Welcome Nico Gonzalez

Fordyboy46 said:
Three of Arsenal's goals were stupid mistakes, the most annoying of the lot Phil's ridiculous pass after we'd equalised, no idea what he was thinking. Heads dropped immediately after their second goal, simply unacceptable
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The number of ridiculous mistakes this season is absolutely staggering. It is almost beyond belief and certainly almost impossible to explain. Almost certain to see at least 2 more bad ones against Madrid. Put very simply, it's not easy to go to places like Arsenal and expect anything after throwing the ball into your net not once but twice and trying hard to do it a third time. Mind boggling stuff and hopefully we don't see a repeat next season.
 
Father Paul said:
The number of ridiculous mistakes this season is absolutely staggering. It is almost beyond belief and certainly almost impossible to explain. Almost certain to see at least 2 more bad ones against Madrid. Put very simply, it's not easy to go to places like Arsenal and expect anything after throwing the ball into your net not once but twice and trying hard to do it a third time. Mind boggling stuff and hopefully we don't see a repeat next season.
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Yep and add to that some awfully shit sloppy passing and it's where we're at this season. I blame myself as I went to my first away game in an age away at Spurs in the Carabao. That was the start of the slump
 
You can see the logic straight away, he can drive forward under pressure and has the legs kova once held; he’s also more assured defensively…

We’ve missed the ability to get out consistently with the Rodri injury, but also receiving the ball without invariably handing over… let’s see, he’s inheriting a great deal of pressure and it will define his time with us I’d suggest…

Baptism of fire afoot, he’ll be right in for the Madrid game
 
SatOnTheWall said:
Fran was a very good player at Deportivo.
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I remember Fran from his time at Deportivo.

He was one of my son's favourite players back in the day.

His name is Francis and we bought him a Deportivo top when we were on holiday in Spain around 1990 or 1991. We arrived on the boat at Santander intending to spend a couple of days there before moving on to Bilbao and St Sebastian and then to France.

We ended up staying in the camp site in Santander for eight days. My daughter (then aged 12) and my son (then 11) found friends on the site could not be dragged away. He hung around and played football with some Spanish kids most of the day wearing his Deportivo top and they obviously called him Fran.
 
I've just watched his interview without looking at this thread.

Does anybody remember Nico's dad in his playing days (yes I know he coached here) he was top drawer player himself, so technically good and a grafter in the final third that lead by example.
His name was Fran and played at Deportivo but strangely there aren't many compilations of him online, for a player that good I thought there would be but the ones I've seen they don't really do him justice what a player he was.

This short one features Pep after half a minute...


Fran had a very good delivery under normal circumstances or at set pieces he could cross/shoot with the outside of his foot, made great runs into the box for taps ins he wasn't prolific scorer but could smash them in from distance and score free kicks, he was very creative and a really top dribbler of the ball under pressure also making lovely flicks.
He was a workhorse and it's very bizarre he was only capped 16 times by Spain, honestly though during my La Liga watching days back then he was the best creative Spanish player for a good year or two before the emergence of Valeron.

He mainly stayed forward but still worked hard switching between LW and AM while pressing defenders, him and the extremely skillful Djalminha (up there with Ronaldinho for how he could manipulate the ball) worked amazingly together... Deportivo later signed the brilliant Valeron those 3 were the only real reason to watch them.

Like Djalminha in the late 90s Fran terrorised Real and Barca for many years they both tried to sign Fran more than once, he was 100% loyal during his career to Deportivo a total model professional so it's no surprise Pep hired him.

With a dad like Fran you just know that Nico should be a good lad and you'd imagine he'll display most of the very same personal qualities of his dad, the way Nico mentions his dad talking about Manchester during his interview suggests his dad believes we're a brilliant destination for him, it's also great that Nico's English is also spot on at least that's one thing he doesn't need to learn.

I can see him not only doing well but staying here a long time all things considered.
 
JGL07 said:
I remember Fran from his time at Deportivo.

He was one of my son's favourite players back in the day.

His name is Francis and we bought him a Deportivo top when we were on holiday in Spain around 1990 or 1991. We arrived on the boat at Santander intending to spend a couple of days there before moving on to Bilbao and St Sebastian and then to France.

We ended up staying in the camp site in Santander for eight days. My daughter (then aged 12) and my son (then 11) found friends on the site could not be dragged away. He hung around and played football with some Spanish kids most of the day wearing his Deportivo top and they obviously called him Fran.
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Fran was a brilliant player I've seen him mentioned a few times now that I've had a proper look at the thread, he really was some player if Nico although much different in style is as talented then long-term we're on to a winner.

Zabbasbeard said:
Remember Fran well in the days before Barca and Real Madrid carved up the money and literally killed most of the competition. Very good left midfielder.
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To be fair Deportivo definitely spent massively too to get where they were for the time period, they were so solid at the back with a hard working midfield side, very good creatively thanks to Fran and Djalminha then they later added Valeron all brilliant players.

They were a highly ambitious and big spending team themselves though, this is what ruined them they spent far too much in the end trying to keep up, quite akin to the Leeds situation in this country when they massively overspent.

It was a great league when Deportivo Valencia and a few other ambitious teams were trying to upset the Real/Barca dominance, sadly then Real just blew everybody out the water with their insane galactico spending.
Other than Atletico and Barca long-term when they actually recover most aren't ambitious enough, nobody else right now can compete hopefully Valencia sort the mess Salford's (unfit) owner got them in, that club definitely have massive potential to challenge if they get the right owner in who runs the club right.
 
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Is it me or he’s much shorter than expected?

His height is listed everywhere around 1.88, but he looks around the same height as Ortega who’s around 1.85

Stones is a true 1.88 and he looks so much taller.
 
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