Mikel Merino (now playing for Arsenal)

[duo]

He's f***ing ace. Could be a defining signing for us this year.

 

Shelvey can f*** off. 

This ^

[Willow]

What a performance. Just watched the full match now and he was imperious, always wanting the ball, making interceptions and threading passes all owa the shop.

[NEEJ]

He can replace Mo Diame in the Rafa song.

[54]

What a performance. Just watched the full match now and he was imperious, always wanting the ball, making interceptions and threading passes all owa the shop.

There we're several time he was surrounded by two or three West Ham players and he managed to get the ball out and take the players out of the game, all while passing the ball with precision.

[Willow]

What a performance. Just watched the full match now and he was imperious, always wanting the ball, making interceptions and threading passes all owa the shop.

There we're several time he was surrounded by two or three West Ham players and he managed to get the ball out and take the players out of the game, all while passing the ball with precision.

 

Exactly, he was just so composed. He's only 21 ffs, very promising.

[geordie_b]

I actually thought he was better last week and was amazed (probably shouldnt be) by the reactions of people on here when i got back from Huddersfield. Really hope we have an option which takes it out of the hands of Dortmund to keep him

[54]

I actually thought he was better last week and was amazed (probably shouldnt be) by the reactions of people on here when i got back from Huddersfield. Really hope we have an option which takes it out of the hands of Dortmund to keep him

We are obligated to buy him if he plays a certain amount of games.

[Greg]

He can replace Mo Diame in the Rafa song.

 

Do you mean fuck off Wijnaldum?

[HawK]

Last time a midfielder looked this obviously good so quickly was Hamann, that ended well Was my favourite player for us too.

[54]

Would jerk Merino senseless.

Pretty much

[Guest]

From twitter:

 

No player played more total passes, forward passes, produced more successful dribbles or won back possession more than Mikel Merino.

 

Guessing that's just for us?

 

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1190199/Live/England-Premier-League-2017-2018-Newcastle-United-West-Ham

[Sean]

From twitter:

 

No player played more total passes, forward passes, produced more successful dribbles or won back possession more than Mikel Merino.

 

Guessing that's just for us?

 

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/1190199/Live/England-Premier-League-2017-2018-Newcastle-United-West-Ham

 

Dunno, from twitter so take it with a pinch of salt obviously.

[Chicane]

Him and Hayden just 21 and 22. Could be a great long-term midfield partnership/trio with someone else in there with them if they both continue to improve, which I'm sure they will under Rafa 

[54]

[SuperFlat]

Important not to get too carried away this early on, mind. He's young, playing in his third game in the league and looking every inch the part. However, he's bound to be inconsistent over the course of the season. Hopefully he's bought himself a bit of leeway today, as I think the knives were out a bit with some after last week.

 

Lovely player to watch.

[Newcastle Fan]

Absolutely dominated the midfield today, exactly the sort of player we were looking for in that position, Shelvey should have a hard time coming back into the team.

[mrmojorisin75]

No fucking way you play this lad and Shelvey together as a two imo. Lunacy.

 

Merino has the spot and Shelvey should wait for his chance to get it back for being a fucking dickhead liability.

[Sho Time]

3/10 pic there, surely he could have found a better one than that.

[54]

 

[sbnufc]

Lad was class today like

 

[Sho Time]

 

 

Brilliant that.

[Mole_Toonfan]

Why shouldn't fans get carried away? isn't that the point As long as the player doesn't and i doubt he will it's all good.

[sh74]

He's everything Viana could have been.

[Gallowgate Toon]

If Hayden and Merino do well in the next game I don't think Rafa will be in a rush to drop either for Shelvey straight away after being let down like that. As captain too.

 

You'd think with the emphasis now being placed so much us needing to use our squad, nobody will walk back into the side if the team is playing well. As much as I like Lejeune and think he's very likely to be head and shoulders above our other defenders, he should start on the bench for the next one, unless there's a big tactical reason to play him. Same goes for Shelvey, Gayle etc.

[Gallowgate Toon]

No f***ing way you play this lad and Shelvey together as a two imo. Lunacy.

 

Merino has the spot and Shelvey should wait for his chance to get it back for being a f***ing dickhead liability.

 

Why? Merino isn't a soft touch, it'd be just like playing Hayden and Shelvey together but with someone who can pass better than Hayden (not a slight on Hayden, he's a good player). There are definitely matches where Shelvey/Merino could be brilliant for us, but I wouldn't break up the current partnership yet.