Nickey 🇮🇪

Serious Diaz rematch energy.

@juniorMCIFCB @Rory_Talks_Ball He was suspended for the first game

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball No. Partey was there.

Watching Monday Night Football Big questions have to be asked about Rice and Zubimendi compared to Rodri and Bernardo Silva

@IcedCityy @cmbftbl No it’s because he has abilities none of our other wingers possess.

@NickeyAFC @cmbftbl Downman cus he scored empty net against Everton . This your fanbase is delusional

I’m not saying I’m confident with this but I think this is our best chance if we can get Saka, Timber & Calafiori fit I’d also prefer Rice deeper & Zubi higher

@juniorMCIFCB @Rory_Talks_Ball He done it against one of the best midfields last year as the sole 6

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball Rice not good enough to play that role lol

@YulyMuN @Rory_Talks_Ball Comparing our midfield to Spains midfield is not relevant. Put anyone with some decent ability and they would look amazing in that Spain midfield

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball he can because he is doing it for Spain and had great games for us there aswell, his issue is running away from his position when he should stay there to distribute passes just like Rodri does..he wants to influence attack too much for a player we want him to be, hope he develops

@YulyMuN @Rory_Talks_Ball Rice isn’t Rodri, but he bossed PSG midfield on his own in the 6 last year. We know he can do it, we know Zubi can’t do 6 or 8

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball i think Arteta would like Zubi to be Arsenal version of Rodri but at the moment he is nowhere near it, guy fell off big time second part of this season, need him to step up Rice is not Bernardo and definitely not Rodri, he is unicorn, very versatile, City don't have Rice profile

@cuoium Burnley won’t move from there 18 yard box. He would do a better job against Atleti

Newcastle are 15th on the away table so I would start Gyokeres against them. Also, start him against Burnley at home, obviously. He shouldn’t touch the pitch in any other game.

@GeekSeya @YulyMuN @Rory_Talks_Ball We’re never going to find out even though it’s so obvious to see. Pep has layed the exact foundation but he won’t take it

@NickeyAFC @YulyMuN @Rory_Talks_Ball They will never out perform Rodri and Bernardo

@cuoium From what I’ve seen this year MLS in mid is a must. Need someone capable of taking the ball back to goal and beating press

It’s always the same people Love Gyokeres Hate Arteta and Havertz Think Rice is a better captain than Odegaard (Rice disagrees) Think MLS should start in midfield Think Ethan and Eze are better than Odegaard We are cursed with people like this supporting the same club as us.

@WFAFOOTBALL14 We can’t though, he’s not good enough to play anywhere other than 9, unless we move to a 2 striker I don’t see it working

Needs to be paired with an actual killer who is hyper technical. Aka Alvarez

@YulyMuN @Rory_Talks_Ball I don’t see a world where Rice and Ode couldn’t do the same if not better than Rodri and silva. Similiar profiles, Similiar abilities. Problem is Zubi

@Rory_Talks_Ball alright chill for second, i understand we are trying to compete with them but perspective is they are different players, with different roles, Rodri is also Ballon Dor winner while Bernardo is labeled as one of the most intelligent players by Pep.. they are generational, be real

@ArranPascoe @Rory_Talks_Ball I think we would be fine defensively as Rice would see there’s a man beside him that can help get us up the pitch and he doesn’t need to be as box to box. Even City’s second goal Zubi could have stopped if he ran across quicker. Just a liability everywhere

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball Yea i was more thinking without the ball, zubi is decent defensively and wins alot of headers. But maybe we would also do less defending if odegaard is deeper in the first place

@V0ice_OfReason7 @Rory_Talks_Ball If Pep had this team MLS would be one of the best mids in the league

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball Yep you just know that’s what pep would go with he had those 3

@abdi07_ @580Hadi @Rory_Talks_Ball He’s not it at all, but LW should be priority number 1. Apart from trossards purple patch we get no output from it. Unless he moves Saka to left and Downman on the right. I’d much rather give Gyok until next Jan to be a bagsman and not a link up striker. If he doesn’t work Merino

@NickeyAFC @580Hadi @Rory_Talks_Ball Allow this gyokeres hype bro he ain’t it everything else you said is spot on

@ArranPascoe @Rory_Talks_Ball I don’t even think he needs to grow into the role, he already plays it but he’s forced to be further. We saw against Newcastle earlier in the year hes more than capable of having the midfield on his own and allowing Eze to be the creative spark

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball Odegaard can grow into bernardo type role, zubi off the bench

@Prime_afc I think next season, if Gyok and Arteta are both there, he will realise that he needs more technicians in the team, dropping ode back, eze in CAM and a Kvara / Barcola LW would make Gyok work a lot better as we’re not using him as our main point of attack.

There’s parts of this fanbase that prefer Gyokeres quite literally offering nothing rather than Havertz who offers so much more in possession (and scored) because he misses a couple chances

@580Hadi @Rory_Talks_Ball He’s going to have to go all out for our second leg vs Atletico I think. With how leggy we are at the moment they will run all over us and we will need a big game at the emirates with pure technicians

@NickeyAFC @Rory_Talks_Ball Yes exactly, but I don’t think there is a chance arteta drops zubi maybe next season but this midfield aint happening this season

@dejesusofficia @m8arteta That midfield 3 should work perfectly with Gyok, or even better, drop Ode back instead of Zubi, Eze CAM, move Saka to the left where he and Eze can interchange, Downman on the right as a 1 v 1 demon

Please @m8arteta this should not be difficult We need goals this lineup will help us score more

@cuoium Could be anyone

Games that would take a different turn if *he* was a competent footballer: BOU (H) WOL (A) NFO (A) LIV (H) He was absolutely horrible against Brentford too. And that’s just in 2026. Net negative in every sense of that word.

@580Hadi @Rory_Talks_Ball Rice is the proper DM. Öde is literally Bernardo silva and eze can then have a free roll at the 10 with a compentant striker infront. Having that midfield would allow us to keep Gyok as a pure finisher instead of relying on him to link up

@Rory_Talks_Ball We need a proper dm zubimendi aint it, he can be a backup but not a starter