Viana

I think the racism might have put him off Italy, although Turkey is far from ideal when it comes to that. In his pomp, Zaha was a player I begrudgingly admired because he was a lock for about 15 goals/assists a season which is impressive for someone that plays predominantly as a winger. Despite that I think Palace may have dodged a bullet here. Prior to last season there was only one season where he failed to break double figures for goal involvements. Last season he scored one league goal after mid-November and missed a lot of games through injury. I also think he's starting to slow down physically. He doesn't look as explosive nor does he look as dangerous when trying to take a man on. I appreciate there's always sentimentality at play in situations like this, but offering £200,000 a week for four years (roughly £41.5m) just doesn't feel in line with how that club is run.

Just pray he doesn't consider you his Callum Davidson.

Trying really hard to convince myself he's not the new Michael Carrick. Jokes aside, he looks canny. Good on the ball, eye for a pass, happy to run into space with the ball.

@brummie - How close is this to your best starting XI? Pau Torres and Diaby in ?

Double risky to do a high line with no VAR too. If we were in our usual 4-3-3 it might be a field day with those outside to inside runs Big Joey likes. Great man management by me with Anderson tbf.

Early thoughts. - Not convinced Isak was offside when he ran through. - Love Anderson, but I worry his finishing is what stops him being relied upon this season. - Bold to try a new formation against a side as well drilled as Villa. - First 20 has suited Villa because they've been able to hit on the break. I'm still curious to see how they handle teams that come and bunker in.

When it comes to reflecting on a player's time at the club I always try to consider the context of the moment. Like many fans, I think my club is a special one. At the same time, St James' Park is not like every stadium. It's a big place - and that's before you fill it up with fans. It can be a tough place to play, especially when we had Mike Ashley sabotaging the team at almost every turn. When Maxi signed we were in an emotional valley as fans. We'd lost a great manager and it was clear that mediocrity was a step above our aspirations. Maxi stood opposed to that. He's an entertainer. He kept you engaged in the team and the game, and at several times during the Bruce era, he threw the team on his back and carried us across the line. He didn't shirk the responsibility - he seemed to revel in it. He engaged with the fans in a way that felt authentic. I always felt like he appreciated us, and whether he did or not is irrelevant, because it's about how they make you feel. I hoped he could come on this journey with us because he has the talent. The fact we're going in different directions is sad, but I do wish him nothing but success because he was great entertainment and that's what this silly little game is about anyway.

As if Wraith is releasing a film on September 11 man.

I hope as fans we never stop appreciating Lascelles. He stepped into the first team at a time when it was full of chancers and wasters and demanded more from them and himself. He could have tried to jump ship that summer but stayed and helped us get promoted. He then kept us up despite the club self sabotaging in a bid to save a pound. Even after the takeover he played a part in us surviving and hasn't once kicked up a fuss while we've gone on this mad run. He might be more of a background figure now, but we were lucky to have him at the club during a shit spell.

Anniston in those early years of friends is just ridiculous.

He just doesn't put up with bull shit. It's why I think Spurs could be alright. Their last few managers have been tactically dogmatic and present themselves as an aspirational benchmark that the players have to climb toward. Failure to do so isn't met with an arm round the shoulder but a demand to be better. It's a very binary existence under them. Ange isn't that. He's more like Pochettino. He has the same aspiration of success but aims to lead the way. That's more well-aligned with a club like Spurs that don't have a history of success.

They're just making a fuss every chance they get in the hope that we get slapped on the wrist once.

Arne Slot has been very complimentary about Yankuba. https://1908.nl/artikelen/minteh-zorgt-voor-enthousiasme-bij-slot-heeft-een-uitstekende-indruk-achtergelaten

As TC pointed out a public figure will struggle to hide their convictions. Typically, my approach with US immigration is to tell the truth and only answer the question you're asked. People often overthink it and that's when they get themselves in bother.

Worth noting Chelsea have a bloated squad when it comes to the left side, especially if Pochettino is going for 4-2-3-1. Ben Chilwell, Marc Cucrella, and Ian Maatsen are battling it out for the left back role. If they planned to push him up then he's going up against a lot of more pedigreed wingers and also Tino Ajornin. I wouldn't anticipate getting him for a pittance but if they view Maatsen as a long term option they could easily look to take the FFP windfall and sell him.

I'd imagine most if not all of the media team have traveled, but realistically there's a few options at their disposal. They could ask Leicester to help out (all you need is the shirt for the initial pictures etc) or they could engage an external production company to shoot stuff with their guidance. I know they've engaged a few lately for commercial pieces so this wouldn't be that different. That said, it's probably quicker and easier to have him fly over as soon as the medical is done. Having him stay behind to shoot stuff just delays his arrival.

He was also arriving from a basket case of a club having worked under a manager in Frank Lampard that is closer to Bruce than Bielsa. He said himself he was nowhere near fit enough and given how in-form most of our squad was I'm not shocked he didn't hit the ground running.

There's just a faint whiff of Southampton about Brighton. They've had tremendous early success by finding some hidden gems, but now they'll find sterner competition when they go in for players in the mold of Felipe Caicedo etc. I think Premier League teams are starting to see the viability of South American based players in the wake of Brexit. The system Brighton use relies heavily on a consistent and efficient recruitment process which is difficult to nail. I'd argue the life cycle of a player U23 in that system is typically 18 months. We did outrageously well to only sign one duffer during the January 2022 window, so imagine what it's like when you're paying between 5-10m for 5-6 young players that you're trying to gauge the ceiling of. In general, it's impossible to have every transfer hit. It's the same reason I'm not fully convinced by Aston Villa just yet. They've dropped 31m on a defender that's great on the ball but shite in the air. If he replaces Mings in the side they could be very susceptible from set pieces. Diaby seems a better fit for the Premier League, but if it's true they're after Doku that's another big signing that is new to the league and you're hoping hits the ground running. Tottenham I'm still undecided on. I do like Ange, but I'm curious to see if he adapts his system to the fact Tottenham don't have the talent disparity Celtic do.

I was quite curious to watch his goals for Leicester and I was surprised how varied they are. Not only does he seem to score from range, but he also likes to shift it onto his left and shoot near post. Having that variety alone makes him a more complete player than say Almiron who you know is always wanting it on his left. I think we'll be pleasantly surprised with this one.

I think @Kid Icarus hates him but I think he's great

We've come a long way from hoping that Emil Krafth would do the opposite of every natural instinct while playing football.

To balance things out;

Harsh on Gordon given he's part of the youth setup. Barnes has a point to prove, and I kind of like that energy coming to the club.

Love a bit of old NASL. Honestly, my biggest issue with the modern form of MLS is that it feels a bit devoid of unique identity.

The penalties from the 90s were great too. In all honesty, everything (bar salaries and facilities) were better in MLS in the 90s.