14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

Decent performance.

Nico seems to be prone to passing to an open player though - even if that player is surrounded by a bazillion defenders.

He played one or two such balls in our last game - poor Gundo got one of these balls and was literally run over - with no foul called.
 
Started off poorly I thought then grew into it - I do like his willingness to play the ball forward. Even if it's just lending it 5 yards to get it back.
 
Ric said:
Got caught out badly in the first half, and was lucky not to be punished for it, but other than that thought he was decent enough. Comfortable on the ball, and adds a bit of physical presence in midfield.
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It should have been a foul. The ref was on some other stuff.
 
My favorite thing about him is his off the ball play. He is quick into a press. Even though he is physically slow compared to other players.

This tells me he reads the game extremely well defensively. He is just a tad slow on the ball sometimes though.

Thought the 'mistake' was a clear foul on him. That's the second time I've seen him get 'fouled/ dispossessed' and the ref doesn't call it.

I'm begining to worry refs are giving him the Shaq treatment. Too big to be fouled :)
 
We kinda played a 316 with Gonzalez as the 1, and often he dropped into the backside as a false CB sort of.

I kind of like this role for him, given how aerially dominant he seems to be.
 
Pep doesn't see Nico as an 8, he sees him as a 6 to backup Rodri it seems.

We have Bernie, Gundogan, Reijnders as 8s.

With Foden and Cherki playing as 10s.

And among those 5, we only play with 2 of them, so Nico G isn't gonna play as a pseudo 8 or 10.
 
WallyA said:
Pep doesn't see Nico as an 8, he sees him as a 6 to backup Rodri it seems.

We have Bernie, Gundogan, Reijnders as 8s.

With Foden and Cherki playing as 10s.

And among those 5, we only play with 2 of them, so Nico G isn't gonna play as a pseudo 8 or 10.
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Can see him playing with Rodri. What's more, it might become Pep's preferred combo in big games, with Reijnders operating in front of them, Foden/Cherki supporting our forwards from the wing when we attack. Generally, both Foden and Cherki should work harder in defence to merit a starting place in the big games, say, Anfield, Bernabeu, etc.
 
DMA's said:
The fact pep took him off and left Gundo on when Rodri’s came on says a lot to me.

I don’t think pep rates him particularly highly
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Gundo was supposed to come off too for Reindeers until Gvardiol got injured and Pep swapped in Dias, so I don't think we can read too much into who he substituted or when
 
DMA's said:
The fact pep took him off and left Gundo on when Rodri’s came on says a lot to me.

I don’t think pep rates him particularly highly
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Sadly it looks that way. When Rodri came on I was hoping Pep would take Gundo off and play Nico in his place a bit further forward. You can see when he plays he wants to drive with the ball but doesnt because he’s the deep player and doesn’t want to leave a hole and or piss off pep.
 
DMA's said:
The fact pep took him off and left Gundo on when Rodri’s came on says a lot to me.

I don’t think pep rates him particularly highly
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Rodri needs minutes and we needed goals. It wasn't the game to load up on more defensive players. Nothing more to it than that.
 
He's miles off slotting into a big game as the 6 right now. Rodri is some way off being ready and kovacic is out so it's probably going to be bernardo starting the season as our 6.

For a well built lad, he's really poor at shielding the ball, that should be his first area to improve upon, we can't have a 6 that's prone to having the ball nicked from him. His passing is fine if a little slow, still not there positionslly though and doesnt break up much. Give him some 1 to 1 coachinwotith rodri to help get him upto speed. There's a fear that Rodri is going to be ready to start regularly before he is at this rate.
 
DMA's said:
The fact pep took him off and left Gundo on when Rodri’s came on says a lot to me.

I don’t think pep rates him particularly highly
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In fairness, he simply replaced position for position. And Gunso was going to come of a few minutes later for Reindjers. But Gvaediol tweaked something and Pep decided to replace him instead of Gundo.
 
ninjamonkey said:
He's miles off slotting into a big game as the 6 right now. Rodri is some way off being ready and kovacic is out so it's probably going to be bernardo starting the season as our 6.

For a well built lad, he's really poor at shielding the ball, that should be his first area to improve upon, we can't have a 6 that's prone to having the ball nicked from him. His passing is fine if a little slow, still not there positionslly though and doesnt break up much. Give him some 1 to 1 coachinwotith rodri to help get him upto speed. There's a fear that Rodri is going to be ready to start regularly before he is at this rate.
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I reckon Reijnders will start at 6. With Bernado besides him and Cherki Foden and Marmoush ahead of them
 
Dax777 said:
I reckon Reijnders will start at 6. With Bernado besides him and Cherki Foden and Marmoush ahead of them
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Not impossible but I'd say there's very little chance reijnders will be starting a league game as a 6. You'd have to have no fit or ready rodri, kovacic, bernardo gundo or Nico for that to happen. Wolves away will most likely be bernardo as the 6 with reijnders 8 and then any of the 10's or even gundo filling put the midfield unless there's a drastic upturn from Nico before then.
 
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