He doesn’t need to dictate tempo, that’s never the player he will be. What he does need to do is vary his game. He can’t play the exact same way he plays in every single game. It never has, and it never will, work in Europe or big games when we’re against midfields as good (mostly better) and defences that can handle him.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 46
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 10
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
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Same reason they scored...
Sorry but this just seems like positive regard more than reality, I’m looking back 11 months to January and I can’t see where he has once saved our arses in that time never mind regularly….Can you put some context in to your hyperbole. He’s only been here 23 months.
I actually think his performances will go up under Ragnick but the reality of his own performances for us since January are that they have been poor and he hasn’t saved our arses once.
He needs to enjoy his football again. He isn’t at the moment. He is passionate and this hasnt changed, but he isn’t enjoying it on the pitch. The defensive set ups we’re having are taking so much from his game
He looks like a player who just arrived to premier league and is struggling with pace, physicality, pressing etc.
He'll come good but we need to learn how to live without him. Switching to 433 would be a good solution now.
He'll come good but we need to learn how to live without him. Switching to 433 would be a good solution now.
He's not saved our arses once in the last 12 months and you accuse me of hyperbole? I'm curious specifically what it is that you're looking at over the last 11 months of football to draw this conclusion? In the CL alone this season he has got 6 direct assists in 4 CL starts. When you consider how tight every one of those games have been it demonstrates what an important player he still is, even when he's struggling in a dysfunctional team.
Sorry so he’s saved our arses when?
It's in the post.
You haven't told me what you've been looking over in this 11 months of football to come to this conclusion. Who has been claiming this myth? Some names would help. Care to back it up with your own context? Whats it based on for you to say he hasn't played well for 11 months? Does getting assists in every CL game not count, particularly when we won several of those games by a single goal. Does winning motm against Leeds not count after picking up 3 assists? Does scoring against West Brom to save our blushes not count? Etc etc. When you've studied these games why haven't this been factored in?
Sounds a lot like hyperbole to me.
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1 goal in 18 now. We really are a mess. Bruno has to be accountable of course but it really speaks to how clueless we are when we turn an assist and goal machine into a bit of a blunt instrument in recent months
I wasn't hearing these excuses for other players. Funny how quick certain posters are to protect their favourites
So an assist for the first goal in a game we drew 2-2 is saving our arses? Or an assist for a goal in a game we lost is saving our arses? Or the second assist in a 2-0 win is saving our arses? He was shocking vs Atalanta at home but granted his first assist to Rashford was world class, his second was just his second very poor cross in succession that somehow found its way through to Maguire. If we’re are saying that counts for saving our arses in the context of his overall performance then we will have to disagree.
Only a fool would say that Bruno and not Ronaldo has saved us in the CL.
This sequence perfectly sums up his performance.
Only thing missing after that was to shout at Sancho to cover for his feck up.
He's in really poor form, no United player has regressed more in the last few months, hopefully Rangnick will inject a new lease of life into him.
We will do, because by your metric pulling out world class assists, assisting in games we win by a single goal, or preventing your team from losing doesn't count, meaning, unless you're a CF, it's virtually impossible for any player to do this. I asked a couple of times time and you've not answered. What have you been looking at as you've trawled through 11 months of football to come to your conclusion? Some context in return please.
Good job I didn't say Ronaldo hadn't saved our arse, eh? That's the second time you've tried to imply I've said something I haven't. I'm not sure why you keep doing this. It's a bit weird.
It's been a while since he's had a good complete game. What's with the anger ?
Because some players have credit in the bank. Same with some managers. Nothing wrong with that upto a certain point.
Apologies. That does come across angry rather than flabbergasted, which was my intention, now I read it back. I was just a little bemused that you'd ask that. He was the best creative player in the world for a solid year. I can't believe that he won't return to a similar level again in the future.
It's all good. For me, the way he played vs Villareal. The perfect balance between possession and creativity, that's when he is at his best. That's what I wanna see more hopefully. I don't like it when he goes for ridiculous shots and passes
He hasn't been at his best in a while. He's yet to really get started this season, and I hope that a tactical shift under Rangnick might help bring out the best of Bruno, because he has been diabolocally bad so far this season.
Agreed. I don't mind the occasional one. Sometimes just having a player capable of doing that can be enough to mess with a team. I think we relied on him for so long that he still feels compelled to be the one to step up and win a game for us, and that can lead to him getting frustrated. In a better structure, particularly one that focuses on pressing and progressing the ball swiftly, he'll return to his best, I'm sure.
Absolutely no problem at all…..I’m looking at three non penalty goals from January to the end of last season in 23 league games, all in games we drew and lost. The fact he’s scored in two league games out of 13 this season, games we won 5-1 and 4-1. I’m looking beyond stats at his overall largely woeful performances since January and his 75% ball retention which is massively lower than any other player in the team. I’m looking at his lack of discipline in many games, with and without the ball. By and large I’m saying he hasn’t saved our arse once, because he hasn’t. He should have assists with his pass accuracy and the freedom he has been allowed. He should score more non penalty goals given how high up the pitch he plays.
It’s no weird at all also, if you say that Bruno has saved our arses in the CL given the context of his stats, then I’m going to point to Ronaldo and wonder why you think Bruno has done that.
This is a key point and something that should be elaborated on. Bruno came in and his goals and moments of magic basically saved Oles job. He was the most important part of Moments FC for more than a year. Now in a team that is stacked with weapons and added Ronaldo and Sancho he still feels the need to be the same player he was. Like kouroux said we want him to find a good balance between magician and technician. Hopefully Ralf can help his evolve into Magitech Fernandes .
So as I said, a CF is the only player that can feasibly achieve this, because the only metric you've used is goals. Coincidentally, he's playing behind 3 of them in the majority of those games, all of whom do very little in the creative side of the game. And you've now decided assists don't count. Or rather, they don't count because he's supposed to pick up assists. Which means goals shouldn't really count for our CFs either, considering the freedom they're given and the lack of creative and defensive tasks they are required carry out. And yet, despite the very specific criteria you've created in order to deny Bruno any credit, you still put Ronaldo's name forward... who I would of course agree has saved our arses, accept we no longer can, because he's 'expected' to score those goals considering how little defensive/creative responsibility he has... I give up.
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Yeah if anyone was saving our asses after Jan it was Cavani and Greenwood
The game plan was to defend for dear life, but Bruno was horrible once again. Early in the game, during one of the rare attacks, he had options developing in front of him but he took a ridiculous shot on goal that no matter how perfectly he might have struck it was never going to score. There’s a time selfishness but that wasn’t it.
Hopefully Rangnick sorts him out. If not, boot him. He needs to understand that he is not under good ol' Ole anymore where he can do whatever he wants. I don't care how good he is as a player, Guardiola or Klopp would not put up with his antics even for one single game.
By certain posters i imagine you mean somebody else. I don't think a single attacking player can be harshly judged for the last 2-3 months.
I think playing under a system where he has a role to follow and won't just have the freedom to do what he wants will improve him massively. Just like it was for De Bruyne under Pep.
The only thing I don't understand is how errating his shooting is. I feel like he hasn't even hit the target in so long, forget score a goal. The one thing he's still unbelievable at, though, is that he will always create chances
The only thing I don't understand is how errating his shooting is. I feel like he hasn't even hit the target in so long, forget score a goal. The one thing he's still unbelievable at, though, is that he will always create chances
Player in such advanced role and key role and on all set pieces should definitely pick more assists and goals alone. Losing a ball constantly and in a situation like today when he tried to take the crossfield pass and gifted them a superb chance is one of the things which is what sharp fans on this forum are gonna argue about the same way about his dropped performance going forward and all round wastefulness which is preventing us to further build better attacks and score form these. But for some he's once a saviour and always a savious - in reality he's been in world class form only for the first few month and then just picking incredible amount of goals from penalties, which really skewed the view of him and mask his bad performances.
And please don't forget that even people who criticise him can still love him but that doesn't mean he shouldn't be criticised and called out to be benched when he's in terrible form.
He will certainly sort him out, funnily I think he will be even more urged to shoot, because he's great at it, but less from impossible situations, in short his decision making will get better and we get the best out of him. Bruno also puts in a shift so, I think his dynamicism and willingness to press will get get him time to overcome his bad spells too if he's not playing well. But that's only a good trait.
Can’t wait for Pogba to comeback and rightfully take his place. He’s not good enough. He’s alright if you want to be an any part team with a average superstar. Abit like he was at Sporting.
If I have to watch another kick and hoof assist.
If I have to watch another kick and hoof assist.
If this isn't a wind up, then it's an embarrassment.
People still think a player who gives a feck for 10 games of the season and proceeds to be either injured or throwing in below average or worse performances is the best player at this club.
It's a fecking joke.
Pogba has not been near as impactful in his 6 years here as Bruno in his 2, but still I have to read this drivel.
If Pogba doesnt adhere to Rangnick’s pressing game, he is gonzo.
He's shite at the minute. Something definitely wrong when so many of our better players from last season suddenly find themselves completely out of form. Worrying.
Fans...so fickle. Noone is playing well, yet they pick on their best players and wonder why they can't build a team.
He doesn’t have many assists of note in the league either, this season three, one in a draw and one in a loss. From jan last season to May he got four, two of which came in a 9-0 win. I’m replying to you claiming he saved our arses week in week out…which I’m saying factually is incorrect as proven by the evidence I’m giving with regards the context of his stats. With regards his performances, the are more based on opinion but my opinion is that his performances have been inconsistent at best and largely poor overall in that time frame and his goals/assists are starting to dry up as we stop getting penalties.
No goals are not the only metric. DDG has saved our arse many times this season. Scholes and Keane in the past many times produced performances that won us games even without goals/assists. Well Bruno hasn’t produced performances and hasn’t produced output that has saved our arses like you said he has.
All you’ve done is say….six assists in CL and I’ve given context to most of those to show they haven’t saved our arses. Give me games since January that he’s saved our arses. I’ve answered your questions enough. All you’ve done is provide hyperbole with no substance.
Whatever your feelings on Pogba doesn’t alter the fact that Bruno has been shite for 11 months bar a handful of performances and Bruno’s impact in that time has won us precisely zero. You talk like Bruno has been brilliant and make excuses for every poor game he has.
If this isn't a wind up, then it's an embarrassment.
People still think a player who gives a feck for 10 games of the season and proceeds to be either injured or throwing in below average or worse performances is the best player at this club.
It's a fecking joke.
Pogba has not been near as impactful in his 6 years here as Bruno in his 2, but still I have to read this drivel.
The problem with a player like Bruno and why he never performs in big games for United is that we just don’t have enough possession for him to try his stupid heroball.
I feel like years from now I will look back at him with disappointment as I currently do with Pogba because they both just don’t ever seem to get it. In Pogbas case it’s him thinking United is his playground where he can dribble/try to hold off players deep in our half while Bruno always plays on the highest setting. It’s immature from the both of them.
Today Bruno just needed to slip the ball to the right back to Sancho but he had already made up his mind to shoot. It’s not the first time he has done this and it won’t be the last. Very similar to how Pogba always gets dispossessed and still doesn’t learn to release the ball quickly. I’m tired of these guys just doing whatever and not learning. Not enough hard consequences for stupidity in this team. Thankfully I’m reading ragnick is a nutcase and hopefully he deals with this.
I feel like years from now I will look back at him with disappointment as I currently do with Pogba because they both just don’t ever seem to get it. In Pogbas case it’s him thinking United is his playground where he can dribble/try to hold off players deep in our half while Bruno always plays on the highest setting. It’s immature from the both of them.
Today Bruno just needed to slip the ball to the right back to Sancho but he had already made up his mind to shoot. It’s not the first time he has done this and it won’t be the last. Very similar to how Pogba always gets dispossessed and still doesn’t learn to release the ball quickly. I’m tired of these guys just doing whatever and not learning. Not enough hard consequences for stupidity in this team. Thankfully I’m reading ragnick is a nutcase and hopefully he deals with this.
How many trophies we win with Bruno?
If this isn't a wind up, then it's an embarrassment.
People still think a player who gives a feck for 10 games of the season and proceeds to be either injured or throwing in below average or worse performances is the best player at this club.
It's a fecking joke.
Pogba has not been near as impactful in his 6 years here as Bruno in his 2, but still I have to read this drivel.
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