14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

[skillman]

That’s being generous.

Pep seems to be obsessed with any midfielder being absolutely perfect. Hence Rodri.

And if they can't be perfect, he defaults to prefer players who have been around us for years like Bernie and Gundo.

Very rarely takes risks in there, frustratingly. And I wouldn't even class Nico G as a risk. It's a real blind spot for Pep.

 

[Gabriel]

Pep seems to be obsessed with any midfielder being absolutely perfect. Hence Rodri.

And if they can't be perfect, he defaults to prefer players who have been around us for years like Bernie and Gundo.

Very rarely takes risks in there, frustratingly. And I wouldn't even class Nico G as a risk. It's a real blind spot for Pep.

In fairness, he knows substantially more about that position than anyone else, so I'm quite prepared to bow to his judgement.
As I've said in another thread, our problem is that we've sought hybrid players to work around Rodri, whereas now we should work on the hypothesis that Rodri is never going to return to his pomp and seek a young direct replacement. We want him to return, of course, but in terms of finding an alternative, that should now be the starting point.

 

[Haaland94]

You’re probably right, he should get more time.. But at whose expense? Dias? Akanji, Nunes?

I would say Akanji and Dias have been going downhill in terms of their performances. Maybe it's an ambition problem, a physical/mental fatigue, I don't know, but their hunger is gone. Nunes has his faults but he has made a tremendous progress and I really like his attitude.

 

[skillman]

In fairness, he knows substantially more about that position than anyone else, so I'm quite prepared to bow to his judgement.
As I've said in another thread, our problem is that we've sought hybrid players to work around Rodri, whereas now we should work on the hypothesis that Rodri is never going to return to his pomp and seek a young direct replacement. We want him to return, of course, but in terms of finding an alternative, that should now be the starting point.

I am too. But seeing Bernie and Gundo in there - together - hurts my soul every time I have to watch it. And it's to the detriment of the side.

They're both fantastic individually and even playing different roles would be great but when they're in midfield together, it's a recipe for disaster and has been for about a year but Pep still persists because he won't go out of his comfort zone.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

I would say Akanji and Dias have been going downhill in terms of their performance

They're going faster downhill than Eddie the Eagle at his peak.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I think it's because we've looked to buy players who were not necessarily similar to Rodri but who might be able to cope in a double pivot without Rodri, or maybe play alongside him when he's fit and available. It's been an expensive error.

It is if Pep refuses to use them despite some decent performnces.

 

[super_city_si]

20/20 hindsight and all that but a Reindeers, Nico, Cherki midfield 3 probably wins that game. We need legs. Its ok having the ball for 72% of the time, but the other 28% of the time we're fucked.

Especially in that humidity and conditions.

 

[Scaring Europe to Death]

20/20 hindsight and all that but a Reindeers, Nico, Cherki midfield 3 probably wins that game. We need legs. Its ok having the ball for 72% of the time, but the other 28% of the time we're fucked.

I don't even think it's hindsight

Fair enough, let Bernardo play alongside Gundogan at the start of the tournament especially when the first two games were effectively over by half time

Not in the knockout stages though, regardless of the calibre of opponent
Reindeers Nico and Cherki are supposedly the future so let them start the game.

 

[Fordyboy46]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nico is sold this window. His nose has been well and truly put out of joint with us now signing Reijnders in his position. I'm getting a bit annoyed with the money we seem to be wasting lately Phillip's, Nunes?, Savio, Reis?, Khusanov, Gonzalez, it's not looking good. Feel for Nico as I'm sure there's a good player in there, whether he'll ever get the chance to show it at City is another matter altogether

 

[yankblue]

If - and I do genuinely think it's an if, because Pep takes some time to bed players, especially midfielders, in - Pep doesn't rate him, that's unfortunate, but mistakes happen.

What the club has to address is Pep and the front office being on the same page. A few missteps in the market is to be expected, but we can't stack failed 50m transfers every window.

I can't imagine Viana and Txiki were buying players in a vacuum, but we've spend a decent amount on players Pep seemingly doesn't rate (at least in their natural position, like Nunes) the past few years.

I don't know if Pep is too loyal to the old guard, or if we're failing to bring in the quality he's expecting. It's probably a bit of both tbh

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Hopefully someone asks Pep what his thinking on Nico is at the next press conference he does.

It’d stop the hot takes in here.

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nico is sold this window. His nose has been well and truly put out of joint with us now signing Reijnders in his position. I'm getting a bit annoyed with the money we seem to be wasting lately Phillip's, Nunes?, Savio, Reis?, Khusanov, Gonzalez, it's not looking good. Feel for Nico as I'm sure there's a good player in there, whether he'll ever get the chance to show it at City is another matter altogether

There needs to be serious questions asked if players we have signed are ignored or disregarded.

If there is a disconnect between Pep and Viana then somebody needs to be sorting the problems out, and bloody quickly.

Leave shit transfer signings to the incompetent cunts at the swamp, we are supposed to be the professional club here with adults in management positions.

 

[dragonman98]

My take is that Pep doesn't rate him, at least at the moment. It does kinda matter when the end of last season he switched to a 4-man midfield and Nico still didn't get a sniff in, despite being the only DM in the squad at that point.

 

[uwerosler28]

Weird one here is that when we signed him , Pep was adamant he was a great player whos career he had followed since his days in Spain and he had previously tried to sign him unsuccessfully. So with all that he now isn't deemed good enough?

 

[pbueno16]

I wouldn't be surprised if Nico is sold this window. His nose has been well and truly put out of joint with us now signing Reijnders in his position. I'm getting a bit annoyed with the money we seem to be wasting lately Phillip's, Nunes?, Savio, Reis?, Khusanov, Gonzalez, it's not looking good. Feel for Nico as I'm sure there's a good player in there, whether he'll ever get the chance to show it at City is another matter altogether

If Reijnders is playing in Nico's position, then we've wasted money on him too. Reijnders is in no way a 6 so playing him there with Nico in the team is complete mismanagement of two players at once.

 

[TheBlueCat]

I would say Akanji and Dias have been going downhill in terms of their performances. Maybe it's an ambition problem, a physical/mental fatigue, I don't know, but their hunger is gone. Nunes has his faults but he has made a tremendous progress and I really like his attitude.

Agree re Dias and Akanji. I’m not a fan of Nunes at all but he has definitely made progress and his attitude can’t be faulted. In the absence of a proper rb I think he warrants his place..

 

[Colin Bells Boots]

If Reijnders is playing in Nico's position, then we've wasted money on him too. Reijnders is in no way a 6 so playing him there with Nico in the team is complete mismanagement of two players at once.

The situation regarding players / roles in the team just gets more and more worrying !

Heads need banging together if there are issues between DOF and Pep.

 

[Kippax Kidd]

Weird one here is that when we signed him , Pep was adamant he was a great player whos career he had followed since his days in Spain and he had previously tried to sign him unsuccessfully. So with all that he now isn't deemed good enough?

I'll keep repeating myself . Spurs away changed everything. Nobody talks to Pep that way in public.

 

[Gorbachev]

If Reijnders is playing in Nico's position, then we've wasted money on him too. Reijnders is in no way a 6 so playing him there with Nico in the team is complete mismanagement of two players at once.

I don't think Nico is a 6.

If I recall, even Nico G said in an interview a few months back he sees himself more as an 8 than a 6, bu can play there if need be.

If his game time doesn't improve as the seasons starts, I can see him being loaned to Girona in January.

 

[Mancini’s Pastilles]

I'll keep repeating myself . Spurs away changed everything. Nobody talks to Pep that way in public.

I said that. Got laughed at