27 | Matheus Nunes - 2025/26

BlueMoonRisin’ said:
Nunes is improving every game. His tackling positional awareness ability to spot danger have improved and he's making less mistakes in defence. His passing and link up play is good and he overlaps our winger well and can cross and assist.

I think he's our most improved player and it's good to see him full of confidence and enjoying his game. My only concern is him man marking and nullifying a fast tricky winger such as Vinicius Junior, and he'll probably get to mark him soon.

I still think we need a specialist RB but I'm not obsessed on signing Livranento for stupid money even though I rate him.
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I agree, to me that's the remaining question with him but given he's clearly still improving and hasn't yet hit his ceiling in this position, I think he's earned the opportunity to continue developing. If the club has a sure fire option for a sensible price then yes get them but if that transpires not to be the case I'm good with him and I think the odds of him being the single weak link that scuppers us next season are not zero but are pretty low and if he carries on in this trajectory will reduce further.

Suspect Wlwe'll have enough characters next season that a level headed low maintenance pro will be a valuable asset too.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
For those that keep saying they want a 'proper' full back. Define what 'proper' is for a City RB. Ability to run all day (check). Ability to get back quickly (check) ability to invert (check) comfortable on the ball (check) Physical in challenge (check) can play key passes (check) ability to make overlap runs (check). What is it that Nunes doesn't do against your criteria?
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Well, it depends how we choose to line up overall.If you’ve got a left back like we had in Cancelo or now in Ait Nouri who’s going to spend most of the time attacking. You might want a right back who’s more solidly defensively but can still support the winger when required. Basically what Walker did for years. If you want one who can bomb on all day and provide decent balls across Nunes is your man. I personally think it would be great to have both options. Don’t want to see centre backs having to play there half the time in big games.
 
I'm normally critical of Nunes but to be fair last night was probably his best game. His defensive awareness was much better.
 
Paul1970 said:
So are you happy to go with nunes for right back ? This is not a dig as that is your opinion mate but I would rather us go with a proper right back .
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What does a "proper right back" offer that Nunes doesn't? People are so hung up on the fact he wasnt bought to play there. it's irrelevant, hes been doing brilliantly at right back, him not being a "proper right back" only lends to the potential he has there. Pep see's him as a right back now, that's where hes playing so hes a right back.
Silva2021 said:
But our standards must ultimately be higher and it is the obvious place where we can improve
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Is it the obvious place? Who is the improvement? We are supposedly looking at livramento who isn't even an obvious upgrade and imo is unattainable. He would cost a world record fee for a fullback even if he was attainable. surely if it was an obvious place to improve we could do it much cheaper and would have done it already? We were reportedly quoted north of £60m for cambiasso last window who i dont think is as good as Nunes so who is the obvious improvement?
 
He’s won me over. Walker made so big fuck ups, same goes for a lot of our defenders over the years. He’s got something which you can’t teach and that’s physicality. His defending is improving and he seems like a lovely guy to have around. I still think we should buy a RB but wouldn’t be unhappy if we didn’t.
 
A small point that might be overlooked is that, I think, it was Viana who took him to Sporting Lisbon in the first place, so presumably he has a good relationship with him and is comfortable with him staying.
 
Paul1970 said:
So are you happy to go with nunes for right back ? This is not a dig as that is your opinion mate but I would rather us go with a proper right back .
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I'd be as happy as I was with Delph, Zinchenko and so on that we had a LB :-) obviously if we signed a RB I'd be happy but I think Nunes is more than capable enough to play that role.
 
If he’s smart he’ll stay at full back as that will give him the best chance of going to the World Cup with Portugal
 
Saddleworth2 said:
For those that keep saying they want a 'proper' full back. Define what 'proper' is for a City RB. Ability to run all day (check). Ability to get back quickly (check) ability to invert (check) comfortable on the ball (check) Physical in challenge (check) can play key passes (check) ability to make overlap runs (check). What is it that Nunes doesn't do against your criteria?
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He didn't play full back at youth level
So he is not s proper full back :)
 
Craig said:
Well, it depends how we choose to line up overall.If you’ve got a left back like we had in Cancelo or now in Ait Nouri who’s going to spend most of the time attacking. You might want a right back who’s more solidly defensively but can still support the winger when required. Basically what Walker did for years. If you want one who can bomb on all day and provide decent balls across Nunes is your man. I personally think it would be great to have both options. Don’t want to see centre backs having to play there half the time in big games.
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Nunes actually isn't a bomb forward all day full back . He is actually often very conservative. The truth is the way we play, Both full backs are always in the other team's half anyways.

Contrary to popular opinion, i often think Nunes is often too conservative. But I'm beginning to appreciate that he is doing a decent job just picking his moments.

He is mych more defensive than RAN, both positionally and in play style. He is a lot more like Kyle Walker than many would like to admit.
 
Dax777 said:
Nunes actually isn't a bomb forward all day full back . He is actually often very conservative. The truth is the way we play, Both full backs are always in the other team's half anyways.

Contrary to popular opinion, i often think Nunes is often too conservative. But I'm beginning to appreciate that he is doing a decent job just picking his moments.

He is mych more defensive than RAN, both positionally and in play style. He is a lot more like Kyle Walker than many would like to admit.
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Walker has many years of experience playing RB, Nunes has only a few months experience at RB. Walkers best attribute was his pace and ability to get back and put a tackle in but Nunes is much better than him in final 3rd. Both players have brainfart moments in them but Nunes can be excused of his past brainfart moments because he's learning fast and has become much better defensively.

I think Nunes being conservative is because he's learning when to defend band when to attack.
 
Saddleworth2 said:
For those that keep saying they want a 'proper' full back. Define what 'proper' is for a City RB. Ability to run all day (check). Ability to get back quickly (check) ability to invert (check) comfortable on the ball (check) Physical in challenge (check) can play key passes (check) ability to make overlap runs (check). What is it that Nunes doesn't do against your criteria?
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I would also add, this "proper fullback" everybody wants us to get doesn't exist.

They really want somebody who is "better" than Nunes.

And honestly, the only RB who is better is Hakimi (the market is dire), even Livramento is more about potential and being HG, he isn't really "better" than Nunes right now.
 
BlueMoonAcrossThePond said:
I like Nunes.

Nunes is an OK RB and makes for a good backup at that position.

>> Define what 'proper' is for a City RB.
Since you asked:
Nunes has a mistake in him; and too frequently that leads to an opportunity on goal for the opposition;
Nunes' crosses aren't great. They're OK mostly - and sometimes he does pick out an awesome cross, but sometimes it's just a blind hit into the box without looking up first to pick out one of our players... or he mis-hits his cross over the head of everyone or out-of-bounds;
Nunes is prone to the odd unnecessary foul.

A "proper" right back wouldn't come with so many weaknesses.

There are numerous right backs far more skilled than Nunes - and we should sign one of them as our first choice.

Meanwhile, Nunes is a competent backup.
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Alot of what you said is completely untrue.

1) "Nunes has a mistake in him"

Yes early on, he was making mistakes as he never played RB. But as he played more and more he made less and less mistakes... what a shocker!

In fact near the end of last season, he was vital to our play, and when Pep benched him we actually lost those games!

2) "A proper right back wouldn't come with so many weaknesses, there are numerous right backs better"

Really? Name one that isn't Hakimi (who is a unicorn of a RB, best I've seen in years)

Livramento isn't better right now, he has the potential to be and he is HG, which is why we want him, he isn't better now though.

It's not as easy as you think to find these unicorn RBs.
 
WallyA said:
I would also add, this "proper fullback" everybody wants us to get doesn't exist.

They really want somebody who is "better" than Nunes.

And honestly, the only RB who is better is Hakimi (the market is dire), even Livramento is more about potential and being HG, he isn't really "better" than Nunes right now.
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Nunes is the joint second best right back in the world?
 
Bluewonder said:
Nunes is the joint second best right back in the world?
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Some people are saying they want us to get a better right back.

Who are they?

I can't think of many top right backs who are an improvement over what Nunes has turned into.

There are many good RBs in the tier below (like Kounde), but not many clearly better like Hakimi.
 
domalino said:
I really disagree, I thought some of his passes into the front 3 were brilliant yesterday, got through some very small gaps to get the ball into Haaland's path a few times.
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I hope your right, it’s an opinion of mine I’be had for awhile, so I’m sure there is some confirmation bias in there.

It will take awhile for him to prove otherwise to me.

Next one is Mahmoush first touch, that will also take me awhile after he improves before I see it.

That said I like both players, work hard and in Mahmoush case, love the fact he strikes the ball so hard, with so little back lift. Reminds me of Sergio in that aspect and is a great weapon to have.

Gives the keeper less time to set, due to less back lift and the additional power can mean it’s passed him before he moves.
 
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