A Manchester City fan’s view of having Fernandinho at the heart of defence will depend on whether they are the glass half-full or glass half-empty type.
The former will remember the calm, authoritative figure who strode through last season’s 3-1 home win over Arsenal with no alarms.
The latter will think about the game 16 days later, away at Schalke, when the Brazil international was panicked into a tug on Salif Sane which brought a penalty and a yellow card which ruled him out of the second leg.
Fernandinho has already been told by manager Pep Guardiola that he is a back-up centre back this season, with Rodri clearly seen as the starting defensive midfielder.
And it was as a centre back, replacing the injured Aymeric Laporte, that he made his first appearance of the season, as a substitute against Brighton on Saturday.
He was able to breeze through that victory, with City a goal up and in control.
But with stiffer tests to come, and Guardiola still anxiously awaiting news of the extent of the injury to Laporte, Fernandinho is on stand-by to take the role more regularly.
John Stones is expected to return after the international break, easing that problem, but Laporte’s problem has brought further focus on the one failing in City’s summer transfer window – not replacing Vincent Kompany.
But Fernandinho is, right now, seen as a centre back option more than he is a midfielder.
There were a few gasps from City fans – and journalists – when he was named in that position for the home game with the Gunners last season, with Aymeric Laporte shifted to left back and Stones named among the substitutes.
With Arsenal boasting a pacy, dangerous front two of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, it looked like one of Guardiola’s more risky gambles.
But Fernandinho’s football intelligence meant he was in control for most of the match – and the only goal conceded was a Laurent Koscielny header from a corner.
Against Schalke, he was more impressive in terms of his stats, making two key passes and upping his passing accuracy – but that was ruined by his penalty concession.
His only other appearance in the position came in 2017, when Guardiola was more concerned with the Manchester derby four days later, and rested several top-line stars for a Champions League group dead rubber in Ukraine.
In a back three with youngster Tosin Adarabioyo and the skittish Eliaquim Mangala – and with Phil Foden as an unlikely wing back - Fernandinho desperately tried to bring order to the chaos as the Blues lost 2-1, their first defeat of the season.
The conclusion to be drawn from his previous appearances in the role is that of City are on the front foot – which they usually are – then Fernandinho’s passing ability and nous are well employed in the centre back role.
The problems come when teams place the Blues under pressure, as Schalke did, and then his lack of experience in the role can be evident.
