Pep Guardiola has hailed new Manchester City signing Nico Gonzalez following his impressive Premier League debut this past weekend, going so far as to call him a “mini-Rodri”.
Very high praise indeed.
Blues feared that the recently secured Spanish footballer was already set for a period on the sidelines following a worrying injury incident on his short-lived debut against Leyton Orient in the FA Cup, but the 23-year-old thankfully returned straight to the starting lineup in the 4-0 win over Newcastle.
Fellow newcomer Omar Marmoush was undoubtedly the star of the show, netting a first-half hattrick in front of the Eithad crowd, but manager Pep Guardiola was quick to heap the plaudits on Gonzalez in his post-match interview.
Quick to smile in response to the reporter’s comparing his impact and calming presence in the middle of the park to that of Rodri, Pep simply responded: “He is our mini-Rodri.”
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Insisting that it is a huge compliment to be mentioned in the same breath as the 2024 Ballon d’Or winner and Man City talisman in just your first league start, especially at such a young age too, Guardiola went on to add that his personality, pace and time in Portugal have done wonders for
Crediting his time at Barcelona’s La Masia Academy (‘The Farmhouse’ in English) as having obviously influenced his positional awareness and possession – the blueprint around which the Catalan coach’s teams have always been built – he said he believes the youngster has already “grown up a lot.”
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To it into context, not only was Gonzalez absolutely everywhere against Newcastle but he completed 98 of his 101 passes (97% completion rate) from just 112 touches, which included 14 into the final third, some positive progressive carrying; four recoveries, four successful ground duels and an interception.
Not a bad start to life for a player new to the country, the most competitive league in the world and what has proved to be the most crucial position on the pitch for City.
It’s no coincidence that the Quadruple-winners form has suffered in the wake of Rodri’s prolonged absence and though there have been signs of them getting back on track, replacing him and the impact he has on tempo and control has still evaded them.
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Well, perhaps until this weekend.
It’s too early to tell whether Nico Gonzalez really is a ‘mini-Rodri’ regen, as social media was quick to join in labelling him on Saturday, but if he proves to be even half the player for Pep as the Euro 2024 winner for the time being, you can expect results to keep improving.
Meanwhile, his senior counterpart is still most likely resigned to miss the rest of the current campaign following surgery on his ACL, though the club have shared some slim hope that he could return just before its conclusion.
City still have injury problems and defensive issues to deal with, in particular, having conceded more in all competitions already than they did in the entirety of last season and the year before, but the arrival of highly-rated Abdukodir Khusanov has definitely taken some pressure off.
What about you: which new face are you most excited by – Manchester’s ‘Egyptian Prince’, the young Uzbek defender or Pep’s new ‘mini-Rodri‘, Nico Gonzalez?
Ruben Amorim reacts as Manchester United are booed off after Malaysia friendly
Danny Jones
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has delivered a fairly brutal response after his club were booed off by supporters during a friendly in Malaysia.
The Red Devils recently embarked on a post-season tour following a calamitous 2024/25 campaign, both domestically and continentally, with that limp loss in the Europa League final, but have already resumed what has become alarmingly normal service with yet another defeat.
Finding themselves on the wrong end of a 1-0 scoreline against ASEAN All-Stars in Kuala Lumpur – a squad comprised of various talents from around the region who had never played together before and were only founded as an actual team back in 2014 – it was all far from clean slates and fresh starts.
In the wake of the shock result, Man United were booed off by the Malaysian and other international fans inside the Bukit Jalil National Stadium, which saw more than 70,000 in attendance.
It’s the end and that’s it. Man United got boo’ed by the fans after the final whistle.
They got beaten by non-full team Asean All-Star who just trained together as a group few days before the match. pic.twitter.com/fBxnMiZPN8
For context, the ASEAN All-Stars had only trained together for the first time just days before the game itself, but the de facto exhibition outfit still managed to break the deadlock in the 71st minute against a United side that rarely looked like scoring.
All that being said, Amorim had some choice words for his own players in his post-match duties after their first post-season tour fixture, insisting that while he always remains accountable, those out on the pitch perhaps received somewhat of a deserved reckoning too.
He began by stating, “I’m always guilty of the performance of the team, no matter what. [I have been responsible] since the first day”, but went on to argue: “The boos from the fans, I think it something that we need, maybe.”
Citing that the Old Trafford faithful and die-hard away fans have always been loyal and supportive despite frustration in the league, he suggested that “maybe they will change the way they behave” following this latest reality check.
Despite adding that he has seen reasons for optimism in performances against Man City and Liverpool, for instance, where he felt he saw “belief” and seeds of what’s to come, he’s made very few excuses for the poor displays up to now.
United face the Hong Kong national team in their next friendly on Friday, 29 May, and it’s fair to say anything less than a win would be beyond bad for the predictably unpredictable Premier League club.
You can see his full post-match press conference down below.
Featured Images — Manchester United (screenshot via YouTube)/Edward Kuruvilla (via X)
Sport
Stockport County to introduce safe standing at Edgeley Park
Danny Jones
Stockport County will soon be introducing safe standing at Edgeley Park as part of the pending stadium development plans.
The Hatters may have just missed out on promotion to the Championship, but it’s still been an exciting few years for the club that has seen a fresh surge in young new supporters in addition to their passionate lifelong followers.
In more fantastic news for fans, County have announced that brand new safe standing sections will be installed across the ground.
Confirming the news on Wednesday, the club said: “After receiving all necessary approvals and working closely with safety authorities, we are set to install rail seating in two designated areas of the stadium.
Stockport County is thrilled to announce the introduction of safe standing areas at Edgeley Park ahead of the upcoming 2025/26 season.
Visit the club site for more details on this exciting new development ⤵️#StockportCounty
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) May 28, 2025
As detailed on the club website, there will be two new dedicated safe-standing/rail-seated zones – one in each main stand: the back five rows of seats in the Cheadle End’s upper tier and the back two rows of the Vitality Railway End.
With Stockport Council greenlighting plans for League One side to expand their home capacity, this reconfiguration is set to accommodate a total of 849 County fans and/or supporters.
Although this all depends on final approval from the Safety Advisory Group (SAG), the aim is to deliver a “vibrant and dynamic environment for both home and away fans at Edgeley Park.”
The official statement goes on to explain that the push for safe standing is not just to provide more matchday options for those in attendance, but in hopes of further “enhancing the atmosphere and improving the overall matchday experience for those who prefer to stand.”
Couty has insisted that “The rail-seating system incorporates a barrier for every seat, ensuring that supporters are protected from a sudden surge or crowd movement.”
Safe standing is part of the larger Stockport County stadium redevelopment plans.
Addressing early concerns in a ‘What This Means for You’ section, they go on to add: “Season ticket holders currently in the affected rows will be contacted directly by the Club over the coming weeks with details on their options, including relocating to a seated area if they prefer not to stand.
“Information regarding new season tickets and matchday tickets in the safe standing areas will be released in due course.
“We believe this is another significant step forward for Stockport County and will further enhance the already incredible atmosphere at Edgeley Park. We look forward to seeing and hearing the renewed energy in these new sections.”
The safe standing plan is set to be introduced for the upcoming 2025/26 season, with the administration hoping to make this their last in the third tier. Do you see them going up next year?
Danny Jones -
17th February 2025 
