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8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 48
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 12
-
In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) was joined by comedian Ali Woods to look back at the best and worst moments of a rollercoaster season with the annual United Hour Awards.
Has Ten Hag been sacked yet? We're not sure and we hope not, but it's looking more likely as the days pass.
Who should replace him and why is it taking so long to make a decision?
"Deep completions" 
"Deep completions"
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Imagine having the most big chances created in the league and not near winning the top assister in the league.
Bruno can be frustrating at times but he is the only player that can create.
Thst game against Palace that we lost 4-0 and was bashed without him was a typical game for us away from home the only difference at 1-0 down Bruno would create a chance or score and get us back level then the game changes.
Bruno can be frustrating at times but he is the only player that can create.
Thst game against Palace that we lost 4-0 and was bashed without him was a typical game for us away from home the only difference at 1-0 down Bruno would create a chance or score and get us back level then the game changes.
Salah has the most big chances created in league, and only has two more assists. This season was a bit weird in how the most creative players in the league didn't get more than 10 assists each. I think the only reason De Bruyne didn't win that was because he was injured. He has 2000 fewer minutes played than Bruno, but still wound up with the same amount of big chances created. Foden, for instance, was no where near Bruno or De Bruyne in terms of chance creation, but we all know he is excellent at unlocking defenses with quick feet and one-twos.
I think Bruno deserves to play in a better United team, but at the same time he is the absolute perfect player for the counter attacking transition football we're playing. Would he be as good for a team that focuses mainly on control and possession? How would he look in that Arsenal team?
I think he would be even better. Why? Because to be able to create what he creates you have to be able to react fast and have good technique. With better teammates, and a world class manager who understands what his players are capable of, Bruno's abilities would be even more useful to the team. In a "control and possession" team you need the guy with the imagination to unlock the tight defenses, and Bruno can be that.
You could apply this logic to any player, though. Your idea is that Bruno is held back because of the manager and his team mates, but wouldn't that also be the case for Andreas Pereira for Fulham? He created 84 chances and had 7 assists (which is not far from Bruno) playing for one of the worst attacking teams in the league, so obviously he would be better off playing under a better manager and better players around him, but do you think if Arsenal signed him that they would be a better team? Don't get me wrong, Bruno is ten times the player, but I'm just saying the logic you're applying to it can be said for every player.
The ultimate goal of a signing or a new player should be to improve the team's performance, not increase an individual player's numbers. You're creating a scenario where Bruno don't any have weaknesses, which is not the case. In a control and possession side, first and foremost, you need your midfielders to be exactly that. Excellent in possession, you need to be calm with the ball and have the ability to protect it. Bruno does not have the body strength, the ability to resist the press, nor the body or ball manipulation required to play in a side like that.
He doesn't fit any play style just because he is a great player. He would very likely have better numbers playing for Arsenal, but they would not be a better team if they replaced Ødegaard with him.
Regarding your comment that you need a player with the imagination to unlock defenses, I very much disagree. Creating chances is very easy if you have movement in your team and play together as a team. Newcastle play with three box-to-box midfielders, none who are particularly creative titans, but create insanely many chances and have scored a ton of goals. Relying on a single player to create is a recipe for inconsistent, incoherent attacking football. It makes no sense, and I can't think of a single top team that plays this way.
Your post got me thinking, though. I tried to remember the last time Bruno actually opened a tight defense outside the box with a sick pass, and the last time I remember was the assist to Martial against Everton. I looked up his highlights from this season and I found only one, which was a brilliant pass to McTominay who - to no one's surprise - missed it. Almost all of his chances are from long balls to Rashford, Garnacho or Antony or from crossing and set pieces.
So when you were talking about him being the player to unlock tight defenses, what chances were you thinking of? What I saw and have seen of him only supported my claim that he is the perfect player for counter attacking football.
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Makes sense. But "control and possession" teams have those traits for reasons, they avoid taking risks until the chances are right and they control the tempo by not getting rushed. I am not going to say that Bruno can't do it. But I can see that such a playstyle takes away some of his strongest points: vision and audacity to attempt passes.
Does City take away "vision and audacity to attempt passes" from KDB?
Maybe. You don't know how he would play for us and under ETH, don't you? Its always give and take, for one player to take risks, the team must be ready to pay the debt. City's team is ready and I have never heard anyone describing KDB as reckless on the ball. Our team in the last 5 years definitely wasn't ready for the most part. So yeah, maybe Bruno would look just like KDB in Citys team. I have strong doubts but I guess we'll never find out.
Very well said
He played in plenty of matches where we got routinely battered and had little positive effect, with a fair few negatives like relentlessly giving the ball away, diving and whinging - the Bournemouth 3-0 being a good example
Man City 1:2 Man Utd
New
My captain. Love him.
Been at his absolute best this latter end of the season.
Very good game, minus that dumbass shot at end that thankfully didn't matter. Great pass to mainoo
He had 2 months of immense quality coupled with great decision making, and then he does that shit in the final minute
I was ready to punch somethingLiterally a legend.
He was fecking immense! my MotM for me.
Probably one of his best games for us in terms of complete performance and the actual occasion.
Was absolutely fantastic today.
Was absolutely fantastic today.
That pass. Might be his best ever assist
He's a club legend and he has to stay forever.
Might genuinely be the best I have ever seen him play.
No words. Ended the season in incredible form and another big performance today, especially in that first half.
Can see how much he really cares for this club! What a captain
That fecking pass man.
Best signing post fergie. No contest.
Love bruno.
My captain.
My captain.
Captain's performance.
Great pass for the goal.
Excellent performance overall.
Excellent performance overall.
Bruno crying.
O Captain, My Captain! Phenomenal towards the end of the season! We need to keep him, Legend!
I will actually cry if he leaves.
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That moment in the first where he outplayed all 3 of City's midfielders.
Love him. Hope us and him can push forward next season.
Love him. Hope us and him can push forward next season.
I think we can finally put the "not worthy of the captaincy" argument to bed. He has been by a mile our best and most important player the last quarter of the season. The amount of chances he creates I think is seriously undervalued at times, and he has been so much cleaner in possession when playing closer to Mainoo who he can actually link with.
Today he was Messi-esque. Really Qatar 2022 Messi level.
Even his assist was Messi-esque.
Even his assist was Messi-esque.
Well that is expected seeing he is the playmaker
Yeah, players constantly achieving this against Man City. Happens week in week out. Nothing notable about it at all.