14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

[Lavinda Past]

I think that the Real match took a lot out of him. Definitely needs Kovacic alongside him.

 

[blue ranger]

Mixed from him today. He's playing too much football. If Rodri can't play meaningful minutes after xmas i think we need another midfielder.

 

[Paul1970]

Needs help and where is Rodri ?

 

[WallyA]

Cup game coming up... Let's not kill the guy and many others who need rest.

There isn't really anyone else who can play DM, maybe we can dip into the academy?

 

[ninjamonkey]

Looked knackered, was slow in both mind and body, their midfield preyed on that, doesnt help that we ask him to run a midfield on his own. Would be criminal to play him in the cup, has to be protected as much as anybody right now.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

I'd stick Ait Nori at LB and give NOR a run out at DM for the cup game. That could be interesting, and if it works out it certainly could give us options in the season ahead.

 

[richards30]

I'd stick Ait Nori at LB and give NOR a run out at DM for the cup game. That could be interesting, and if it works out it certainly could give us options in the season ahead.

Ait Nouri goes now to AFCON doesn’t he?

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

Desperately needs help in there. He's being run ragged. He's basically a one man midfield.

If something happens to him, I've no clue what kind of midfield we can put out. I think the last game he missed, was the loss at Villa.

 

[Trevor Morley's Tache]

Ait Nouri goes now to AFCON doesn’t he?

Well, that's that idea put to bed ;-)

 

[Saddleworth2]

Desperately needs help in there. He's being run ragged. He's basically a one man midfield.

Kind of bizarre when we had 7 midfielders on the park today:
Nunes
O’Reilly
Bernie
Phil
Reijnders
Cherki

And Gonzales.

Without Doku we don’t have that outlet which accentuated the problems today.

 

[Xhavenjoe]

I think that the Real match took a lot out of him. Definitely needs Kovacic alongside him.

The best chance of having Kovacic along side him is if they end up in the physio room.

 

[MCFCFanTX]

Rodri can't come back soon enough otherwise Nico will be ran into the ground by January.

 

[Lavinda Past]

The best chance of having Kovacic along side him is if they end up in the physio room.

Sad to say, but you're probably right.

 

[TurboDuo]

Ait Nouri goes now to AFCON doesn’t he?

We can do it with moving Ake to LB.
NOR to midfield

 

[Xhavenjoe]

We can do it with moving Ake to LB.
NOR to midfield

I hope Ake's fitness is up to it. He is O Reilly's back up until At Nouri returns from the Afcon

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

I think that the Real match took a lot out of him. Definitely needs Kovacic alongside him.

Something to look forward to in, oh I don't know, let's say April
Said elsewhere Kovas return date is slated for March - Nico needs help in January but it'll be tough getting a body in as I'd guess we'd be looking at a loan unless we can miraculously get Anderson (who I think needs further scrutiny and is more likely in the summer)

 

[WesthoughtonJohn]

We can do it with moving Ake to LB.
NOR to midfield

Trouble is NOR is just bedding in very nicely where he is - I'd hate to be pissing him about for the sake of it.
Long term NOR is a MF but why mess too much with what's working nicely

 

[wattle]

He was on his own against 2 good players and also was filling in at centre back at times to allow NOR to be wide on the left. I think he was very good when you take all that into account. Sometimes you need to look past a player giving the ball away a couple of times.

 

[TurboDuo]

Trouble is NOR is just bedding in very nicely where he is - I'd hate to be pissing him about for the sake of it.
Long term NOR is a MF but why mess too much with what's working nicely

We're proper stuck in this mess mostly because of Kalvin and Kovacic. (Both of them on pay roll) If we had any half-decent central midfielders, we wouldn't even be arsed about resting Gonzalez or whether to shift NOR into the middle.
That problem, and a whole load of other issues, can be sorted with one move.
Elliot Anderson in January

 

[Blue-Ghana]

Getting overhyped here ...does simple thing well ,but often loses the ball when tries to dribble or drive forward .