel and his arrival was transformative. Although Danny Simpson's contribution to the Foxes impossible title success will never be forgotten in LE2, the former Manchester United man offered nothing going forward.

Pereira's arrival added a much need injection of vigour out wide. During his debut Premier League campaign, he bounced back from an inauspicious start to register seven assists and two goals - both of which were absolute stunners. Last season he racked up similar numbers, hitting five goal involvements before his season was cut short after 28 games.

His ability to drive the team forward has also been evident during his two season in England. During both campaigns he has averaged just shy of 200 progressive yards per 90 minutes. Without Pereira in the side Leicester looked bereft of attacking thrust during their pitiful end of the season.

This impressive offensive skill set doesn't tell the whole story of Pereira as a player though. Far from simply being an auxiliary winger, giving license to romp up and down the right-hand side, he has also slyly developed one of the best one-on-one defenders in the world since arriving in England.

 

FBL-WC-2018-MATCH49-URU-POR

Ricardo Pereira has been capped by Portugal | ODD ANDERSEN/Getty Images
If you factor out players who only played a handful of games, no one averaged more tackles per 90 minutes than Pereira last season (4.36). On average, two of these dispossessions were made when facing forwards in one-on-one situations as well.

Pereira's reads the game fantastically and is also tenacious, making him one of the meanest defenders around. Twinning this with such an effective attacking arsenal makes him a truly brilliant modern full-back.

Although all of the talk this summer has been about Leicester possibly losing his opposite number in Ben Chilwell, Pereira's departure would be a far more crushing blow for the Foxes. Why a top European side hasn't already tested the Foxes resolve is a mystery.

Don't say it, don't say it, don't say.

I mean come on. You have to admit that he's massively underrated.

[StanSP]

A cult hero for how he has played for us so far. You can tell how much worse off we were with his absence. 

 

Can't wait for him to come back but just hope he's not too affected by this serious injury. 

[Fox92]

Same as Vardy, a player in which I will be gutted to see leave and there isn't many of that mould. I feel a lot of the squad can be replaced bar those two. Ricardo is so good and that's an understatement.

[RoboFox]

24 minutes ago, davieG said:

 

 

Can't believe he'd let himself go like this. Ricardo "lockdown belly" Pereira.

 

Edited 10 August 2020 by RoboFox

[filbertway]

2nd best player I've seen play for the club behind Kanté consistently puts in high level performances and a player you could see playing for any club in the world. It's mad how little he is talked about.

[VLC86]

This guy is still underrated? Jesus, some naive folk out there.

[don_danbury]

31 minutes ago, RoboFox said:

 

Can't believe he'd let himself go like this. Ricardo "lockdown belly" Pereira.

 

eh?

[teblin]

30 minutes ago, Costock_Fox said:

This guy is still underrated? Jesus, some naive folk out there.

Outside of city I think he is by other fans!

[Guest Sharpe's Fox]

Ricardo is our best player.

[UniFox21]

36 minutes ago, Costock_Fox said:

This guy is still underrated? Jesus, some naive folk out there.

I'd suggest he's underrated by fans, purely because he isn't at a big 6 team Sky/BT etc don't lay praise on him. 

 

The clubs themsleves for sure understand his talent, you wouldn't be working at a big club if couldn't see the brilliance he adds to the team 

[Sol thewall Bamba]

Comfortably our best player.

[Guest SO1]

Man's a xxxxing God.

[urban fox]

Shhhh everyone. don't let on. massively overrated, nothing to see here. Close thread.

[Blue ROI]

First 10 games were less than stellar for him but he has been the best player for us since November 2018, reaching Kante levels of excellence.

 

We need him back ASAP. The slump could well carry on without him.

[Vindaloo FOX]

He deserves a quilty winger in front of him.

[HighPeakFox]

4 minutes ago, Vindaloo FOX said:

He deserves a quilty winger in front of him.

 

[NewEnglandFox]

Totally overrated. Star of a tinpot club. Wouldn't fit in any top European club. He's 26 and only has 7 caps so obviously isn't that good. #hidericky

[Guest Mickyblueeyes]

When we went through the wilderness years in the Championship and League 1, the idea of world class footballers playing for us was laughable. That is what Ricardo is, a genuine world class footballer. Great to have him here and hopefully before he does leave, we get him a medal or two. 

[Izzy]

If we’re all honest about it, he’s too good for us really. Should be playing for one of Europe’s powerhouses while in his prime. We’ve been lucky to have him and he’s been a joy to watch.

[Nick]

3 minutes ago, Izzy said:

If we’re all honest about it, he’s too good for us really. Should be playing for one of Europe’s powerhouses while in his prime. We’ve been lucky to have him and he’s been a joy to watch.

GTFO

[HighPeakFox]

3 minutes ago, Nick said:

GTFO

Gary Taylor-Fletcher Overweight?

[deanolegend1989]

Probably one of the only genuine world class players we’ve ever had.

Id say we’ve had 4 genuine world class footballers since I’ve been born.

Kante 15-16

Mahrez 15-18

Vardy 15-19

Ricardo 18-20

 

Its unbelievable really how’s he’s so underrated. Just shows what people believe by social media and lazy pundits.

 

Reality:

Ricardo-Cafu

Pogba-Jenas

 

Because of pundits, media and Instagram:

Ricardo - Pascal Chimbonda

Pogba - Prime Zidane/Gerrard/Keane rolled into one.

[Nicolo Barella]

If Barcelona hadn't run out of cash after spunking well over £300 million on Coutinho, Dembele, and Griezmann, you can bet they would have snapped Ricardo up already. And he would fit into their team perfectly.

[Aus Fox]

14 hours ago, RoboFox said:

 

Can't believe he'd let himself go like this. Ricardo "lockdown belly" Pereira.

 

FFS if you think that’s a lockdown belly, I hope you never get on my Instagram.

[Aus Fox]

Any news on when he is likely to be back up and running?