Bruno Fernandes’ “Bad Season”

Owen11

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Name those games?

What does penalties have to do with anything? We don't play with 2 holding mid currently.

I think you are twisting my words, I said he is one of our best players. I have seen Bruno create the most chances, score our most goals. So yes, he is up there as one of our best players.


Just because he doesnt take penalties doesn't mean he isnt.
Big games my dear

Pogba has had man of the match or man of the match performances against City, Chelsea, Liverpool and arsenal,real Madrid, Bayern and other big teams in the past.
Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Croatia and other big national teams.

Has Bruno Fernandes ever had performances such as any?
Remember his erratic performance against West Ham few weeks back? Or his performance in the Europa league final against fecking Villarreal?
He's a flat track bully, he's the lukaku of midfielders,if he's better than Pogba then so is lukaku and we both know he's not.
I don't have anything against him but the way he escapes criticisms especially after that God-awful performance in the Europa league final last season is something else.
 

Owen11

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First of all, it is clear you lack knowledge. Bruno has won the nations league and Portuguese cups.

He only performs against Brentford and them yet in the last 2 seasons he has goals against Leicester, West Ham, Spurs, City, Liverpool.

Okay he has stats based on penalties, do you know how many of his goals and assists this season have been penalties? please go do some research before making false claims.

He does not have a free role because under Ralf, he is playing in a 4-3-3.

I suggest you get your facts right.
Yeah he won the nations league with Portugal with Ronaldo and Silva carrying the team (teams Weren't really pumped for the tournament then)

His goals in those games where penalties, West Ham and Leicester are midtable teams only Spurs, Liverpool and city are big teams,city and Spurs goals were penalties, good free kick for the Liverpool goal and I think he scored a good goal (but had a poor performance against them last season over 2 legs) but that's it.
He has 3 goals and 3 assist under ragnick since he stopped taking penalties, majority of his goal contribution came under ole during his Free role days and even till now he still leaves the midfield vulnerable with his overlapping and erratic passes.

He's been a good signing but he's held to a level he doesn't belong to at all, he still has a lot to prove.
 

romufc

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Big games my dear

Pogba has had man of the match or man of the match performances against City, Chelsea, Liverpool and arsenal,real Madrid, Bayern and other big teams in the past.
Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Croatia and other big national teams.

Has Bruno Fernandes ever had performances such as any?
Remember his erratic performance against West Ham few weeks back? Or his performance in the Europa league final against fecking Villarreal?
He's a flat track bully, he's the lukaku of midfielders,if he's better than Pogba then so is lukaku and we both know he's not.
I don't have anything against him but the way he escapes criticisms especially after that God-awful performance in the Europa league final last season is something else.
Again, please let me know which games Pogba has been MOTM for MANCHESTER UNITED. When were these games? 7 years ago?

So we are now living of a MOTM performance 7 years ago?

So are you saying in the Europa league final Pogba played well? let me give you a friendly reminder that Pogba played in that game too.

Also you have named teams Pogba has been MOTM, which is a lie, show me the games for United that he has been MOTM against Liverpool.

Bruno has scored in the games too, so Pogba MOTM against Liverpool, Chelsea, City is big game, but Bruno scoring and assisting in them games is small games? Hypocrite much?
 

roonster09

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Big games my dear

Pogba has had man of the match or man of the match performances against City, Chelsea, Liverpool and arsenal,real Madrid, Bayern and other big teams in the past.
Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Croatia and other big national teams.

Has Bruno Fernandes ever had performances such as any?
Remember his erratic performance against West Ham few weeks back? Or his performance in the Europa league final against fecking Villarreal?
He's a flat track bully, he's the lukaku of midfielders,if he's better than Pogba then so is lukaku and we both know he's not.
I don't have anything against him but the way he escapes criticisms especially after that God-awful performance in the Europa league final last season is something else.
Bruno escapes criticism? :lol:
 

alexthelion

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Big games my dear

Pogba has had man of the match or man of the match performances against City, Chelsea, Liverpool and arsenal,real Madrid, Bayern and other big teams in the past.
Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Croatia and other big national teams.

Has Bruno Fernandes ever had performances such as any?
Remember his erratic performance against West Ham few weeks back? Or his performance in the Europa league final against fecking Villarreal?
He's a flat track bully, he's the lukaku of midfielders,if he's better than Pogba then so is lukaku and we both know he's not.
I don't have anything against him but the way he escapes criticisms especially after that God-awful performance in the Europa league final last season is something else.
How many games has Pogba been MoTM for Manchester United since Bruno has been here? How many MoTMs has Bruno had in the same time?

International matches do not count.
 

VP89

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Big games my dear

Pogba has had man of the match or man of the match performances against City, Chelsea, Liverpool and arsenal,real Madrid, Bayern and other big teams in the past.
Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Croatia and other big national teams.

Has Bruno Fernandes ever had performances such as any?
Remember his erratic performance against West Ham few weeks back? Or his performance in the Europa league final against fecking Villarreal?
He's a flat track bully, he's the lukaku of midfielders,if he's better than Pogba then so is lukaku and we both know he's not.
I don't have anything against him but the way he escapes criticisms especially after that God-awful performance in the Europa league final last season is something else.
What an atrociously wank post.
 

Martial

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It seems a very common theme for extremely insecure Pogba fans to constant bash Bruno, I guess in a way of somehow trying to make Pogba look better in comparison.
 

Ali Dia

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Big games my dear

Pogba has had man of the match or man of the match performances against City, Chelsea, Liverpool and arsenal,real Madrid, Bayern and other big teams in the past.
Portugal, Germany, Spain, England, Croatia and other big national teams.

Has Bruno Fernandes ever had performances such as any?
Remember his erratic performance against West Ham few weeks back? Or his performance in the Europa league final against fecking Villarreal?
He's a flat track bully, he's the lukaku of midfielders,if he's better than Pogba then so is lukaku and we both know he's not.
I don't have anything against him but the way he escapes criticisms especially after that God-awful performance in the Europa league final last season is something else.
Worst, most condescending post I’ve seen on here in a long time… and that’s saying something.
 

romufc

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Yeah he won the nations league with Portugal with Ronaldo and Silva carrying the team (teams Weren't really pumped for the tournament then)

His goals in those games where penalties, West Ham and Leicester are midtable teams only Spurs, Liverpool and city are big teams,city and Spurs goals were penalties, good free kick for the Liverpool goal and I think he scored a good goal (but had a poor performance against them last season over 2 legs) but that's it.
He has 3 goals and 3 assist under ragnick since he stopped taking penalties, majority of his goal contribution came under ole during his Free role days and even till now he still leaves the midfield vulnerable with his overlapping and erratic passes.

He's been a good signing but he's held to a level he doesn't belong to at all, he still has a lot to prove.
Oh right, Bernado carrying the team, the Bernado who has been brilliant this season, yet Bruno has better stats than him?

Really? When was the Liverpool penalty goal? can you highlight to me how a open play or free kick goal is a penalty goal? Can you also tell me a game Pogba was MOTM against Liverpool like you have claimed?

If you look at the PL, he has created the most chances, if he stopped creating these chances in November when Ralf came in, it shows how good he is creating the most chances in the league just under Ole then?

How can you say he is at a level he doesn't belong too? then you put Pogba's name there like he has ever achieved the impact Bruno has in this team?
 

Jeppers7

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How many games has Pogba been MoTM for Manchester United since Bruno has been here? How many MoTMs has Bruno had in the same time?

International matches do not count.
I did a post on this in Pogba’s thread. It’s very similar actually…..the only difference really being that Pogba generally has to play very well to get MOTM on here, while Bruno can get MOTM in a poor performance quite often. Pogba tends to only get MOTM in games we win. Bruno can get MOTM regularly in games we draw or lose.
 

Jeppers7

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Oh right, Bernado carrying the team, the Bernado who has been brilliant this season, yet Bruno has better stats than him?

Really? When was the Liverpool penalty goal? can you highlight to me how a open play or free kick goal is a penalty goal? Can you also tell me a game Pogba was MOTM against Liverpool like you have claimed?

If you look at the PL, he has created the most chances, if he stopped creating these chances in November when Ralf came in, it shows how good he is creating the most chances in the league just under Ole then?

How can you say he is at a level he doesn't belong too? then you put Pogba's name there like he has ever achieved the impact Bruno has in this team?
We’re fighting for top four and haven’t won a single trophy?
 

Jeppers7

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Individually Bruno has been a great signing, the best individual signing for decades when you look at the stats and data. But it isn’t clicking like it did with Cantona for example. Cantona had lesser stats but the team went up levels. Regardless of what people are saying I don’t see this team have gone up in levels at all…..we had a bounce when he arrived but we’ve not gone up in levels as a team and last season it was others that carried us to second after Xmas. His performances are improving since January which is good for us. We need him performing much better than he did last year. It will be a massive boost to our CL 4th place hopes……but as a team we need to be better than a top 4 chase.

Sancho looks a player who can knit things together in attack which I think we will see in the next few years and we need to sort midfield out badly.
 

romufc

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We’re fighting for top four and haven’t won a single trophy?
Right and that is solely because of Bruno because if we went for the league Bruno wouldnt be in this team right?

Also, as per your logic Harry Kane is a average Striker?
 

Nytram Shakes

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it only bad compared to his first 18 months at the club where he was basically as good as anyone in world football. Yeah he has dropped off, but he is still far and away our best player.
 

Jeppers7

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Right and that is solely because of Bruno because if we went for the league Bruno wouldnt be in this team right?

Also, as per your logic Harry Kane is a average Striker?
But you’re talking about Bruno’s influence on the team? We were a team fighting for top four and winning the odd trophy before he came. That’s no individual players fault but his influence in taking the team forward is hard to justify when we are in the same cycle two years later. Pogba gets a lot of stick no? But in his first two years we also finished second and won two (three :lol: ) trophies.
 

romufc

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But you’re talking about Bruno’s influence on the team? We were a team fighting for top four and winning the odd trophy before he came. That’s no individual players fault but his influence in taking the team forward is hard to justify when we are in the same cycle two years later. Pogba gets a lot of stick no? But in his first two years we also finished second and won two (three :lol: ) trophies.
I mean if you are one to pit Pogba V Bruno then yes.

It was also very obvious that when Bruno came in the team lifted, his influence is the reason we finished 3rd and 2nd.

I would rather have Bruno in my team than not. I would rather have Pogba in the team than not. Not one over the other.
 

Jeppers7

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I mean if you are one to pit Pogba V Bruno then yes.

It was also very obvious that when Bruno came in the team lifted, his influence is the reason we finished 3rd and 2nd.

I would rather have Bruno in my team than not. I would rather have Pogba in the team than not. Not one over the other.
First point…..I replied to your quote…..

‘then you put Pogba's name there like he has ever achieved the impact Bruno has in this team’

Second point…..totally agree.

His influence isn’t the reason we finished second last season though, or it certainly isn’t the main reason at all. He was poor after xmas when we started putting results together both performance wise and statistically, penalties aside.
 

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I think we need to forgive all of our players for being inconsistent at times this season. It's been a tumultuous year and I think ultimately the players were left confused and disorientated by Ole's weak attempts to implement a more progressive style of football.

We have taken 25pts from 36pts since RR took over and performances have, for the most part, been improving.
 

romufc

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First point…..I replied to your quote…..

‘then you put Pogba's name there like he has ever achieved the impact Bruno has in this team’

Second point…..totally agree.

His influence isn’t the reason we finished second last season though, or it certainly isn’t the main reason at all. He was poor after xmas when we started putting results together both performance wise and statistically, penalties aside.
If you look what it is in response to, taking one quote out of context. I was replying to a poster who said bruno only does it against lesser teams whereas Pogba gets MOTM against the big teams in big games.

Bruno came into the team in which Pogba was part of and lifted it. Which is what I meant saying Bruno has had a bigger impact on this team than Pogba.

So he contributed 18 goals and 12 assists in half a season? Why do penalties not count btw?
 

Jeppers7

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If you look what it is in response to, taking one quote out of context. I was replying to a poster who said bruno only does it against lesser teams whereas Pogba gets MOTM against the big teams in big games.

Bruno came into the team in which Pogba was part of and lifted it. Which is what I meant saying Bruno has had a bigger impact on this team than Pogba.

So he contributed 18 goals and 12 assists in half a season? Why do penalties not count btw?
The lift wasn’t Bruno alone, although we did get a massive bounce from him initially….we literally replaced Perrera with Bruno….that’s a championship player with a world class player. We also got Pogba and Rashford back from long term injury post lockdown. It wasn’t all Bruno. Maguire and AWB had improved the back four and made us more solid also for me.

Contribution last season from jan ? He didn’t….he scored 8 and had 4 assists. Five of the goals were penalties, which funnily enough given the context of this conversation seemed to stop counting the season Pogba scored a lot, the three goals he scored from open play we’re in games we drew or lost and two of the four assists were in a 9-0 win. More importantly his performances were generally poor from jan to May though. It’s quite ridiculous to say he carried us t second last season as it wasn’t the case and extremely unfair to players like Shaw, Cavani, Pogba, Maguire who had a bigger impact.

Bruno is the only player I’ve ever seen get all the credit for the teams results despite his own performances. It’s bizarre.
 

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If we can get a competent midfield behind him he can become one of the best players in the world. Hes 27 so got at least another 3 seasons after this to become WC.
 

romufc

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The lift wasn’t Bruno alone, although we did get a massive bounce from him initially….we literally replaced Perrera with Bruno….that’s a championship player with a world class player. We also got Pogba and Rashford back from long term injury post lockdown. It wasn’t all Bruno. Maguire and AWB had improved the back four and made us more solid also for me.

Contribution last season from jan ? He didn’t….he scored 8 and had 4 assists. Five of the goals were penalties, which funnily enough given the context of this conversation seemed to stop counting the season Pogba scored a lot, the three goals he scored from open play we’re in games we drew or lost and two of the four assists were in a 9-0 win. More importantly his performances were generally poor from jan to May though. It’s quite ridiculous to say he carried us t second last season as it wasn’t the case and extremely unfair to players like Shaw, Cavani, Pogba, Maguire who had a bigger impact.

Bruno is the only player I’ve ever seen get all the credit for the teams results despite his own performances. It’s bizarre.
The thing is that season we already had Rashford and Pogba. Rashford got injured in January actually when Bruno was signed. From the game we signed Bruno, we started winning games, I am not sure how you can say he wasn't a big reason why we got top 4.

I wouldn't stop counting Pogba stats either, I would actually be happy if Pogba got us 10 GA from now to the end of the season because If Pogba and Bruno do well, we will do well.
 

Jeppers7

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The thing is that season we already had Rashford and Pogba. Rashford got injured in January actually when Bruno was signed. From the game we signed Bruno, we started winning games, I am not sure how you can say he wasn't a big reason why we got top 4.

I wouldn't stop counting Pogba stats either, I would actually be happy if Pogba got us 10 GA from now to the end of the season because If Pogba and Bruno do well, we will do well.
I’d say he was the biggest reason we got top four his first season. He was a breath of fresh air and we got a huge initial bounce. My opinion is that it hasn’t though lifted the team up levels beyond that and he wasn’t the reason we got top four last season, although like others he was an important part of a team that finished second.
 

romufc

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I’d say he was the biggest reason we got top four his first season. He was a breath of fresh air and we got a huge initial bounce. My opinion is that it hasn’t though lifted the team up levels beyond that and he wasn’t the reason we got top four last season, although like others he was an important part of a team that finished second.
Yeah, I agree. I am not that deluded to ignore his faults. I think there is alot he can do to improve and become a better player.

The one thing I do want to see him improve on is his ball playing ability in our half. He has costed us alot of goals by not being able to shield the ball, in which we criticised Pogba alot, losing the ball in dangerous areas.
 

Jeppers7

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Yeah, I agree. I am not that deluded to ignore his faults. I think there is alot he can do to improve and become a better player.

The one thing I do want to see him improve on is his ball playing ability in our half. He has costed us alot of goals by not being able to shield the ball, in which we criticised Pogba alot, losing the ball in dangerous areas.
Overall my opinion is no different for the entire team, in the main, than for individuals.

We need to improve, sadly (for me) I think we will lose Pogba but the likes of DeGea,Varane,Sancho,Bruno can be a staple of a good side in the future....the rest is a big worry due to either form or just ability.
 

troylocker

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Yeah he won the nations league with Portugal with Ronaldo and Silva carrying the team (teams Weren't really pumped for the tournament then)

His goals in those games where penalties, West Ham and Leicester are midtable teams only Spurs, Liverpool and city are big teams,city and Spurs goals were penalties, good free kick for the Liverpool goal and I think he scored a good goal (but had a poor performance against them last season over 2 legs) but that's it.
He has 3 goals and 3 assist under ragnick since he stopped taking penalties, majority of his goal contribution came under ole during his Free role days and even till now he still leaves the midfield vulnerable with his overlapping and erratic passes.

He's been a good signing but he's held to a level he doesn't belong to at all, he still has a lot to prove.
You are really sticking your neck out in this thread. Why this frustration with our most productive player?

Bruno has 5 goals and 4 assists in 1218 minutes since RR took over. That's 0,37 npG90 (non penalty goals per 90) and 0,30 A90 (assists per 90)

We can split up his time here in 4 periods:

2020 (19/20+first half of 20/21 season):
26 goals (14 penalties) and 17 assists in 3588 minutes: 0,30 npG90 + 0,43 A90 = 0,73 npG90+A90

From 1/1-21 and the rest of the 20/21 season (His worst period here)
14 goals (7 penalties) and 8 assists in 2828 minutes: 0,22 npG90 + 0,26 A90 = 0,48 npG90+A90

The "bad season"
21/22 season under Ole:
4 goals and 8 assists in 1389 minutes: 0,26 npG90 + 0,52 A90 = 0,78 npG90+A90

21/22 season under RR:
5 goals and 4 assists in 1218 minutes: 0,37 npG90 + 0,30 A90 = 0,67 npG90+A90

This season under all three managers:
9 goals and 13 assists in 2720 minutes: 0,30 npG90 + 0,43 A90 = 0,73 npG90+A90

So he has pretty much produced identical numbers this season to what he did in his first "miracle" year.

He has 4 goals (2pens) and 7 assists for us in 802 minutes in the Champions League. That is 1,01 npG+A/90
What more do you want from your attacking midfielders?

Pogba has 2 goals (Both against Young Boys and 1 were a penalty) and 4 assists in 1445 minutes. 0,31 npG+A/90
Who's been the most important for us of the two in the CL?


Just a quick numbers comparison with KDB for City, who's been by far the best team in England the last 6 and a half seasons, winning 3 PL, 1 FA Cup, 5 League Cups, with him being their best player in that period and playing in a similar role. I'll throw in Bernardo Silva as a bonus for you:

Goals and goalcontribution (Bernardo is a bit behind in this regard):
Bruno for us in all comps: 49 goals (21 penalties) and 38 assists in 9136 minutes - 0,28 npG90 + 0,37 A90 = 0,65 npG+A/90 or 0,86 G+A/90
KDB for City in all comps: 75 goals (6 penalties) and 114 assists in 21910 minutes - 0,28 npG90 + 0,47 A90 = 0,75 npG+A/90 or 0,78 G+A/90
Silva for City in all comps: 45 goals and 47 assists in 16182 minutes - 0,25 npG90 + 0,26 A90 = 0,51 npG+A/90 or 0,51 G+A/90

Pressing and defensive contributions (Bruno a harder worker than KDB and similar to Bernardo):
Bruno: 20,5 pressings per 90 (Pogba does 12,1), 1,22 successful tackles per 90 and 0,80 interceptions per 90.
KDB: 13,8 pressings per 90, 1,09 successful tackles per 90 and 0,78 interceptions per 90.
Silva: 19,3 pressings per 90, 1,07 successful tackles per 90 and 0,90 interceptions per 90.

Possession (KDB is better with the ball in his feet):
Bruno: 0,72 successful dribbles 90 with a successrate of 49%, 2,18 carries into the final 3rd per 90 and 0,48 carries into the oppo-box per 90
KDB: 1,24 successful dribbles 90 with a successrate of 62%, 2,76 carries into the final 3rd per 90 and 0,75 carries into the oppo-box per 90
Silva: 1,64 successful dribbles 90 with a successrate of 64%, 2,91 carries into the final 3rd per 90 and 1,35 carries into the oppo-box per 90
Bruno is a bit more involved in games than KDB though: 74,5 involvements per 90 for Bruno and 62,7 for KDB (66 for Silva)

Passing creativity (Bruno is slightly more verical in his passing and takes slightly more risk: 73,6% completed passes vs. 76,2% for KDB. KDB hits that high xG pass a bit more often):
Bruno: 2,9 key passes per 90 - 5,1 completed passes into the final 3rd - 2,73 completed passes into oppo-box på 90 - 6,3 progressive passes per 90 - 0,36xA90
KDB: 2,6 key passses per 90 - 4,4 completed passes into the final 3rd - 2,52 completed passes into oppo-box på 90 - 5,9 progressive passes per 90 - 0,43xA90
Silva: 1,7 key passses per 90 - 2,8 completed passes into the final 3rd - 1,56 completed passes into oppo-box på 90 - 3,7 progressive passes per 90 - 0,19xA90
This is where Bruno and KDB are so special, while Silva is just good.

Finishing style (very similar):
Bruno: 2,87 shots per 90 - 21,5 yards avg. distance per shot
KDB: 2,90 shots per 90 - 21,4 yards avg. distance per shot
They also both consistantly overperform their npxG and stand out as excellent finishers, while Silva averages around his npxG.
Bernardo is more at the end of crosses and a lot closer to goal when shooting: 1,59 shots per 90 - 13,9 yards avg. distance per shot.

Bruno has scored from 21/23 (91%) penalties for us while KDB has scored from 6/8 (75%) (Silva has never taken a penalty)

Bruno has been nothing but sensational for us since he came here, there is no need to downplay that. He has that x-factor and creativity that is so rear. He plays with more risk than less creative players so he will get a lower completed pass %, but with a high reward. He isn't the best dribbler, but his endproduct, creativity and workrate is up there with the best of the best (His numbers (npG+A/90) with us so far is better than Beckhams, Scholes, Özils, Fabregas, Gerrards and Lampards, even without the penalties)
As for Pogba, he has a superhigh ceiling, but is also extremely inconsistant. You might get the WC version or the version that singlehandedly gives your opponent the win and there's no way of knowing who turns up.
 
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Yagami

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Another goal contribution along with another terrible performance.

today's game was the perfect showing of each side of the fence. On one side, people will look back at this game as an example of him performing in a big game due to the assist. On the other side, people - including myself - will look back on this as an example of why we can't play well in big games due to how much of a hindrance he is to our general play.

A typical Bruno game.

In my opinion, we're winning nothing with him as a starter. I'm not even talking about the premier league or champions league. When the going gets tough, which it always will at some point in competing for any trophy, he becomes too much of a hindrance. As long as he's considered a key player, we're going nowhere.
 
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Another goal contribution along with another terrible performance.

today's game was the perfect showing of each side of the fence. On one side, people will look back at this game as an example of him performing in a big game due to the assist. On the other side, people - including myself - will look back on this as an example of why we can't play well in big games due to how much of a hindrance he is to our general play.

A typical Bruno game.

In my opinion, we're winning nothing with him as a starter. I'm not even talking about the premier league or champions league. When the going gets tough, which it always will at some point in competing for any trophy, he becomes too much of a hindrance. As long as he's considered a key player, we're going nowhere.
Plenty of very successful teams have/had wasteful players, our issue isn’t that our most creative player is so wasteful, it’s that 90% of the non-creative ones constantly give the ball away.
 

Yagami

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Plenty of very successful teams have/had wasteful players, our issue isn’t that our most creative player is so wasteful, it’s that 90% of the non-creative ones constantly give the ball away.
In previous eras where football was more end-to-end, sure. Nowadays, when being able to keep the ball is so important, I can't see how we're going to be successful when we have Bruno gifting the opposition the ball every other minute. It's not even the fact that he gives it away trying Hollywood stuff. He's guilty of giving it away incredibly cheaply, too. When we're trying to control a game and compose ourselves, or pin an opposition team back in their half, it becomes impossible to do any of this with such wastefulness.

He's not the only guilty one, no, but we know the other guilty ones aren't good enough and need upgrading on. Bruno is apart of that group, for me. The sooner we get out of this habit of letting Bruno do what he wants because he creates things, and focus more on building a team that relies more on team play instead of individualism, the better.
 

hobbers

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He's a genuine liability in our own half. For god sake keep him away from the defenders.

I dont mind him trying passes that dont come off on the opponents 30 yard line, but not ours.
 

jesperjaap

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No doubt he had a huge influence when he first arrived and the stats are still insane...

But tonight was for me a prime example of Fernandes this season. Will be remembered in the stats locker like he was on tv for another exist that he has had in every game in the cha,pions league, but the first half especially (hardl alone I know) he was absolutely dreadful.

DOnt know the stats but hit will proabbly show a few shots, an assist, a dcent pass compeltion rate (he came deep for the middle period of the game and kept the ball flowing, rest of it he gave the ball away almsot every time he touched it)

The one stat that is a very true one however is distance covered. The thing saves him from criticism others get for me is his work rate and desire, that is world class, though I like and rate him, personaly at least, despite his ability and moments of magic, I dont think the rest of his game is at the levels many seem to think.
 

NewYorkRed

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He was awful today, truly was. We need to get players around him who can keep the ball and give it to him in the final third. Him dropping deep is a total disastor.
 

Fortitude

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Can't help but feel his best position on the pitch would be as a false 9 with wide men overlapping where his wastefulness isn't so costly, and he can't do as many unwise, ill-thought out actions that put the team in jeopardy.

The better the teams we face, the worse he becomes because he sees less of the ball and every errant or wild action looks far worse, like he's lacking intelligence for even attempting such low percentage actions.

I think a lot of that is negated by purposely making him the player who is supposed to deliver the final action rather than being a secondary cog in the machine who is supposed to pick and choose his moments and not treat the ball like it's a bomb he has to get rid of as quickly as possible no matter the circumstance.

I think @Yagami is right, though. He's not the type of player you see in teams at the very top of the food chain and I think his limitations become obvious when he's up against very good defensive midfielders or very aggressive, organised pressing.
 

Isotope

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Another goal contribution along with another terrible performance.

today's game was the perfect showing of each side of the fence. On one side, people will look back at this game as an example of him performing in a big game due to the assist. On the other side, people - including myself - will look back on this as an example of why we can't play well in big games due to how much of a hindrance he is to our general play.

A typical Bruno game.

In my opinion, we're winning nothing with him as a starter. I'm not even talking about the premier league or champions league. When the going gets tough, which it always will at some point in competing for any trophy, he becomes too much of a hindrance. As long as he's considered a key player, we're going nowhere.
Are you saying United should NOT play him in big games, because he's such a hindrance to our GAME?
 

AneRu

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In previous eras where football was more end-to-end, sure. Nowadays, when being able to keep the ball is so important, I can't see how we're going to be successful when we have Bruno gifting the opposition the ball every other minute. It's not even the fact that he gives it away trying Hollywood stuff. He's guilty of giving it away incredibly cheaply, too. When we're trying to control a game and compose ourselves, or pin an opposition team back in their half, it becomes impossible to do any of this with such wastefulness.

He's not the only guilty one, no, but we know the other guilty ones aren't good enough and need upgrading on. Bruno is apart of that group, for me. The sooner we get out of this habit of letting Bruno do what he wants because he creates things, and focus more on building a team that relies more on team play instead of individualism, the better.
Bruno is infuriating but he is far from our biggest issue imo. If this team had a world class striker in his prime, a top class right winger, proper balance in midfield like that rovided by a top DM in his prime and a world class defense like any top team should have a player like Bruno would be worth his weight in gold, even in the fabled big games because even they, like we saw tonight, can be decided in single moments that Bruno guarantees in every match he plays and a better team around him helps cover his weaknesses.

For example, Liverpool with Salah, Mane, Fabinho and VVD are able to carry a defensively poor but insanely creative Right Back and still be successful, why? Because they have the attack to take full advantage of his creativity and a defense capable of covering his weaknesses. This is what we need for Bruno and the fact is even without him we'd still need the same to compete at the top level so the onus is on the club to keep improving like it should and be in a better position to utilize Bruno's talents in and around the opponent's goal.
 

Teja

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Atleti targeted him in particular - think they had a guy on him for basically the first 30 mins of the game - Park Ji Sung on Pirlo type of man marking.

He is prone to giving the ball away and doing stupid things with his back towards goal and a defender steaming into him at pace. Gave away the goal at Leeds and can think of several other dangerous situations he put us in.

Anyway, hope he can learn from his mistakes - he's still one of our best players, one stinker doesn't change anything in my mind.