27 | Matheus Nunes - 2025/26

He is a 50m pound failed midfielder
Even Reijnders is going through some growing pains and looks like a "failed midfielder" according to this forum.

Look no further than Phil Foden.. it took him 8 years to convince Pep he could do it despite Phil's technical ability being vastly better than Nunes.

I think we need to come to terms with something:

In a Pep team 99.99% of really good above average midfield players will be failed midfielders.. but they can do the job just fine for Wolves/ West Ham/ AC Milan or whereever.
 
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Nunes is obviously not a natural RB. And his performances at RB are iffy - very iffy going forward - mostly OK on defense... but is "mostly OK" good enough for our side?

And yet, he's first choice at RB.

Watch the rest of the PL play and ask yourself who looks like a natural full back, or even what that means. I've seen a couple of natural full backs at Liverpool be absolutely dross. I've seen a combination of natural and unnatural full backs at Arsenal be completely average too. I've seen City win the league with Delph, Zinchenko, Ake and Gvardiol at full back.

The truth is, if everyone else does their job well enough on and off the ball it's not too difficult a gig. Nunes has the pace not to be burnt the way Zinchenko was at times. He has the ability on the ball to be effective. The only thing he lacks which the majority of other unnatural full backs have had is the "kick them into touch" side of the game. But as long as he's standing them up and stopping them getting crosses or shots in, he's doing his job. There's a reason Pep has always been happy to convert people into playing that position - it's one of the few on the pitch you can generally get away with being makeshift.
 
Yes hes only had a good game against Evertons second choice left winger, cuckoo!

Listen ive heard its hard when someone has an unnatural obsession but the Bluemoon community are very helpful in the main. Start right now while the iron is hot.

Your only goal today is to not post negatively about Nunes, just a day at a time brother, you can do it and God willing free yourself from this terrible affliction. Good luck.

Sorry i have to dash ive just heard a bluemoon poster has said Reijnders has gone missing and wants volunteers for a search party.

Ttfn.

"Yes hes only had a good game against Evertons second choice left winger, cuckoo!"...never said that, you have made that up. Your obsession that I hate Nunes is wide of the mark.

Can we start age gating the site please? Can the admins look at this? Letting kids near the internet is dangerous.
 
Even Reijnders is going through some growing pains and looks like a "failed midfielder" according to this forum.

Look no further than Phil Foden.. it took him 8 years to convince Pep he could do it despite Phil's technical ability being vastly better than Nunes.

I think we need to come to terms with something:

In a Pep team 99.99% of really good above average midfield players will be failed midfielders.. but they can do the job just fine for Wolves/ West Ham/ AC Milan or whereever.
You think Nunes has been a successful midfielder for us? Whether centrally or when played wide he has been a success? And you are comparing him to Phil Foden? Is this real life or have I lost my mind?

If you are signed as a midfielder for over 50m pound and arent trusted to play in any of the up to 5 midfield positions across the pitch ever then you are a failed midfielder......Kalvin Phillips and Mattheus Nunes are two examples. That is the point I make and stand by.

Now in Nunes defence, he has carved out an opportunity for himself in defence which he has done well in for the most part this season which is the point of this thread. Like a right footed Fabian Delph, if he can do as well as Delph did full back for us well then he will be laughing.
 
acceptable player against bad sides, the thread blows up when he's at right back against decent opposition.
 
acceptable player against bad sides, the thread blows up when he's at right back against decent opposition.
But this is fine. Every team needs a player who keeps his head down and chips in whenever he gets opportunities, which Nunes has been doing consistently since about January now. The last time I remember him having a bad game was at Brentford last season, the 2-2 draw.

I'm not gonna say I was desperate for Nunes to stay in the summer, but I at least went back and forth over him and Akanji - and I thought Nunes deserved to start the FA Cup final. He's a decent back-up RB and if Khusanov is going to struggle for fitness then he'll be valuable as the season goes on.
 
Genuinely a cracking right full back in my opinion. I know he makes mistakes and some of them have cost us big time but those aside his general play is excellent. His pace is a big asset and he's very switched on to people running in behind him. Getting better at his defensive duties every game.

Nothing but admiration for how he's managed to carve out a role for himself here because I couldn't see it in a million years a year ago.
 
Remember when Joelinton looked like a shite centre forward?
Good coaches improve players. They might also see them in a different position than the one they are 'naturally' because, guess what, they are actually better suited to a new role but their previous coaches didn't have the genius to spot it.
Matheus Nunes is doing great, and progressing well, as is the team.
This guy could save us a lot of money as well as becoming a world-class RB suited to the way we play AND to the vibe within the squad.
 
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Watch the rest of the PL play and ask yourself who looks like a natural full back, or even what that means. I've seen a couple of natural full backs at Liverpool be absolutely dross. I've seen a combination of natural and unnatural full backs at Arsenal be completely average too. I've seen City win the league with Delph, Zinchenko, Ake and Gvardiol at full back.

The truth is, if everyone else does their job well enough on and off the ball it's not too difficult a gig. Nunes has the pace not to be burnt the way Zinchenko was at times. He has the ability on the ball to be effective. The only thing he lacks which the majority of other unnatural full backs have had is the "kick them into touch" side of the game. But as long as he's standing them up and stopping them getting crosses or shots in, he's doing his job. There's a reason Pep has always been happy to convert people into playing that position - it's one of the few on the pitch you can generally get away with being makeshift.
This sounds like me all summer :)
 
Correct answer. Like i said a long time ago. Pep will eventually catch up :)

Nunes khus gvardiol oreilly would be my back 4 at moment, just more pace and energy. Not seen enough of Ait-Nouri to make a decision yet.
Nice to have Dias Stones and Ake in the squad though.

I think Donna Rodri Foden Haaland are obviously a shoe in.

The 3 remaining spots are where it becomes tricky but there are plenty of games to be played.
 
I don't think he's made more mistakes, proportionally, than any of our other defenders. But we forgive all the others way quicker.
Certain players have always been the fan scapegoats, and it has been the same for as long as I remember. I remember it from the mid-70s, and I was born in 1968.
 
He had a great game on Saturday, and he played a couple of world class balls through to the wide man (similiar to Foden on our first goal)

He is great going forward, iffy defensively as others say, which considering he is a midfielder, isn't surprising.
 

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