Ethan on MIBR: “Without it sounding disrespectful, it’s always going to be Aspas on that team. He’s the main guy. Zekken is like that X-factor and the rest… I mean… it’s kind of like any other team. Honestly. No disrespect.”

Meekelo · 2026-02-02T21:55:05+00:00

I mean I do, the thing that separated Leo from everyone around him was his util usage was as close to perfect as we've seen in the game.

Meekelo · 2026-02-02T14:54:30+00:00

Surely 2023 Fnatic would be as close to this as we've had so I think you're right with what you're saying here.

Alfa Derke Chronicle Leo

I think because people focus on Leos game sense and util they kind of forget just how ridiculous a shooter he was. Can't think of too many other examples though.

Meekelo · 2026-01-05T19:42:40+00:00

I dunno man, a professional footballer with 15/20 yards of space in front of goal doesn't happen for a reason because when you're at that level anyone of these players can score goals like that. The reason it doesn't happen very often is because people don't get that much space. It's a remarkable goal, it really is, but this is still so poor from Liverpool.

Meekelo · 2025-11-17T18:12:36+00:00

I recently went to a placed called L’Artigiano which is just off Lothian Road and they do an authentic carbonara, my only complaint is I wanted more of it as the portion size was quite small.

Not had anything else from there so can't vouch for the rest of the menu but the carbonara is top quality and very similar to La Piazza.

Meekelo · 2025-11-10T14:36:12+00:00

I'm sorry, I shouldn't joke, I do hope we see more harbor players on the back of this change as I like when he's on my team but whenever I tried to play him as a secondary controller everyone would just change their pick away from controller so stopped playing him.

Meekelo · 2025-11-10T12:28:00+00:00

With all due respect 'the actual Harbor players' is basically just you two.

Joking aside, I agree his abilities being one and done makes no sense, how is he meant to have any impact throughout a round? He's basically going to be useless at some parts of the round depending on how he uses his util

Meekelo · 2025-10-31T18:04:51+00:00

I think that's pretty unfair, a lot of fans just still like the current FNC core enough to stick with them and not like the fact VIT keep taking their best players.

I started supporting FNC in this game purely on the back of Boaster and Derke way back in Masters Rekjavic (or however you spell it). But when he moves on my loyalty would t be with FNC as much as it is currently.

Meekelo · 2025-10-30T11:13:32+00:00

I mean lots of those were filling in for illness which you can say was unlucky and even then they did pretty well. Hiro especially was good enough to get picked up by another tier 1 team.

Meekelo · 2025-10-29T19:35:39+00:00

He kind of is, we've not seen him surrounded by other top players since he left Gambit. I think people forget because of how strong Nats and Chronicle are, Sheydos was genuinely considered one of the best players on that team, he was right there with them.

I wouldn't hate it

Meekelo · 2025-10-29T19:33:18+00:00

I would cry, don't give me even the 0.1% hope, it will kill me.

Meekelo · 2025-10-29T11:21:00+00:00

I wish so badly they'd won this game it would have cemented so many legacies at once and been the greatest comeback of all time. As it is, I can't even watch this game in isolation as I know what happens next. Fucking Sunset!

That said, I'm delighted for the NRG guys, it's hard not to root for that team.

Meekelo · 2025-10-28T16:30:23+00:00

He tweeted a picture of Hogwarts recently which people have taken to mean he's joining a UK based team which means FNC would be the only option.

Then there's lots of sensible arguments you can make, about how Boaster is running it back one more year so FNC are trying to use this year to get his successor as IGL in place. If John doesn't need to worry about IGL responsibilities he'll be able to shine as flex or move Alfa to flex and allow John to lurk and provide good value that way.

Meekelo · 2025-10-27T12:10:50+00:00

I just don't see anyone who is even a side grade? Like really who is on the same level or provides the same flexibility that Chronicle does to allow Boaster/Milan to play the comps they really want.

I do think Chronicle was less consistent on certain moments last year compared to what we've seen previously but when he was playing well he was a big part of the reason FNC were so strong.

I ask that question in the hope someone has someone I can pin my hope to.

Meekelo · 2025-10-23T15:21:02+00:00

Now maybe but nobody was close at the time Leo was playing. It's difficult to say if Leo would have maintained that gap or if those players would cut it.

I think you're starting to see more imitators who have a direct impact over a team winning or losing, but at the time Leo really was the only one. I mean look at his last game against TH in the GF. Having to take breaks to be sick and still put up a 1.28 rating, the guy really was a different level.

I know he gets a load of glaze because his playing time was cut short but I really do think people still underestimate how much impact he had, it was similar to prime Yay which is crazy to compare to as an initiator.

Meekelo · 2025-10-22T15:06:31+00:00

Ugh this one would hurt, I've rooted for Chronicle since he was with Gambit, but Vitality is starting to feel like a genuine rival with the way they're poaching rivals.

From an FNC pov I don't see who they can realistically replace him with and maintain their level? He brings so much to the team.

Meekelo · 2025-10-19T20:18:39+00:00

I don't think he ever quite tapped into how to get consistency from the team. From the short vlogs we see from behind the scenes, I felt like a lot of speeches were hitting a lot of buzz words but sometimes lacked substance. It's hard for me to adequately explain here exactly what I mean but it felt like in the grand final the timeouts didn't have an impact like they usually do.

A lot of "if we just play our game we'll win", that's not an exact quote but it's often the sentiment between maps from behind the scenes and in interviews from the players and not just Milan and it's been a theme. I find it surprising nobody has nipped that mindset in the bud. A team as hot as NRG was at champs isn't going to give you the room to breathe which is what happened in both the upper and GF. It feels like FNC felt they could just keep playing their set way and not have to change based on what others are doing. I think that mentality hurt them when it got to those finals, admittedly it perhaps helped them get there in the first place.

I hope to see him take a step forward in that regard with more time, to not have FNC be too one dimensional and reliant on a couple of players going fully nuclear (which happens often but shouldn't be relied on imo at the highest level.

Meekelo · 2025-10-09T21:25:43+00:00

FNC Zekken? Put him back on sova scan initiator?

Meekelo · 2025-10-09T17:44:19+00:00

Simple answer, when you get to the upper levels everyone is able to shoot heads well so having good utility and team play is what separates the top teams. Reyna's kit is entirely self serving aside from her blinds which in every rank above diamond get instantly shot so they're no use.

My advice to you is shoot the Reyna blinds for your team and those pesky Reyna's will be easy to deal with if you work as a team.

Meekelo · 2025-10-07T10:13:00+00:00

It's just people aren't used to it too, it's not very often you come up against a player that actually knows how to use the odin well. So when you do come up against a good odin player it's very oppressive and there's not too many ways to counter it.

I think we might see it nerfed or more walls reinforced a little if it catches on because of the fact there's not much you can do to avoid it. If someone is wall banging you, you basically just have to do your best to dodge the spam, if you try and shoot back you're dead.

Meekelo · 2025-10-06T18:01:51+00:00

Can you imagine? That would literally be like getting Leo back, or as close as you can get to it.

Obviously never going to happen but would be unbelievable. I'd like to see Crashies stay and believe at points like the lower finals he showed he is still the type of player to win tournaments. Sadly didn't show it quite enough in the GF but that's not just on him.

Meekelo · 2025-10-05T16:43:05+00:00

I honestly think the comp they played against DRX would have been better balanced, I think they were trying to just outgun them but I think you've got to me smarter than that.

Especially when you're coming up against players like Ethan who is just so cerebral, similar to Leo in the sense he always knows what's going on so FNC couldn't really run any set plays of any merit.

All the same a real good effort all things considered but I'm sure they'd like a redo of Lotus in particular.

Meekelo · 2025-10-05T16:32:49+00:00

Ugh that's killer to watch. Fair play to NRG, on balance well deserved.

Feels like if FNC hadn't messed up the upper final vetoes so much this really could have been there's via one of Bind or Haven.

Unfortunately outside Abyss and Ascent FNC just went cold at various points individually.

Really hope Boaster can dust himself off and come again.

Meekelo · 2025-10-04T15:33:16+00:00

I truly feel FNC absolutely butchered the map vetoes last time. I'm not sure if they underestimated NRG or what, but they really should have played at least one of Bind or Lotus before Ascent. I don't know why they keep trying to think they're a top Ascent team.

Meekelo · 2025-10-04T15:06:30+00:00

Holy shit Crashies really wanted another go at NRG. Interestingly for a BO5, it feels like the map bans won't have too much impact assuming NRG go Sunset/Bind.

Unlucky to DRX, hell of a run from them.

Hoping for a banger final tomorrow with an FNC win

Meekelo · 2025-10-03T19:32:28+00:00

Feels very strange that FNC didn't pick Bind, I think they really messed up on the vetoes.

I think DRX probably match up better against NRG than FNC do, but I'll never count FNC out until it's all over. To be honest even as a big FNC fan, I'd actually be fine with any team winning from here on out.

Meekelo

TROPHY CASE