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Ironically Viana from back then would walk into the team now

 

Nah, doesn't do enough running and getting stuck in. The stats prove this...the stats would also prove his passing completion rate is amazing but this is not as important as running.

 

He would be benched.

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Ironically Viana from back then would walk into the team now

 

Not really irony, is it? Back then we were the 3rd best team in the country with an exceptional midfield 4 of Robert, Speed, Dyer and Solano. Now we're rightfully 17th with Anita and Colback stinking the show up every other week.

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  • 9 months later...

I liked Viana a lot. He looked like he was going to be something special at times in his first season but it never quite materialised for him. I wish he'd stayed because under the right circumstances - ie with a box-to-box runner beside him in the middle - he could've been awesome.

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Guest neesy111

I liked Viana a lot. He looked like he was going to be something special at times in his first season but it never quite materialised for him. I wish he'd stayed because under the right circumstances - ie with a box-to-box runner beside him in the middle - he could've been awesome.

 

Completely agree.  Think with right management, he would had developed into a class act for us.

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Guest Howaythetoon

Viana was undoubtedly one of the best young players in the world when we signed him, however he never quite had the mental or physical aptitude to succeed in England despite having the football ability. That said, he didn't get the rub of the green at times and was played out of position mostly. It showed SBRs football brain though, he wanted to replace Speed, a box to box player, with a playmaker who would sit deep and pick the ball up and spray it about. Speed couldn't quite do that. I think the idea was to turn Jenas into the all-round box to box midfielder and have Viana behind him with Dyer as a roaming ATCM or advanced forward behind a CF. Basically 4-1-3-1-1 without traditional wingers. Ambrose was signed to be a non traditional winger and I'm positive SBR was looking to phase out Shearer and how we played with him as the focal point. 4-4-2 worked, but it wouldn't make us title winners or CL winners which is what SBR would have been aiming towards. Gary Speed btw looked after Viana like an uncle or father and Viana credited him after he left us as a huge positive influence on him. Those were good days where we as a club were constantly looking to become a force.

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Guest Howaythetoon

A wasted talent. I remember seeing him play for Portugal, I think it was against England, and he was sensational. He sat deep in midfield and effortlessly dictated the play, very much like Valderrama.

 

Under 21s? If so that's the game I watched and he looked head and shoulders ahead of anyone on the pitch. It was an u21 tournament and he bossed it.

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