Viana

West Ham are essentially doing what people have accused us of doing.

Who’s Darren?

Focus on the league.

The synergy between username and post is quite frightening.

She was only reliable for Liverpool stuff and that was because she was (allegedly) dating one of the press team.

It’s unclear how much money he has access to.

He screams Colorado.

Rafa is great at conveying tactical concepts but I don’t know if I’ve seen evidence of him building someone’s confidence. I think he inspires through his ideas and just assumes elite sports people have the mentality or they don’t. Eddie doesn’t seem that way. Whenever I’ve been frustrated with Murphy it’s because he’s lacked confidence or conviction.

Huge season for him. He’s up against big money signings, in-form teammates, and he’s on the older end of the scale for players in his position. Good luck young man.

I never saw them finishing in the top three this season anyway, but their squad is in desperate need of some quality. The young players have potential, but the older members of the squad just don’t offer enough. Pritchard looks finished.

Home form was a big issue last year. Doesn’t look like much has changed.

EFL refs are hilarious.

Eddie Howe’s Mags.

Peak Dan Ashworth this, and something I think we’ll see a lot more of. The home nations will be a regular destination for us in terms of youth recruitment and if someone like Murphy can step up this season it will have been an early success.

He absolutely has to improve his finishing. It might just take one for him in the league this year to settle down. His one against Chelsea was at the end of the season in a weird game. The good thing is we have Barnes in reserve and he won’t hesitate to take those chances.

That wasn’t the point I was making, we aren’t discussing him as a footballer. he’s a young man abroad for the first time in his adult life. Let him bed into that and we’ll go from there. Talking about whether he played well or not is irrelevant, he’s finding the rhythm of the beat produced by Eddie Howe’s Sexy Samba Mags.

I don’t know if people remember but Newcastle United had a player called Joelinton that moved to England from Hoffenheim. He took time to settle and is now pretty good. Perhaps this Tonali guy needs the same patience.

Yeah, it's a different skillset tbf. I know Burn gets pelters from some sections of our fan base, but the fact he can transition between the two roles in-game is important. It's a mindset shift as much as anything.

Very interesting. Pau operating as a left-back likely means Villa will be a back three in build up. It's an idea I first saw Guardiola use in the Premier League and Howe copied it with us (using Dan Burn as the CB/LB hybrid). It'll negate his weakness in the air and give them greater strength when defending counter attacks. My wonder is whether Bailey and Diaby will fancy doing the back tracking required.

Wilson is a modern day Sir Les it’s obvious.

If he calms hisself he’ll get 10 a season.

Powerful. Like a young Burt Reynolds.

This is a great point. I also think we produce a lot of wingers that can excel at youth ages in academies but when they get a bit further up the ladder that same dynamism isn't there. Aaron Wan-Bissaka is a good example of that. Sold for £50m as a supposed 'elite potential fullback' when in reality he was a failed winger that adapted. I know Wenger dropped Cole and Clichy into fullback from further up. It's players that perhaps can kick and rush past lesser developed opponents but that advantage eventually disappears. The benefit to that is - as a former winger - you understand what the opponent is trying to do as they approach you. That might even explain why Trent is less adept at the defensive side because he doesn't have that experience.

He doesn't feel like a Moyes suggestion either. I get the appeal. He's played at the highest level, probably a faint whiff of Lisandro Martinez about him, but as you say he's just not that. His FIFA 98 slider for technique is pushed down even if he's got a few more inches on him.