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Mikel Merino: Like a Meri-new Signing

Batman

Hard on crime, soft on Stan

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
Do you know how bad of a signing you have to be for your DoF to call it quits?

View attachment 29160
Yeah it was the Merino signing and not his salary being tripled.

Mr Bean Thumbs Up GIF
 

shoot for the top

Active Member
I ask myself the question, did ESR had to go for this guy? Also was Edu/Arteta blind watching the Euros? Clearly Fabian Ruiz was the Spanish midfielder shining through the tournament or at least Zubimendi who resembles Jorginho.

For a Spanish guy, he lacks the technicality to play in the midfield. When you put him next to Rice, we have a more physical midfield duo "Elneny and Flamini". Even a washed Partey seems to be more mobile than this guy.

Clearly he will ride the bench till his contract expires. A shame as a proper midfielder would have transformed us into a force.
We need ESR more than Merino.
 

scytheavatar

Established Member
I ask myself the question, did ESR had to go for this guy? Also was Edu/Arteta blind watching the Euros? Clearly Fabian Ruiz was the Spanish midfielder shining through the tournament or at least Zubimendi who resembles Jorginho.

For a Spanish guy, he lacks the technicality to play in the midfield. When you put him next to Rice, we have a more physical midfield duo "Elneny and Flamini". Even a washed Partey seems to be more mobile than this guy.

Clearly he will ride the bench till his contract expires. A shame as a proper midfielder would have transformed us into a force.

Zubimendi and Ruiz are not realistic signings, don't forget Zubimendi told Liverpool no. Merino was signed also because Arteta wants someone to do what Havertz did last season which is to be a Fellaini, and neither Zubimendi nor Ruiz are the aerial duel types.
 

lomekian

Essays are my thing
Zubimendi and Ruiz are not realistic signings, don't forget Zubimendi told Liverpool no. Merino was signed also because Arteta wants someone to do what Havertz did last season which is to be a Fellaini, and neither Zubimendi nor Ruiz are the aerial duel types.
Also, Ruiz was good in the Euros, but has been incredibly inconsistent and disappointing for PSG.

We know given the choice Arteta would have got Zubi instead.
 

RunTheTrap

Says Aesthetics Merchants, but really means Trilly
Not to body shame but another issue I have with Merino is his build. He's too bulky for my liking. I watched Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch dance around Leverkusen’s midfield and I realised a Rice and Merino midfield can't do that. We need agility just as much as we need technique.

Gravenberch
Jones
Lavia
Caicedo
Sarr
Baleba

This is what the current 8 is.
 

Tourbillion

Angry & Miserable
Not to body shame but another issue I have with Merino is his build. He's too bulky for my liking. I watched Curtis Jones and Ryan Gravenberch dance around Leverkusen’s midfield and I realised a Rice and Merino midfield can't do that. We need agility just as much as we need technique.

Gravenberch
Jones
Lavia
Caicedo
Sarr
Baleba

This is what the current 8 is.
Yep we should trust MLS and Ethan.
 

Riou

Mikel… Is this real?

Country: Northern Ireland
So the signing of Merino cost us our 2 time Championship winning player and now former DOF, interesting.

Will be keeping a close eye on this guy now, has a some real making up to do!
 

Macho

Thinks he's better than Havertz.

Country: England
He’s a tough lump I’ll give him that. Lumberjack.

Unlucky conceding that penalty really.
 

db10_therza

Senior Spreadsheet Squad Secretary
Moderator

Country: Bangladesh

Player:White
I don’t blame him for the penalty.

Here’s what I don’t understand though. If our second half game plan was to hoof it into the box for someone to head - why the fk did we replace him for Gabriel Jesus?!?
 
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avenellroad

John Radford’s son
Yep we should trust MLS and Ethan.
Will never ever happen under Dicteta.

On Merino, sadly I’m not seeing it. We have a fairly sizeable sample size to see some quality…. Other than heading the ball I don’t really see what else he brings.


I’ll wait until Ødegaard is back in the team to see if it helps free him up. Signs aren’t looking promising.
 

Rasmi

Calls It Like It Isn't

Country: England
I don’t blame him for the penalty.

Here’s what I don’t understand though. If our second hand game plan was to hoof it into the box for someone to head - why the fk did we replace him for Gabriel Jesus?!?
I don’t know if you remember last time we had bad run. But Arteta doesn’t do well when things are going bad. He becomes very erratic in his decision making, nightmare to interview and just all over the place. He’s just not thinking clear
 

Mrs Bergkamp

Double Dusted
He hasn't played enough to be written off but my days, he looks awful at nearly everything. When Cala is fit, just stick Timber at left 8. It won't be any worse.
 

Macho

Thinks he's better than Havertz.

Country: England
I know we were in trouble tonight when Merino misplaced a through ball to Martinelli in the first 30 seconds of the game. A simple pass down the line and it ended up as a throw-in. Woeful footballer.

I saw that and I saw Martinelli’s face :lol:

Kinda set the tone.
 

db10_therza

Senior Spreadsheet Squad Secretary
Moderator

Country: Bangladesh

Player:White
I don’t know if you remember last time we had bad run. But Arteta doesn’t do well when things are going bad. He becomes very erratic in his decision making, nightmare to interview and just all over the place. He’s just not thinking clear

Yeah and he persists with his experiments for way way way too long.
 

Riou

Mikel… Is this real?

Country: Northern Ireland
So the signing of Merino cost us our 2 time Championship winning player and now former DOF, interesting.

Will be keeping a close eye on this guy now, has a some real making up to do!

Terrible start for him, ngl.
 

bastun

Well-Known Member

Country: Rwanda

Player:Saka
Its not looking good brev. Please don't end up a disaster signing. Lets hope he will gain some confidence and form a good partnership with Ødegaard when he returns to full fitness
 

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