14 | Nico Gonzalez - 2025/26

[WesthoughtonJohn]

Quality player. Absolute quality. Even if Rodri gets back to his best (no guarantee), it'll be no forgone conclusion who starts.

I'd love to see Pep try both.

Might work in certain circumstances, gut feel though is they're too similar style wise for them both to play in a Pep team.
That's going to be a potential speed bump when Rodri is fit again as Nico G hasn't done much wrong

 

[Dax777]

View attachment 175192
Elliot Anderson would be a really good partner for Nico

I like what the stats are saying :)

 

[Dax777]

Good to see Gonzalez standing out, but I disagree with your conclusion. The graph shows he's doing the same job (slightly less well) - I think ideally you want partners in midfield that compliment each other not replicate each other.

I think the analysis will be thR he can take another step if he moves up.

 

[oldius]

So, now we see further stats and they show together, that Nico makes more passes than any other midfielder in the PL, he has the 2nd highest completion rate, he wins more possession and more aerial duals and stops opponents take-ons more than others too. It looks like he's doing rather well (like Billericay Dicky).

At 23, and relatively inexperienced in this league, Nico's progress is startling really. Imagine being open to learn and having Pep Guardiola and Rodri to learn from.

 

[Feed the Elk]

So, now we see further stats and they show together, that Nico makes more passes than any other midfielder in the PL, he has the 2nd highest completion rate, he wins more possession and more aerial duals and stops opponents take-ons more than others too. It looks like he's doing rather well (like Billericay Dicky).

At 23, and relatively inexperienced in this league, Nico's progress is startling really. Imagine being open to learn and having Pep Guardiola and Rodri to learn from.

Stats only tell you half a story.
Watching him yesterday I thought he was poor, his positioning wasn’t great and he looked very weak.
Nowhere near the level of Rodri. I know it’s still relatively early days but I don’t think he’s a prem or champions league winning no. 6

 

[oldius]

Stats only tell you half a story.
Watching him yesterday I thought he was poor, his positioning wasn’t great and he looked very weak.
Nowhere near the level of Rodri. I know it’s still relatively early days but I don’t think he’s a prem or champions league winning no. 6

One game tells you less than that.

 

[richards30]

Stats only tell you half a story.
Watching him yesterday I thought he was poor, his positioning wasn’t great and he looked very weak.
Nowhere near the level of Rodri. I know it’s still relatively early days but I don’t think he’s a prem or champions league winning no. 6

Our midfield was always going to get overrun with how we set up

 

[red 2 hats]

He was over run yesterday, out muscled and fouled, got no help from Phil or Bernie, it was a tough game for him being the only one trying to make a tackle.

 

[Kippax Street 1880]

He was over run yesterday, out muscled and fouled, got no help from Phil or Bernie, it was a tough game for him being the only one trying to make a tackle.

Far from bad yesterday but I agree he was outmatched, basically one against 3 with Joelinton, Tonali and Guimares all being big physically imposing players. These are the games we need Rodri or Kovacic alongside Nico to truly dominate the middle of the park but unfortunately those 2 are unavailable.

Maybe in hindsight this was the time to put O'Reilly in the middle and turn to Ait-Nouri. The Nico² midfield has only been used against Torino in pre season but it worked there.

 

[Ajm1985]

Lost one tackle, won over half his duels and was decent with the ball. He was on an absolute hiding to nothing in the midfield and it wasn't addressed. Not only were Phil, Bernie & Cherki losing out in duels, they also were very loose in possession. This in itself put everyone out of position, making it easier to transition. Didn't see anything in his performance that was alarming

 

[nickamon]

I thought he was initially shaky and holding the ball for too long but I thought he grew into the game and performed relatively well.

 

[oldius]

Take our chances and nobody is speaking negatively about Nico.
It would also have forced their midfield to press less, which would have dissipated the physicality on view.
As always, view things with balance and he is an excellent addition.
We don't have the physical power of Newcastle in the centre, but they don't have our guile. We just didn't make the most of that advantage. We move on.

 

[Nickyweaver01]

Can hold his head high tonight. Better than the rest

 

[mattcity5]

Big ask if him to try and carry that midfield. Shame he had to play the full 90 considering most had a rest and we played Rodri til he broke.

 

[Ajm1985]

He looked fucked. Not sure the pressing system with Bobb next to him was a good idea. Shame we can't rest him

 

[Chak19]

Playing with Lewis and Reijnders in midfield is like playing with two traffic cones, it was an impossible task tonight.

 

[jollylescott]

I felt sorry for Nico. He was running on empty and trying to cover a thousand midfield holes by himself. And now he has to back up on the weekend.

 

[Chak19]

Big ask if him to try and carry that midfield. Shame he had to play the full 90 considering most had a rest and we played Rodri til he broke.

It's not City if you don't run your Spanish DM to the ground.

 

[ninjamonkey]

Only player to come out of that with any credibility. Had a decent enough game with the deck stacked against him in a 1 man midfield battle.

 

[super_city_si]

Playing with Lewis and Reijnders in midfield is like playing with two traffic cones, it was an impossible task tonight.

Add ait-Nouri who was never in the left back spot. Nico had way too much ground to cover.