The last? He’s 29 and not a technical marvel like Scholes or Modric, nor a physical one like Ronaldo. He could age better than expectation but I see him ageing more like the likes of Mata as he is very end product and engine driven. A smart club would start planning for life without him instead of marking him down as the heartbeat for the foreseeable future.
Bruno Fernandes Out?
- Thread starter Berbaclass
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
It’s funny to see that the myth about Bruno not being good in a team that controls still exists, and that maybe selling him will turn this team into prime Barcelona.
I had quick look on Fbref to compare passing stats of Bruno and De Bruyne since Bruno joined United and their pass completion is almost the same. Even their expected assists are similar (the level of assists is vastly different though, which tells us more about the difference between United and City’s finishing than between the Bruno and KdB).
Where I will agree is that Bruno is not a deep-lying playmaker, which means he’s not comfortable in receiving the ball deep in his half. But he’s by no means not suited to a team that tries to control the game
I had quick look on Fbref to compare passing stats of Bruno and De Bruyne since Bruno joined United and their pass completion is almost the same. Even their expected assists are similar (the level of assists is vastly different though, which tells us more about the difference between United and City’s finishing than between the Bruno and KdB).
Where I will agree is that Bruno is not a deep-lying playmaker, which means he’s not comfortable in receiving the ball deep in his half. But he’s by no means not suited to a team that tries to control the game
Should let him leave for a big sum, but only if the team is going to move towards a possession based system.
This is where I am. He's our best transfer since SAF left really but the style of play he thrives in what we really need to move on from if we are to win the major trophies in my opinion. I hope he isn't sold (and being honest I'm not sure he would command that huge a fee given his age and wages) and we have a good season next year allowing him to leave on a high.
Bruno is class and does well for Portugal, it’s not his fault we have a 19 year old in center mid or a finished Casemeiro or a bottom 10 premier league midfielder in Scott in midfield.
Mainoo will be world class but he could barely run after 60 minutes the last game and was rightly substituted by Ten Hag.
our wingers have struggled this season with the shit in the center.
Mainoo will be world class but he could barely run after 60 minutes the last game and was rightly substituted by Ten Hag.
our wingers have struggled this season with the shit in the center.
Love him.
Need to cash in while stock is high. If he gets new deal on big wages, we ain't shifting him any time soon. Get someone younger in.
Need to cash in while stock is high. If he gets new deal on big wages, we ain't shifting him any time soon. Get someone younger in.
I'm curious to know what you think. Has any club outside of the Middle East expressed an interest in buying Fernandes at any point in the last few seasons? Would any team in the premier league buy him? At what kind of fee? I believe he will stay (which is fine by me) and suspect it might not be so easy to sell him on in anycase.
Deserves a chance to play under a better manager and next to better teammates.
Imagine with the pile of rubbish we have in our squad it’s Bruno who the high profile departure is 
It‘s all the histrionics, winging etc ….though in fairness he seems to have calmed down lately.
I don’t know him off the field ….he may be a really great for all I know?
Love Bruno.
He is the least of our problems.
Everyone except Bruno/Mainoo/Højlund/Garnacho/Martinez can go, but these guys i want us to build a great team with.
He is the least of our problems.
Everyone except Bruno/Mainoo/Højlund/Garnacho/Martinez can go, but these guys i want us to build a great team with.
You need a blend of youth and experience, especially when you are refreshing a squad.
You don't go full out Liverpool and drop off because everyone is going into their 30s.
You need some young players that are 20-23 like a Saka, a Mainoo, a Garnacho age profile.
Then you need a spine of experience to guide the youth, when the 20-23 players are 25-26 the older players are getting less minutes, and eventually replaced.
By the time the Mainoos and Garnachos are 30, you have a new batch of 20-23 players who have a high ceiling.
United did that with players like Keane making way for Carrick, players like Stam had left for Rio and Vida. We had Rooney, Ronaldo as our youngsters, guided by older heads who set the standards.
Bruno being 29 is not a problem, he can set the standard.
id hate to see him go, probably our best post SAF signing
Bruno is relying on an 18/19 year old midfielder all season with Mainoo and Scott who is a bottom 10 midfielder.
He deserves better and so do our wingers.
Mainoo will be world class
He deserves better and so do our wingers.
Mainoo will be world class
I wouldn’t sell him either. He’s a good player and we’re a mediocre team. I just wouldn’t keep him at any cost and would plan for replacing him in the long run.
We'd be stupid to let him go
This would be a really silly move if we sold him. He's not perfect, and hasn't had a great season in many respects, but he's one of the players who fights with passion and will do the work, as well as being probably our most talented player.
He would look ten times the player he looks here somewhere like Madrid where he wouldn't have to do everything himself and could rely on the players around him. Selling him will look like a really bad move very quickly.
He would look ten times the player he looks here somewhere like Madrid where he wouldn't have to do everything himself and could rely on the players around him. Selling him will look like a really bad move very quickly.
I can't think of anyone else
He has held up his end of the bargain since coming here. His teammates haven't
I’m guessing this is all because the media are expecting a lot of squad changes in the summer, so players are being asked about their futures.
Spot on
Someone comes along and pulls a United/Casemiro situation where they'll give us 70-80m for a 30 year old I think we'd be stupid not to take it. Sure you might miss out on 1 or maybe 2 more top level years, but as you said players like Bruno that aren't technical/physical marvels don't age particularly well especially considering how high intensity his game is and the league we play in. Better to sell a year early for good business than watch as the player you hoped to build around falls off a cliff physically and you're now stuck with a huge contract and player that you have to work to phase out while hoping someone takes him off your hands at a cut rate.
Half the Caf would be pleased
Amigos, let's think this through a bit more strategically.
If we believe we're a few pieces away from competing for the PL trophy next season, and that may not be as daft a notion as it seems on the surface, then of course we keep Bruno and bring in those few pieces. But if we're going for the complete overhaul it makes little sense to keep Bruno, soon to be 30 years old, for the next 2-3 seasons which will be required to complete that complete overhaul.
I'm actually of the belief that we're not that far off from competing for the PL trophy. I'm not saying favorite...just competing with the favorites. There's another thread for this but I'll just say briefly that we need a striker to upgrade on Hojlund, a CDM to upgrade on Casemiro and a CB to upgrade on Varane. If we brought in top class at those three positions -- and yes I understand we really should upgrade both at LB and RB we can only do so much at one time -- with Bruno pulling the strings and if we can somehow upgrade the performance levels of Rashford, Sancho and Antony (yes, that may be asking too much) and if we can bring in a manager who can handle these volatile egos, we can actually have a conversation about competing for the PL trophy. But if we're going for the complete overhaul it makes no sense from Bruno's point of view to stick around for that while his career comes to an end.
If we believe we're a few pieces away from competing for the PL trophy next season, and that may not be as daft a notion as it seems on the surface, then of course we keep Bruno and bring in those few pieces. But if we're going for the complete overhaul it makes little sense to keep Bruno, soon to be 30 years old, for the next 2-3 seasons which will be required to complete that complete overhaul.
I'm actually of the belief that we're not that far off from competing for the PL trophy. I'm not saying favorite...just competing with the favorites. There's another thread for this but I'll just say briefly that we need a striker to upgrade on Hojlund, a CDM to upgrade on Casemiro and a CB to upgrade on Varane. If we brought in top class at those three positions -- and yes I understand we really should upgrade both at LB and RB we can only do so much at one time -- with Bruno pulling the strings and if we can somehow upgrade the performance levels of Rashford, Sancho and Antony (yes, that may be asking too much) and if we can bring in a manager who can handle these volatile egos, we can actually have a conversation about competing for the PL trophy. But if we're going for the complete overhaul it makes no sense from Bruno's point of view to stick around for that while his career comes to an end.
An overhaul of the entire isn’t going to happen in one summer. We should be looking to improve the positions we have weaknesses in and that is not Bruno’s. There is no need to sell him this summer. One of the best creators in the league and just waiting for a decent strikers to put those chances away. Not to mention a player who gives 100% to the club and has been available all season. Further down the line, you can look at replacing him when other areas of the team have improved.
Would be a huge shame to see him go and I suspect one of two here would be shocked at how tricky it actually is to replace what he brings. He's far from faultless but he's probably our best player.
If there’s a top talent out there who can be brought in for a similar fee to what we’d get for Bruno, I’d be all for it. Future planning over sentimentality is what we’ve lacked for 15 years.
our transfer record has made people shit scared of selling players like Bruno, and understandably so, but I feel like Bruno has peaked, and with the amount of football he’s played, and another Euros on the way, I think its for the best.
our transfer record has made people shit scared of selling players like Bruno, and understandably so, but I feel like Bruno has peaked, and with the amount of football he’s played, and another Euros on the way, I think its for the best.
He is always available and gives it his all every match. He shouldn't be sold at all.
He'll be here until the end of his top level career, hopefully he wins something by then like Robson
I agree with pretty much every positive thing that people have had to say about him so far. He’s been invaluable in some ways.
But I also would be quite happy to see him gone in the summer. For all his chance creation, he’s a large reason for why we’re so terrible at keeping the ball. For every perfectly weighted through ball I feel like there are 5 passes which end up two yards behind the player he’s trying to pass to, or it’s just simply given back to the opposition. And no, I have absolutely zero facts or stats to back this up.
But I also would be quite happy to see him gone in the summer. For all his chance creation, he’s a large reason for why we’re so terrible at keeping the ball. For every perfectly weighted through ball I feel like there are 5 passes which end up two yards behind the player he’s trying to pass to, or it’s just simply given back to the opposition. And no, I have absolutely zero facts or stats to back this up.
Put it this way..
------------------ Haaland ------------------
Grealish --------------------------- Foden
--------- Bruno --------- De Bruyne ---------
------------------- Rodri -------------------
How do you think he'd do?
------------------ Haaland ------------------
Grealish --------------------------- Foden
--------- Bruno --------- De Bruyne ---------
------------------- Rodri -------------------
How do you think he'd do?
Really??? Players are generally considered to be at their peak about the age he currently is now, thus he should be starting his peak years thus nothing has been squandered .... yet
Also if you look at midfielders like Modric and Kroos, their peak started at 29.
i mean there are pros and cons to both, but hilarious to see some making it seem like it is just inconceivable that we could/should move on from Bruno.
Not inconceivable but he could play in any title winning team, hence he should not be sold.
Wouldn't work I've seen City fans complaining about De Bruyne positioning this season and statistically he loses the ball quite often. You cannot field Bruno and Kevin together imo.
I know swap deals very rarely ever happen but hypothetically would people swap Bruno for someone like Tchouameni?
A midfield of Tchouameni, Mainoo and Mount has a nice balance to it but heavily relies on Mount staying fit. In which case, I’d also buy Wirtz and then we’d suddenly have the best midfield 3 in Europe. At which point I’d wake up and realise it was all a dream….
A midfield of Tchouameni, Mainoo and Mount has a nice balance to it but heavily relies on Mount staying fit. In which case, I’d also buy Wirtz and then we’d suddenly have the best midfield 3 in Europe. At which point I’d wake up and realise it was all a dream….
Think Bruno would be one of the very few of our players who would leave and gather interest from the top clubs around Europe, which speaks to his quality.
He deserves Trophies. He's too damn good to be wasting his career with us. Dude has carried us since day damn 1. He's literally the only player we've had that had ANY creativity. Pogba too but he was injured all the time.
The reason for that is he has to do all the heavy lifting in terms of chance creation. If he played for City his ball retention would be insane but when you have 10 teammates who are obsessed with passing backwards you feel you have no choice but to play risky balls to try and force the issue.
I would rather keep him and surround him with better players but provided it is part of a proper plan for a rebuild I would be open to selling him for a truly significant fee. In reality though I do not see him being sold. He won't leave European football at this point in his career and I cannot imagine a situation where he goes to a PL rival so you are down to PSG, Real, Barca and maybe Bayern as clubs that could afford him and for various reasons I doubt any of them will be in the market for a player like Bruno this summer.
It's time to move on.
It's OK to let go players who have been great for us.
Unfortunately many many Man United fans give godly status to youth players, managers and players who have been great in the past.
This is why we have been shit for a decade.
It's OK to let go players who have been great for us.
Unfortunately many many Man United fans give godly status to youth players, managers and players who have been great in the past.
This is why we have been shit for a decade.
In a heartbeat.