[Pogue Mahone]

I just enjoy watching him play. Even when he’s playing badly there will be moments that get you off your seat. The flick up/volley pass was a foot or two away from being glorious, he got an assist, played a vital role in both goals and was the width of the post away from scoring yet another goal. Not bad for an off day!

 

[mu4c_20le]

He’s definitely been great, signing of the season for me, but this whole raised everyone’s game is some nonsense. People just love these narratives. Rashford and Martial were already balling out. Bruno has had little to do with Matic’s resurgence or Greenwood’s development. Pogba has always been a special player. Wan Bissaka has a dedicated thread here affectionately calling him “Wall-Bissaka”.

come on.

Thank you. I get why people are excited but he was literally deified during that run right after the lockdown. Some people said it best back in January, his impact just shows us how badly we were handicapped with Lingard/Pereira in the 10 position, which is essential in way Ole has us playing right now.

 

[Fracture90]

He's a bit wasteful, isn't he? I get that he's always looking forward and trying to set up things, but i feel like he's forcing the issue on occasions when his tunnel vision sets in. It's alright to slow down a bit on occasion.

 

[Red00012]

Literally if every pass doesn’t come off he’s labelled poor on here.

Do ye want to go back to Lingard running around a lot and not getting on the ball ???

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

Did he get the assist for the first goal?

 

[Cutch]

Unbelievably wasteful tonight but did have an excellent last half hour. First hour was like watching Nani at his most annoying

 

[sammsky1]

Makes match winning contributions and is hugely influential even when he is totally knackered and has nothing in the tank.
Very impressive character and self motivation.
Has to be our POTY.

 

[A-man]

Mixed bag today. Involved in almost everything forward and both goals, but he also screw up the counter attacks which are necessary to break down the press.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Literally if every pass doesn’t come off he’s labelled poor on here.

Do ye want to go back to Lingard running around a lot and not getting on the ball ???

There’s a big difference though. Palace scores directly after we had an attack that he broke down with trying a pass that didn’t need to be bit so early. He could have carried it a bit further and then reassessed his options.

nobody is saying don’t be creative but just don’t give it away so cheaply, there is a balance that can be found.

 

[Davie Moyes]

He looks tired. I wonder if he would be better off conserving some energy off the ball instead of harrying and pressing everything in sight.

 

[Mr Smith]

So obviously he wasn't great tonight and gave the ball away a lot, but I'm ok with that. My frustration with him is positioning. In the first half he was playing so high he was effectively beaside Martial, so we're in effect playing a 442. And we wonder why we struggled to get control of the game?

Bruno needs to drop deep and help out his teammates more. Had the same problem against Southampton. Not sure if this is just him or an instruction from the coaching staff, but it needs to change.

 

[predator]

He’s definitely been great, signing of the season for me, but this whole raised everyone’s game is some nonsense. People just love these narratives. Rashford and Martial were already balling out. Bruno has had little to do with Matic’s resurgence or Greenwood’s development. Pogba has always been a special player. Wan Bissaka has a dedicated thread here affectionately calling him “Wall-Bissaka”.

come on.

Fair enough. It was worded badly but I do think he has elevated us as a team and has raised a few key players games.

Imo Rashford and Martial have improved their decision making considerably since the arrival of bruno. Im not saying bruno deserves a bj for it because it may be coincidence but I can definitely see an improvement in their games follwing his arrival.

Also he comes across as mentally tough and won't accept mediocrity which I think has rubbed off on a few.

Also I think Pogba is relishing playing alongside him...

 

[Rozay]

He’s got at least another level to go up. His game is very untidy, and he’s still on the young side. I’d hope by the time he’s about 27 or so, he’d be even better.

 

[DrRodo]

Hehe it seems many fans wants cleverley back with his safe sideway passes and almost 90% pass success rate

Come on, i dont care he misses some passes here and there, he is ridiculous effective, yet some still complain...

 

[RooneyLegend]

So obviously he wasn't great tonight and gave the ball away a lot, but I'm ok with that. My frustration with him is positioning. In the first half he was playing so high he was effectively beaside Martial, so we're in effect playing a 442. And we wonder why we struggled to get control of the game?

Bruno needs to drop deep and help out his teammates more. Had the same problem against Southampton. Not sure if this is just him or an instruction from the coaching staff, but it needs to change.

Honestly think that's a coaching instruction.

 

[MikeKing]

He is insane. He is a super specialist attacking midfielder. How many chances created if some of his passes weren't so sloppy? He is involved in everything in our attack, but he works the hardest on the team too. Playing Bruno is like having two players on the pitch. Seems to be at two places at once sometimes. but also, "He needs to be in the moment, focused on his final ball". Either way his incredible numbers speak for themselves.

 

[hungrywing]

A few times on the break he received the ball around the center of the pitch and immediately went for the long forward pass instead of running with the ball and drawing defenders before playing someone in.

Not necessarily the wrong decisions, but seeing as how he kept doing it, one does wonder if he's tired.

 

[Adamsk7]

Looked tired, tried to force the issue and overall not a good game and yet he still ran himself in to the ground, played a great pass for Rashford for the second goal and nearly scored with his shot against the post. He’s so effective, even at his least effective.

 

[Stadjer]

Players that take risks are fun players. Bruno takes risks and actually makes it fun to watch Manchester United games again... something that wasnt fun for a long period. That his passing stat isnt perfect doesnt matter.. i rather see him keep trying to make to passes with risk than start boring 95% pass completion sideway passes to keep possession all the time.

 

[Mr Smith]

Honestly think that's a coaching instruction.

Yeah it felt like it. But it needs to change. Martial had shown he can hold the ball up, why do we need Bruno right next to him? We'll suffer against better teams if we keep it up I feel.

 

[Annihilate Now!]

His passing was truly rubbish at times... But still managed two out three moments of top quality that changed things.

 

[Nick7]

Looks absolutely bollocksed. I would like him to take more time on the ball and drop deeper to be honest.

 

[bosnian_red]

Improved a lot as the game went on I think. Some brilliant almost passes (like the flick up volley that almost got through to the right wing, AWB or Greenwood), some sloppy moments but still played the pass in to Rashford for the first (for some reason not counting as an assist?) and a very good one to Rashford for the 2nd.

He's the type of player that you just keep on the pitch even in a bad performance as he'll still do something out of nothing or can produce the key moment.

 

[Paul_Scholes18]

The next manager may want to replace him. Someone like Pep would not like him given the ball away so much.
Although I am sure it can be improved with coaching. I guess he has instructions to take many risks with his passing.

 

[Tom Van Persie]

Literally if every pass doesn’t come off he’s labelled poor on here.

Do ye want to go back to Lingard running around a lot and not getting on the ball ???

It's mind boggling.

 

[SportingCP96]

There is a reason he has such insane stats both for Sporting and for United. He makes such low percentage lets call it forward passes or shots that other wont either A. Attempt or B. Have the quality to do them.
Those MAKE goals and will unlock any defense which is why he keeps trying it and trying and knocking on that door and forcing it until it eventually goes through. If you keep making the safe pass or a lateral pass your not going anywhere. His mentality is "lets keep going at them and making them defend those uncomfortable situations until they budge.

Its not an accident he has the stats that he does.

Even with a meh performance this and last game he still had his influence on the scoreboard with an assist in each game.

 

[Morpheus 7]

Bruno looks tired, tiredness leads to concentration issues with bad passing. He's such a good player though people need to recognize this, he still makes things happen. Heavily involved in both goals. That's what counts at the end.

 

[sammsky1]

There is a reason he has such insane stats both for Sporting and for United. He makes such low percentage lets call it forward passes or shots that other wont either A. Attempt or B. Have the quality to do them.
Those MAKE goals and will unlock any defense which is why he keeps trying it and trying and knocking on that door and forcing it until it eventually goes through. If you keep making the safe pass or a lateral pass your not going anywhere. His mentality is "lets keep going at them and making them defend those uncomfortable situations until they budge.

Its not an accident he has the stats that he does.

Even with a meh performance this and last game he still had his influence on the scoreboard with an assist in each game.

He is absolutely perfect for a SAF/OGS style Manchester United player. A match winner, even when he plays badly because he is knackered!
I still don't understand why no-one else was ever in for him. Can you please explain?

 

[SportingCP96]

He is absolutely perfect for a SAF/OGS style Manchester United player. A match winner, even when he plays badly because he is knackered!
I still don't understand why no-one else was ever in for him. Can you please explain?

Thats the thing with Bruno though, he even did it at Sporting. When he is having a bad game or bad run of form his name is still always on the scoresheet whether it be a goal or an assist. That is not an easy thing to do at all.

His "risky" style of play is why. Him having a 80% pass completion has nothing to do with his quality as a player but rather his style of play/mentality when approaching a game.

Lets use today as an example. United and him included were absolutely poor, had he just done the "safe" pass or just pass it to the side or back where would United get a goal? (Not saying other players cant pop up I am just talking/explaining why Bruno plays the passes he does). He will keep trying that forward pass or difficult pass until something happens.

 

[Vaibhav Raj]

I understand that risk taking is a part of his game but he doesn't necessarily need to always do that. Especially when we are counter attacking and our forwards outnumbering or equalling opposition defenders in number. For someone so intelligent, he is still looking for that one killer pass that will land into the path of the forward closest to goal as opposed to looking for the player in more space and keeping the ball moving, getting somewhat closer to the goal himself and then doing that killer, risky pass or having a shot himself. He seems to have decent accuracy with his shots. As someone said, it could be tiredness or it could be the fact that he's being a little too eager in the counter attacks.

 

[Canagel]

Why is he abandoning the midfield recently I dont understand? his position is evem more erratic than his passing and makes our midfield look suspect as hell.
. I even saw online that his average position is higher than Martial.. Is it a suppposed to be a new tactic or something ?

 

[Revan]

Poor performance. One assist, and inches from scoring a goal. It is amazing how even in matches when he is totally off, he can still rank up goals and assists.

 

[jesperjaap]

What I really like about him is he just doesnt stop working, organising, pressing and trying imaginative passes. Even when playing badly as he did tonight, in fact he was so wasteful it was woeful at times, but he stuck with it and it turned for us with his contribution in the last third of the day.

We really cant expect him to play every game like he has the first couple of months, but what I think stops him being another Veron or DiMaria, who also were fantastic for us lets not forget for the first 10 games or so, is this attitude he has to go with his talent.

We have struggled the last couple of games and I think its no coincidence that this has happened when he hasnt played so well.

 

[RepardReece]

Seeing a lot of people complain about how much risk-taking he takes during games. Honestly, I don't get it, the risk-taking is a huge amount of what we lacked during the start of the season, would you rather him take safe short uncreative passes like Lingard and go back to not scoring goals?

Fair enough, as we've seen today a lot of the time it doesn't pan out, but it gets the opposition thinking. You don't know what he's going to do. Personally, I love it, and I think we'll lose a lot if he plays a safer option more often. If he did that, we wouldn't have had this sudden surge for the top 4, it's like a lot of fans would rather revert to our lack of goals and uncreative attacking display.

He was relatively poor today, but still managed to assist, almost score and play a huge part in our second goal. Shows just how good a player he is. He definitely needs a rest though, I don't want to see him in the starting XI vs Chelsea.

 

[Silas]

Why is he abandoning the midfield recently I dont understand? his position is evem more erratic than his passing and makes our midfield look suspect as hell.
. I even saw online that his average position is higher than Martial.. Is it a suppposed to be a new tactic or something ?

Yeah this is my main concern. With McTominay beside him, Pogba was basically our entire midfield at times. Down to instructions I'm guessing.

 

[Web of Bissaka]

Why is he abandoning the midfield recently I dont understand? his position is evem more erratic than his passing and makes our midfield look suspect as hell.
. I even saw online that his average position is higher than Martial.. Is it a suppposed to be a new tactic or something ?

Yep, instructions from the coaches.

1. Position himself higher to prepare quicker counter attack and join high pressings.
2. When our two forwards moved infield near to Martial, Bruno need to move himself to the wing.

Basically move further away from the centre.
I think this is also to let Pogba dictating more in centre, with Bruno dictating out wide and further up.

I don't like it.

 

[el3mel]

Very poor tonight. He looks totally knackered tbh. We should rest him against Chelsea and go with Fred-Matic-Pogba as a midfield instead. A rest will do him a lot of good.

 

[mariachi-19]

Why is he abandoning the midfield recently I dont understand? his position is evem more erratic than his passing and makes our midfield look suspect as hell.
. I even saw online that his average position is higher than Martial.. Is it a suppposed to be a new tactic or something ?

I'd imagine this is how we counteract the high press. More bodies up field to capitalise on the gaps in behind the midfield.

TBF, last two games we should have 3 or 4 more goals from this.

 

[MileStolar]

0

Definitely shouldnt play against Chelsea. At least for the first 70 minutes. Rest him. We need him at his best for the last two games.

Agreed we should play Fred &.McT like we usually do against stronger sides, their energy can prevail in a match like this.
Bruno desperately needs a rest, front three too, Matić got some today but we all know he's gash when overplayed.

 

[Blood Mage]

I enjoy a player who takes risks but when that player hits a bad patch of form it can be detrimental to do so. Still, his work-rate and sense of urgency is important to our attacking play even if his passing is erratic at the moment.