Welcome Nico Gonzalez

[Damocles]

If he plays as well as he talks, we're on to a real winner with this one!

I've spent the last few days looking at Porto matches he's played in recently and I'm fairly convinced by him. I remember him at Barca and have seen him in the CL but I wanted to really dig down on him while there's no City game on.
Also not to insult Opta, but there was an article by the Opta Analyst saying that he's no Rodri regen. This is the huge difference between comparing stats and watching his games. He didn't have similar stat distribution to Rodri because he played in a totally different system, but watching him, when he was playing deeper he looked exactly like Rodri.
I think Pep wants to train him as this. He needs to learn the dark arts better, but he's much closer in how he moves the ball to Rodri than Gundo or Kova.

 

[twosips]

I've spent the last few days looking at Porto matches he's played in recently and I'm fairly convinced by him. I remember him at Barca and have seen him in the CL but I wanted to really dig down on him while there's no City game on.
Also not to insult Opta, but there was an article by the Opta Analyst saying that he's no Rodri regen. This is the huge difference between comparing stats and watching his games. He didn't have similar stat distribution to Rodri because he played in a totally different system, but watching him, when he was playing deeper he looked exactly like Rodri.
I think Pep wants to train him as this. He needs to learn the dark arts better, but he's much closer in how he moves the ball to Rodri than Gundo or Kova.

Yeah I noticed this too. If you compare his stats from the 21/22 season when he was playing in Spain to his at Porto they paint a totally different picture of who he is as a footballer. It's really encouraging IMO cos the latest version of him shows him (stats wise) as a physical, aerially dominate box to box midfielder who likes to get forward, whereas a few years back his stats looked a lot more like your typical deep lying 6 with a shit load of passes (with a high completion rate) setting the tempo. I genuinely think we may have got another complete midfielder. It's really, really encouraging.

 

[TheGhost]

I presume we’re going to call him Gonzo

 

[tolmie's hairdoo]

I've spent the last few days looking at Porto matches he's played in recently and I'm fairly convinced by him. I remember him at Barca and have seen him in the CL but I wanted to really dig down on him while there's no City game on.
Also not to insult Opta, but there was an article by the Opta Analyst saying that he's no Rodri regen. This is the huge difference between comparing stats and watching his games. He didn't have similar stat distribution to Rodri because he played in a totally different system, but watching him, when he was playing deeper he looked exactly like Rodri.
I think Pep wants to train him as this. He needs to learn the dark arts better, but he's much closer in how he moves the ball to Rodri than Gundo or Kova.

Playing the two together sounds like the stuff of dreams!!

 

[Maly]

I presume we’re going to call him Gonzo

Speedy

 

[Gesario]

I presume we’re going to call him Gonzo

Are you saying he’s a muppet already ?

 

[Maly]

View attachment 145861

Tomorrow’s starting 11?

 

[colinbellsballboy]

I like his face, he looks good, sometimes you can just tell.
I think we have a successor (whisper it) to Rodrigo Hernández Cascante.
Shush.

 

[birchwoodgingerste]

Yeah I noticed this too. If you compare his stats from the 21/22 season when he was playing in Spain to his at Porto they paint a totally different picture of who he is as a footballer. It's really encouraging IMO cos the latest version of him shows him (stats wise) as a physical, aerially dominate box to box midfielder who likes to get forward, whereas a few years back his stats looked a lot more like your typical deep lying 6 with a shit load of passes (with a high completion rate) setting the tempo. I genuinely think we may have got another complete midfielder. It's really, really encouraging.

Reminds me of busquets skill profile he's so good on the ball.

 

[Bluewonder]

View attachment 145861

Is it me or he’s much shorter than expected?

His height is listed everywhere around 1.88, but he looks around the same height as Ortega who’s around 1.85

Stones is a true 1.88 and he looks so much taller.

He's stood in a ditch.

They did a similar trick with the hobbits for the Lord of the Rings films.

 

[Platt Lane 59]

Tomorrow’s starting 11?

I would select that team...

 

[eyalluvitt]

He's stood in a ditch.

They did a similar trick with the hobbits for the Lord of the Rings films.

I watched the inside City video and he is crouching down slightly in the pic, stood normally he is the same height a big Rube

 

[Matt the Giant]

Really looking forward to seeing Rodri and Nico play together. It'll be quite a change from the midfield we have today.

 

[Fordyboy46]

Hope he brings some physicality to this pretty fragile team, Erling excluded of course. He might be the next Rodri or he might be the next Javi Garcia, only time will tell

 

[blue whippet]

Is that Saturday's starting 11?

That was my first thought!

 

[Damanino]

so did his father Fran work at City recently? I dot recall anything about this...

 

[Citizen52]

so did his father Fran work at City recently? I dot recall anything about this...

Not recently....from 2016 judging from what I could dig up online as I wasn't aware of it either. Makes sense with the articles stating it was when Nico was a teenager.

 

[Man_City_Loyal]

knowing our luck he gets injured in training from his first kick!

Welcome Nico

well it wasn't training !

 

[waspish]

Ticked it over 1 pass 2 max hardly gave the ball away

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

Shame he got injured, but from what Pep said it sounded like a painful kick, rather than a muscle injury. Hopefully he might be fit for Tuesday