14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

[Gumzy97]

Pep's influence on him is really starting to show...

Definitely he's a lot quicker with his actions when receiving the ball.

 

[handsofstone]

Don't get it wrong, he's supposed to be Rodri backup, he isn't supposed to start every game, at least not at the moment

I really like this lad, he's really solid and is the perfect Rodri backup, he's doing exactly what he needs to do

He can improve, of course he can but he's doing his role brilliantly and is developing nicely and getting a solid amount of minutes

Rodri is going to get lots of injuries and fitness issues, having this lad makes us a lot stronger

 

[doobyedoobye]

He's played less than 20 times for us so it's hardly surprising he has yet to master the most complex role in football

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Reads the game well and keeps things ticking over, but I think he's a little too passive in how he plays.

I'd like to see him be a little more aggressive on the ball.

Isn’t that the issue with the team as a whole? We’re playing safety first, risk adverse football at the moment.

 

[Bluewonder]

Isn’t that the issue with the team as a whole? We’re playing safety first, risk adverse football at the moment.

Suppose so, but you can see a clear difference between him and Rodri in terms of passing ranges.

I'm not criticising or anything, I just think it's the next area for him to improve as his stature grows.

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Suppose so, but you can see a clear difference between him and Rodri in terms of passing ranges.

I'm not criticising or anything, I just think it's the next area for him to improve as his stature grows.

That’s fair. He is clunky in possession, but he’ll improve as the patterns become more natural in his head.

We could do with more creativity all over though. We seem to get to the edge of the opponents box and pass side to side a lot.

Rodri is superb at finding the gaps, Nico less so at the moment. Hopefully he improves quickly. It seems he might get a fair few games this season as it looks as though Rodri is going to need resting fairly regularly.

 

[Bournemouth Blue]

He seems a decent signing to me, not everybody can be as good as Rodri, in fact nobody can.

 

[Berti No Show]

Improving game by game. Off the ball he's improved tenfold this season.

 

[NQCitizen]

He's played less than 20 times for us so it's hardly surprising he has yet to master the most complex role in football

He's been very good at it so far too, not sure how he takes much criticism at all.

 

[doobyedoobye]

He's been very good at it so far too, not sure how he takes much criticism at all.

Seems to be the modern theme with online fan discussions. Very little patience with players and a culture of hero to zero and back again at lightening speed

 

[NQCitizen]

Seems to be the modern theme with online fan discussions. Very little patience with players and a culture of hero to zero and back again at lightening speed

The funniest thing is when you actually keep a player more than 2 seasons the thread is full of "so glad he's proved me wrong" as if it wasn't the most likely option the player would round out their game and become more consistent as they age.

Sane, Mahrez, Rodri and Gundogan were absolutely slated on here and now they're used as examples to unfairly compare our younger guys with. Give it ten years and we'll be talking about how these useless new recruits aren't fit to lace Rico, Savinho and Nico's boots.

 

[doobyedoobye]

The funniest thing is when you actually keep a player more than 2 seasons the thread is full of "so glad he's proved me wrong" as if it wasn't the most likely option the player would round out their game and become more consistent as they age.

Sane, Mahrez, Rodri and Gundogan were absolutely slated on here and now they're used as examples to unfairly compare our younger guys with. Give it ten years and we'll be talking about how these useless new recruits aren't fit to lace Rico, Savinho and Nico's boots.

Exactly. New recruits and academy lads get 0.3 seconds to prove they are David Silva level before being buried under a barrage of abuse

 

[freshie]

 

[Alan Harper's Tash]

Exactly. New recruits and academy lads get 0.3 seconds to prove they are David Silva level before being buried under a barrage of abuse

The irony being that David Silva’s thread would likely have been full of “he’s too lightweight” and “he keeps the ball too long” for the first few months too.

 

[rodrizontal]

Defensively, i think he is more intense than Rodri ( or should i say I like him more) its the on the ball part that's kinda weak.

Sometimes i can't tell if im looking at him or Dias coz they both hesitate on the ball a bit too much for my liking. :(

But i really like his defensive presence and press. The actual passing isn't bad. Its just often the safe and predictable option. Which can set us back into that pass for passing sake doldrum we sometimes fall into.

Yeah, he does the defensive part of the role very well and has a decent engine. He needs to be more daring on the ball. So many opportunities to give line breaking passes to Foden but he didn't use any of them.

 

[goatinho]

Not one missed pass or missed tackle in the game!!!
What a player!!

 

[christened at st marks]

8 not a 6

 

[Blue_Lightsaber]

8 not a 6

Yes but he's tidy.. let me put it this way.. you don't notice him in a bad way at all even when he's played as a 6.

 

[mcfcpride]

Honestly I think some people are expecting Nico G to be Rodri and are disappointed when he’s not. Unfair.

 

[Ajm1985]

Lots of good, progressive passes between the lines.