Viana

He's a good pro. He won't cause any problems and he won't ever down tools on the pitch. If we're discussing his technical ability - he's dire. Both can be true. He's only ever been a runner.

I realized last night I've come to take him for granted. His quality as a player and ability to coach us through the game felt like a revolution last season. Now it's a given every time he takes to the pitch. The first signing of this new era was always going to be heavily dissected and seen as a marker for what these owners knew. Whether luck or judgement, they made a strong first impression.

I just think they're too easily influenced tbh. Marriner has gone into last night trying to keep the game flowing and instead what he's ended up doing is giving them a load of small decisions. That said, the Joelinton foul and the penalty are two I still can't quite understand as the latter felt clear and obvious.

I can’t fathom the Longstaff tackle. Tarkowksi didn’t get anywhere near the ball.

Wow. What a performance. That to me felt like a Man City brushing aside dross. Tonight was a test. It was about eradicating the mistakes of last season, and we did that. We were clinical, professional, and diligent.

They have but when I look at O’Nien some of his tackles/mistakes will be judged differently in the Premier League.

I find him a bit powder puff. He has nice moments, but he reminds me too much of Ayoze Perez. He only influenced the game in very specific ways and circumstances.

I’ve noticed a strong improvement post takeover in overall media output (it’s still some way behind elite clubs, but that’s largely an issue of resource). That said, the social manager has been solid for a good few years. I sense there’s probably shackles come off since the old owners left (irony lolz).

Prior to January I’d have said he was nailed on to go back to Forest in the summer. I don’t imagine they’ll want to do business with us again, but either way he needs to be playing. For this system Howe plays you either need to be agile or technical, he’s neither.

It’ll be fascinating to see what their owner does if they go up. The Championship is an easy division to exist in. The jump to the Premier League is massive, and some of their League One clingers on will get massacred.

Mucho.

No amigo.

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.