Gio Reyna’s first English Premier League start was a memorable one for the U.S. men’s national team star.
Reyna assisted once on Saturday in Nottingham Forest’s 2-2 home draw with Wolves at the City Ground. It was Reyna’s first club start since November 1 while he was still with parent club Borussia Dortmund.
After Wolves grabbed a 1-0 first-half lead, Forest battled back through Reyna’s assist and Morgan Gibbs-White’s header. Reyna swung a corner kick into the Wolves box in first-half stoppage time that Gibbs-White finished home for a 1-1 equalizer.
Danilo and Matheus Cunha traded goals in the second half as the two teams played out a 2-2 draw.
Reyna logged 71 minutes from his right midfield position, creating the most chances in the match (3) and winning five duels. It was a positive performance for Reyna, who has five additional league opportunities left this season.
“He played good. He gave us good possession,” Espirito Santo said postmatch about Reyna. “He had good situations, good passing and finishing. He is a good option for us and different to what we have normally. He did okay.”
Up next for Reyna and Forest is a trip to Everton on April 21.
@Vacqui show me where I whined about anything? You don’t have to agree with me, it’s my opinion, but this idea that I said something out of the norm or asinine is news to me. I’m not the one going on a rant about any and everything Gio related, I gave my opinion on ONE thing, which was again that I thought Gio could be more aggressive than he’s been, period!
“@Vacqui show me where I whined about anything? “
Gio takes a risk and pushes for a loan to a relegation threatened EPL team whose very best player plays the position that Gio plays best. And whose main attacking sidekicks in CHO and Elanga play positions that Gio also plays in.
And the rest of the players aren’t shabby either.
And when Gio gets there he won’t know anyone and will have about 15 games to make his case.
After the first 2 games it would not have shocked me if he had played no more than 5 minutes a game for the rest of the time in England. The competition was that good and the relegation pressure was that intense.
Now with 5 games to go we can all see where he is.
“You don’t have to agree with me, it’s my opinion, but this idea that I said something out of the norm or asinine is news to me. I’m not the one going on a rant about any and everything Gio related, I gave my opinion on ONE thing, which was again that I thought Gio could be more aggressive than he’s been, period!”
It should be clear to you that that Gio has given maximum effort, concentration and savvy to this this thing in order to win over Nuno and the team. For him to play even this much under the circumstances means he has won them over.
That’s is not easy for any player to do.
I am impressed by what Gio has done.
But you are not. Clearly you think he’s failing to give you the kind of aggression you want to see. You make it seem like he’s holding out on you.
We all know how aggressive a player the best version of Gio is. My view is that if he thought that the situation warranted it he’d try to bring out “aggressive Gio” but he hasn’t.
I trust the player to do what he thinks is best for the situation.
You don’t and you complain about it. That’s whining.
You are entitled to your opinion. But guess what? So am I.
It’s obvious to me that Gio is working his ass off and giving it his very best effort. But that’s not enough for you.
You can’t please everybody.
Peter P.
“Gregg is a “new school” manager….” No, he’s equivalent to a pre-school manager.”
This team and its USSF overlords represent a pretty juvenile collective.
Pre school skills are required then.
Once they all get to high school ( or IV level as we call it) level, maybe they will be ready for a more mature manager.
But that won’t happen until after 2026.
Have you ever tried to “manage ” a pre-school “collective”? It’s not for the unskilled or the faint of heart.
It was a good outing for Gio. He showed he is good enough to play in the EPL and that’s really all that matters. A few more of these outings and it’s mission accomplished.
Glad he’s now got some positive momentum going, and hopefully it leads to more starts. I still however think he plays way too safe, which is probably down to lack of minutes and not wanting to “mess up”, but he does not look like the same aggressive player he does when playing for the usmnt
That can be the manager and it can be just not knowing what his teammates are going to do. Gregg is a “new school” manager that encourages his players to be their best. Wilfred Nancy is the far end of this spectrum, he wants his guys to play free and without fear of making mistakes. Maybe Nuno is emphasizing not making mistakes.
“Gregg is a “new school” manager….” No, he’s equivalent to a pre-school manager.
@PeterP yet the players have been effusive in their praise for Greg, so who are we to say he’s not the right guy for this group? Fans can ridicule Greg and want his ouster, that’s your prerogative, but I’m more inclined to rock with what the players are saying and feeling, not the “low hanging fruit” side of the fanbase
Peter: you can argue with his on field tactics, you can complain about the stupidity of giving a speech on anything after taking a red eye after being eliminated from the World Cup, but you can’t overlook the way he’s gotten the “group” to come together and believe in themselves and each other. His record in competitions since Covid speaks that he’s doing something right in addition to the mistakes.
Peter P.
“Gregg is a “new school” manager….” No, he’s equivalent to a pre-school manager.”
This team and its USSF overlords represent a pretty juvenile collective.
Pre school skills are required then.
Once they all get to high school ( or IV level as we call it) level, maybe they will be ready for a more mature manager.
But that won’t happen until after 2026.
Have you ever tried to “manage ” a pre-school “collective”? It’s not for the unskilled or the faint of heart.
“he does not look like the same aggressive player he does when playing for the usmnt”
What did you expect?
1. He’s played with most of the guys on the USMNT for literally years. How many minutes has he played with these guys?
2. The opponents he faces in CONCACAF are more than a few steps below the hyper competitive teams he’s played against in the EPL.
3. Forest and most of their competition are in a relegation battle which is a lot more intense than the Nations League.
4. Regardless of what you may have read on SBI, Gio is a team player and in these circumstances especially, it’s safety first.
I expect him to not pass the ball backwards as much as he does, to also take players on from midfield drawing in others defenders to open up space more. So yeah, I expect a lot from Gio, especially in limited minutes so he can make impression before his loan is up, and none of what I described has much to.do.with knowing his teammates better
I don’t need to read any message boards to know what Gio is, and it seems to me you’re taking what I said personally, which is silly, when what I’m doing is making the point that I know he’s better than what he’s shown, all the while understanding that being at a new team under limited minutes can be attributable to that, which I stated in my original post
“all the while understanding that being at a new team under limited minutes can be attributable to that, which I stated in my original post”
That was just lip service.
“none of what I described has much to.do.with knowing his teammates better”
That’s ridiculous.
You’re not taking into account that Gio might be playing it a certain way because he knows his own situation better than you do.
Gio is not superhuman. He’s never been in this situation before, trying to integrate into a team of strangers who are under enormous relegation pressure.
And Gio is not trying to beat out the kind of deadwood he has to beat out with the USMNT. A lot of those guys at Forest can play and Nuno knows them much better than he knows Gio. The devil you know.
Gio is lucky to be getting the minutes he has gotten.
Gio will be gone at season’s end so unless Forest decides to try and buy Gio then Nuno had/has no incentive to play him at all.
And he did not at first. But that was also because the guys ahead of Gio were playing well. After some games and month’s worth of training, Nuno now has a better feel for what Gio can do WITH these guys and it’s likely that some of them can use the break.
Nuno has been very clear about how it’s not about the individuals but rather about the team. And that is not just coachspeak.
Of course Gio is better than he’s shown and the Forest people have probably figured that out by now.
But fitting what Gio does best with how the team works w/o disrupting the other players, that’s not an exact science. And not everyone can do it.
Gio has got five games left. He still has time to make this loan a bigger success than it was looking like just a little while ago.
Everton, Man City, Sheffield United, Chelsea and Burnley.
Those games are all going to be pretty brutal.
It’s a big adjustment and I always saw the same thing out of kids who bumped up to one of my teams from a level down to the Challenge, Premier, or especially ODP levels where you played against state-level kids every game. You got a kid off one of the lower-level Select teams, even when the kid was from a good team and more talented than the ones you presently had on your roster, there was going to be an adjustment period and a couple of “meh” throwaway games until the kid levelled up. Until then, there was going to be some deer-in-the-headlights stuff going on, and you’d almost always see a very tentative player at first who didn’t want to mess up. It’s a huge part of the reason I always take the first few garbage minutes a USMNT prospect gets – usually at the end of games – and then usually the first start or two of a player with the Nats with a grain of salt. They almost always have that obligatory stinker or two until they get that tension and uncertainty out of their system, adjust to the faster, more daunting level, and start finding their groove.
I’m not overly worried about the levelling up part. Gio’s played a gazillion games at the B1 level and most folks consider the B1 to be the #2 league in the world right behind the Prem, and like the Prem it’s a hard physical league that instantly punishes mistakes. Gio’s also a far better #10 than he is a winger…give him enough time (which he probably doesn’t have this year) and I’m pretty sure he’d boot Gibbs-White – who does have speed to burn but who does not have Gio’s touch – out to wing, but that’s a big move for the end of a season in a relegation battle and I definitely see why the coach has been really reluctant to do it. Even the fact that Gio got a start – and didn’t die! – is awesome. Once a coach isn’t afraid to start you, that second chance is easier to get than the first, and at some point the tension and pensiveness just wears off and the player just…plays. And a Gio just playing can be magnificent.
He’s got five games left. My guess would be we’ll probably see the real Gio between now and then…at which point he’ll have established to himself (and to potential buyers) that he can indeed make it in the Prem. Once that fear’s gone, a guy’s levelled up.
We didn’t like the Forest move, but IMHO this can be an opportunity for Gio to punch through that last wall on Forest’s dime, and if he succeeds at that and has a couple good games before the end of the season his loan was absolutely worth it. Once he knows he can make it in the Prem, he’ll be a different – and more confident – guy. And also a far more marketable one who has just put himself in the showroom window for a significantly better summer move.
I am in no way insinuating that Gio has played bad, far from it, I would just like to see him be more aggressive is what I’m getting at! For a player that we all think is probably our best player with the Nats, and considering the things we’ve seen him do on the field over the last few years I don’t think I’m saying anything crazy. I get that he’s in a new environment, but Gio has been at Forest for a few months now, and while I am again in no way saying that he should be lighting up the Premier League, I would just like him to not play it as safe as he has. I don’t know what Nuno has instructed him to do, and it cold be down to just that, I’m just giving my opinion on what I’d like to see…nothing more!
Ronnie-
Just in my experience – and I coached a ton of players – you’ll know a lot more in that second and third start and the goal for Start #1 is usually just: don’t die. Get through it, take a breath, process. Unless the guy is just a genuine badass like Jermaine Jones, you almost never see a guy just come storming out of the gate. They wobble at first, almost always. He did…okay. On the acclimation curve you have to grade players under, that’s actually pretty durn good.
I’ve also heard relegation battles are some of the most Not Fun that players can have. You looked at Tyler, Aaronson, and Weston last year at Leeds, they certainly looked tense down the stretch. Combative. Grouchy. I can’t even imagine what it’s like for Gio trying to break into that roster with all the professional pressure that locker room is under.
Sure, I’d like Gio to look like the best version of Gio too, but I dunno if that’s in the cards with the pressure there at Forest and with so little time left. If Gio can put out even a couple good games the last five weeks, you have to think he made lemonade out of what looked initially like some very sour lemons.
“and if he succeeds at that and has a couple good games before the end of the season his loan was absolutely worth it. Once he knows he can make it in the Prem, he’ll be a different – and more confident – guy. ”
Gio has always believed that he was “that” guy. He’s never lacked for self confidence. I remember an interview where he rated himself, along with Reus, as the smartest guy on BVB (in a football sense) . He was , of course, trying to be funny, but not really. So yes, it will boost his self esteem, and that matters but Gio has a shit ton of doubters and this will help more with them.
“And also a far more marketable one who has just put himself in the showroom window for a significantly better summer move.”
Your analysis is 100% right. If things work out in these last 5 games
now he’ll have proof, not just for himself but also for the likes of the rest of the SBI Gio dislikers who mostly hated his parents and those potential buyers who were previously trying to lowball BVB. It sure beats 10 minutes at the end of BVB games which was what he was looking at w/o a loan.
At Forest, even in this short amount of time, he’s shown that his ceiling might well exceed that of MGW who is quite well thought of.
That’s quite a feat, giving Nuno a lot of evidence that Gio, in fairly short order, might be better than his best player.
I don’t know what Ronnie Thomas is whining about because Gio has been playing as if he’s going down a “bitching list” from the SBI Gio dislikers and answering them. If he can get through the next five games then:
Doesn’t track back? check.
Can’t play defense ? check
Selfish and lazy? check
Can’t deal with physical play? check
Uncoachable? check
Forest are in relegation trouble but that doesn’t mean they are crap.
And we all know how good Gio can be but the guys on Forest are not crap.
W/o the point deduction they would have been in a decent position. As it is they still have a decent shot at saving themselves. They are better than Sheffield United or Burnley. As I said, those last 5 games will be a fascinating, brutal watch.
@Vacqui
it’s not a Gio bitch list, it’s a fact list
that he’s checking them off shows he’s understanding BECAUSE HE STRUGGLED WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE
that he’s dealing with them, addressing them, and doing those things that he plenty often DID NOT DO at Dortmund speaks volumes, even if you are deaf to it 😉
I give Gio credit for maturing as a player and looking to address his issues
but as q so expertly put it, it’s the next 2-3 starts that will reveal a lot more.
pretty clear q has coached a lot…he talks about the things we talk about
@Vacqui, it’s not a bit list, it’s a fact list
Give Gio the credit for checking that shit off 😉
q, on point as usual
“it’s not a Gio bitch list, it’s a fact list”
Whatever you call it, it’s a list that he’s going down and checking off.
“that he’s checking them off shows he’s understanding BECAUSE HE STRUGGLED WITH EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE”
Yeah , so what? He’s not doing that at Forest now is he?
“that he’s dealing with them, addressing them, and doing those things that he plenty often DID NOT DO at Dortmund speaks volumes, even if you are deaf to it 😉”
Deaf to it? Like that matters?
Who fixed the problem?
Gio did.
Not the torches and pitchfork crowd.
He’s the one who pushed for what y’all almost universally thought was a bad idea loan.
None of us fixed anything.
Gio’s 21 now and is finally away from what has basically been his first bigtime professional home and he’s finally growing up ……as many of us hoped he would.
Guess what, beachbum, none of that diva shitbag crap from before matters anymore.
If he can get through the next 5 games it will mark a period where he and CP11 emerge as the two players that the USMNT opponents will consistently have to worry about.
Maybe now these guys will know what it was like to have both LD and Clint on the team.