Mikel Merino (now playing for Real Sociedad)

[Kanji]

Rafa has to convince him to stay. Simple as that. He’s a class footballer.

[Zero]

Why are you guys surprised? He even couldn't make the bench now. Why would he stay? Would you if you are in his situation? Even Hayden is preferred?

 

Poor handling by Rafa imo.

 

 

Laugh what? Give me a fucking reason why Rafa is correct to play Hayden in final minutes and leave Merino out of the team sheet.

 

I said before this wouldnt end well. And here it is.

[Shearergol]

Why are you guys surprised? He even couldn't make the bench now. Why would he stay? Would you if you are in his situation? Even Hayden is preferred?

 

Poor handling by Rafa imo.

 

 

Laugh what? Give me a fucking reason why Rafa is correct to play Hayden in final minutes and leave Merino out of the team sheet.

 

I said before this wouldnt end well. And here it is.

 

Here what is? Mild speculation? Bravo sir.

[Twinport53]

Why are you guys surprised? He even couldn't make the bench now. Why would he stay? Would you if you are in his situation? Even Hayden is preferred?

 

Poor handling by Rafa imo.

 

 

Laugh what? Give me a fucking reason why Rafa is correct to play Hayden in final minutes and leave Merino out of the team sheet.

 

I said before this wouldnt end well. And here it is.

 

How dare Merino get the worst injury of his career and lose his place to a reincarnated super Diame. This is all Hayden and Rafas fault.

[Tiresias]

He's perfectly entitled to feel disappointed that he didn't get more starts or even on the bench ahead of Hayden. Personally I thought he showed a lot of potential still and wouldn't be adverse to try and force a second season out of him. It would be a shame to lose him

[mighty__mag]

I'd love him to stay. i'm still not convinced by Shelvey's consistency, let alone Diame's

 

? My god. Both ran the show once Rafa stopped switching the team around every week. They equally needed consistency from the manager to give consistency.

[Rich]

Why are you guys surprised? He even couldn't make the bench now. Why would he stay? Would you if you are in his situation? Even Hayden is preferred?

 

Poor handling by Rafa imo.

 

 

Laugh what? Give me a fucking reason why Rafa is correct to play Hayden in final minutes and leave Merino out of the team sheet.

 

I said before this wouldnt end well. And here it is.

 

:lol:

[Guest firetotheworks]

Do agree with that (re the longevity of Diame's form), but he was leagues above Butt and Perch compared to their resurgences.

 

That's not really in question tbf, only the longevity.

[AyeDubbleYoo]

I'd love him to stay. i'm still not convinced by Shelvey's consistency, let alone Diame's

 

? My god. Both ran the show once Rafa stopped switching the team around every week. They equally needed consistency from the manager to give consistency.

 

I think anger management and intense fitness training needed to come before just being picked every week.

[xLiaaamx]

I'm more convinced of Shevley and Diame than Merino to be fair.

[Guest firetotheworks]

I'm more convinced of Shevley and Diame than Merino to be fair.

 

In terms of the team moving forward, that shouldn't be the case though. Diame's getting on and he can't keep this form up forever. Merino has a higher ceiling and will look better in a team that's more comfortable in possession overall.

[xLiaaamx]

Maybe. He needs to get back in the fitness he had pre injury first though. After he came back he just didn't look as physically up to it and we need our midfielders battling. Rafa's sides will always need that no matter how good they are. Shelvey's edge is probably why Rafa's never gave up on him.

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I think he’s a classy footballer, but the way we now play under Rafa I don’t think his game suits ours or rather ours doesn’t suit him. I’d like us to try and build a team around him and the attributes he has which I feel would benefit us much more in a more expansive style going forward.

[TRon]

I'm more convinced of Shevley and Diame than Merino to be fair.

 

In terms of the team moving forward, that shouldn't be the case though. Diame's getting on and he can't keep this form up forever. Merino has a higher ceiling and will look better in a team that's more comfortable in possession overall.

 

Agreed. Merino was dropped for good reason, he was getting caught on the ball too much, but he's got potential to be better than both Shelvey and Diame, and we aren't talking about years to fulfil it either. If he'd got more games under his belt this season you would have fancied him to look the business in the next campaign. I do not want to see him go, hopefully Rafa is going to work his magic to get him to stay.

[KaKa]

Merino was so excellent when he first came in and he played his part in what was a great season.

 

Diame's resurgence and partnership with Shelvey then developed into something special and so Merino had to take a bit of a backseat, which was good for him, as he was struggling with what appeared to be a pretty bad back injury.

 

Ultimately it was an outstanding deal getting him signed permanently for what we did, and if he stays it's brilliant, and if not we will get at least 3 times what we paid.

 

As long as Rafa stays I genuinely have no concerns over who comes and goes. The man is a genius.

[Happinesstan]

Merino was so excellent when he first came in and he played his part in what was a great season.

 

Diame's resurgence and partnership with Shelvey then developed into something special and so Merino had to take a bit of a backseat, which was good for him, as he was struggling with what appeared to be a pretty bad back injury.

 

Ultimately it was an outstanding deal getting him signed permanently for what we did, and if he stays it's brilliant, and if not we will get at least 3 times what we paid.

 

As long as Rafa stays I genuinely have no concerns over who comes and goes. The man is a genius.

 

He is indeed a genius, but whilst we have Ashley in charge we'd struggle with a fucking genie.

 

[Guest NobbyOhNobby]

I'd love him to stay. i'm still not convinced by Shelvey's consistency, let alone Diame's

 

? My god. Both ran the show once Rafa stopped switching the team around every week. They equally needed consistency from the manager to give consistency.

Just nah, they've both played well consistently for 3 months flower - for the first time in their NUFC careers. One cowie does not make a radgie...or something

[mighty__mag]

I'd love him to stay. i'm still not convinced by Shelvey's consistency, let alone Diame's

 

? My god. Both ran the show once Rafa stopped switching the team around every week. They equally needed consistency from the manager to give consistency.

 

I think anger management and intense fitness training needed to come before just being picked every week.

 

Was it not Diame who hired a personal trainer as well as first team training to step up his game? If true it certainly paid off for him. Once again JL's influence brushed off positives.

[HawK]

Interesting to not see many people wanting Rafa to try him at 10 behind Perez.

[Astroblack]

Interesting to not see many people wanting Rafa to try him at 10 behind Perez.

 

I'd like to see it. I think we tried it in a couple games but we just lumped balls up to him. Would like to see what he can do with the ball on the ground.

[triggs]

I think he’s a classy footballer, but the way we now play under Rafa I don’t think his game suits ours or rather ours doesn’t suit him. I’d like us to try and build a team around him and the attributes he has which I feel would benefit us much more in a more expansive style going forward.

Disagree tbh. He's very good in the tackle and at intercepting and is decent physically. He has nowhere near the passing range of Shelvey for example, although not many do. His more forward balls don't come off that often bar some obvious exceptions. Positioning is his biggest issue, not our style of football imo

[triggs]

I think he’s a classy footballer, but the way we now play under Rafa I don’t think his game suits ours or rather ours doesn’t suit him. I’d like us to try and build a team around him and the attributes he has which I feel would benefit us much more in a more expansive style going forward.

Disagree tbh. He's very good in the tackle and at intercepting and is decent physically. He has nowhere near the passing range of Shelvey for example, although not many do. His more forward balls don't come off that often bar some obvious exceptions. Positioning is his biggest issue, not our style of football imo

 

How do you mean? In terms of where he fits in? His actual positional sense in game is very good

When the other team has the ball he's often leaving gaps in front of the back four or not following runners

[triggs]

I think he’s a classy footballer, but the way we now play under Rafa I don’t think his game suits ours or rather ours doesn’t suit him. I’d like us to try and build a team around him and the attributes he has which I feel would benefit us much more in a more expansive style going forward.

Disagree tbh. He's very good in the tackle and at intercepting and is decent physically. He has nowhere near the passing range of Shelvey for example, although not many do. His more forward balls don't come off that often bar some obvious exceptions. Positioning is his biggest issue, not our style of football imo

 

How do you mean? In terms of where he fits in? His actual positional sense in game is very good

When the other team has the ball he's often leaving gaps in front of the back four or not following runners

 

Don't agree at all tbh, he let a runner go in that one game that was highlighted but his positional sense is absolutely fine.

Why do you think he got dropped so?

[Guest Howaythetoon]

I think he’s a classy footballer, but the way we now play under Rafa I don’t think his game suits ours or rather ours doesn’t suit him. I’d like us to try and build a team around him and the attributes he has which I feel would benefit us much more in a more expansive style going forward.

Disagree tbh. He's very good in the tackle and at intercepting and is decent physically. He has nowhere near the passing range of Shelvey for example, although not many do. His more forward balls don't come off that often bar some obvious exceptions. Positioning is his biggest issue, not our style of football imo

 

He’s good at intercepting play granted, although in the tackle he’s strong and not easily moved of the ball, he’s not a clean tackler or someone who will win ball and man, it’s either one or the other. Unlike Diame who has a canny knack of looking like he’s going to foul his man or break him in two, but comes away with the ball leaving his man in his wake. I love that about him, at first I’d be oh no, but now I trust him 100% in a tackle even if it’s a 40/60 against him or he goes in hard.

 

Physically again he’s strong on the ball and with the ball, but stamina and fitness is an issue. He’s not exactly a free flowing mobile player not that he needs to be and his fitness and stamina will improve with experience of the league as will physicality. You hope anyway because it has to if he is to succeed in this league and for us.

 

Mentioning his passing is what makes me question his suitability. He’s more of a snappy, quick over a shorter range give and move type passer and for that you need mobile and interchangeable players moving around him and on his wavelength which we just don’t have.

 

It works with Shelvey at current because he’s playing a transitional game, not pass and move, he gets the ball, looks up and sets a player away. That’s our game, we sit deep, soack pressure, look to intercept and hit fast and and on the counter.

 

We even do a lot of that when we press high up although when we do that it’s often Perez or Kennedy who intercept and advance forward running with the ball or by playing quick forward passes into space and positions rather than Shelvey who is of course often deeper.

 

Merino is someone who needs to be on the ball, who can carry it, make more incise and intricate passes than say Shelvey and who is basically more involved. The way we play, starting him, he will be a passenger for periods and that’s a problem because he can’t do what Shelvey or Diame can who we can let be a passenger of sorts because all he needs to do is get the ball, look up and look for a counter from a front runner to effect the game/do his job. Diame can be a passenger because his game is to be well positioned to protect space and when he can, to go to his man to intercept/tackle and of course pick up loose balls. Doing his job basically.

 

That’s how I see how we play or try to at the moment anyway and how those 3 players fit in or in the case of Merino don’t quite. I’m hopeful Rafa bought him for the future though if you like as someone who can do a job in a more expansive, possession based style of play which he used at Valencia to great effect and had Liverpool playing at times which again I hope we move towards because he’s a classy player is Merino and one I enjoy watching. My type of player basically.

[Astroblack]

Imo our best period of play was the last 10-15 games when the midfield pairing was Shelvey and Diame. We dominated opposition midfields at times. I think we can all agree. merino's young. Hopefully he sticks around and finds his way in the league. At this point, he's a worthy backup and I'd never complain if I saw him in the starting sheet.

 

Early when he was starting, I feel like we wern't dominating like we do now.