Viana

I’m starting to think this Steve Bruce fellow is a prick.

We will almost certainly look back on his signing as a sliding doors moment. if Hugo Ekitike says yes this lad is still in San Sebastián,

Is there a story to tell here?

Clery was formerly of What Culture. His charisma alone puts him streets ahead of most, but didn’t realise he had such tactical nous. I enjoyed his work before he joined The Athletic. It was poetic prose at a time when we had few voices with their finger on the pulse. Now, I find his written work a bit old hat (his piece on cans was a notable nadir), while his podcasting is tedious. The show itself is hardly spectacular, but he shows how little he really knows about the game, and his sense of humor is painful. It could be a vehicle for good discourse on set topics, but it’s beige.

A relegation battle was never going to be the right landing spot for someone with his ego.

I had this thought at the weekend; if it’s your job you have no excuse.

I do wonder if that’s confirmation bias for those who scoffed at the Man Utd links. For me, he’s the midfield glue. When we’re deeper he’ll burst forward to get into the box. When others venture forward he’ll drop in to be a presence. I think he is another one that has benefitted from Eddie Howe’s fitness work. He’s relentless, and that makes him a huge asset.

They’re going to try and make this a fight. I watched them against Palace, and while it was away, they were very conservative and wanted to counter attack. I think the same will be true here alongside a threat from set pieces. It’ll be a good test for our lot, and we have to avoid anything like the Villa showing.

I remember Schar being quite highly rated when he came through at Basel. That said, I’m pleasantly surprised to see him thriving in a back four that plays such a high line. His time under Rafa and Bruce was quite polarising, and speaks to one manager that understood him and one that didn’t. I think he’s had one or two poor moments lately (Brentford’s first penalty and Sunday’s goal) but his playmaking abilities when teams sit off us is huge.