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2023-24 Performances


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5.4 Season Average Rating
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48
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15
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amolbhatia50k

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Yep, this sums it up well. They're capable of match-winning moments more than most of our other players (though not so much recently, obviously), but their weaknesses are simultaneously holding us back.
The solution to this problem was to build a quality team that progressed to such an extent where these two have to work their socks off and perform every week to keep their place but sadly as usual we’ve failed in this regard. When you are poorly run, it gives poor performing players leeway and undue importance.

I mean out of the two I do feel that Bruno is a very good footballer but he’s also a tactical issue and hasn’t worked enough on his general play.
 

Maureen-yo

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He’s simply too sloppy and especially weak in tight spaces which is really problematic for a number 10. Where you want your number 10 to receive the ball on a tight space, skip away from his man and play a wide man into open space, Bruno is at best functional and at best poor in these situations. I don’t know how we are ever going to play fluid attacking football with him and Rashford as our supposedly iconic players.

I just wish we had a better squad to force these players to clean up their game.
I personally think Mount is better in that position.

You think it’s just those two players that stop us playing a fluid game? Our defence hold on to the ball needlessly with very, very little creativity, our midfield pivot of Casemiro and Amrabat is far too slow and isn’t fluid, Antony checks back at every opportunity or tries that curling Worldy and Bruno tries to force the ball nearly every time he gets it.

The tactics today were shit with Bruno and Mount shoe horned into the first 11 occupying the same spaces. This led to United having very little width down the right and meant the middle and left was congested. No surprise that we looked better when we actually had a right winger on instead of two number 10s. SAF always had two wingers that would stretch the pitch… maybe inverted wingers have changed that.

Also, City for example, have very composed technical defenders that draw players in creating spaces for the other players, ours don’t, they shit themselves and just “line it”, lose the ball or go back to Onana. They have a clear philosophy and style, I still can’t see that from ETH’s United, no surprise that no players are standing out yet this season.
 

ole@thewheel

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He is not a wide player, nor a central midfielder. Simple as that. You will get a average Bruno at best mediocre Bruno at worst if you play him there.

The only position he should play is second forward/trequartista role.

If ETH insists on playing him we should revert to a 4231/4411 shape with him playing off the striker.
 

FerociousCorgis

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Even his one decent shot from central came from the Brentford player screwing up the easy challenge and Bruno getting lucky with the ball bouncing right forward for him. Needs to be benched. Would love to see this team without him out there for a couple games tbh
 

Someone

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As inconsistent as Rashford, but works hard so won't be dropped. But he needs to be benched as well.
 

PSV

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I don’t know why people have to lie about this guy. In what planet was that solid? fecking hell
He served Mount on a platter in the first half and he hit the winning cross. On top of this he did some decent defensive work.
 

Zico1982

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I cannot fathom why we are even discussing Bruno at the moment. It is also seriously weird, that he is still starting. The performances have been bad for how long now? Bruno can be a fantastic player, but his form is abysmal right now. He will be back, but he should not be a starter in the next couple of games. It is benchtime for Fernandes...
 

jesperjaap

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Lets be honest, he has been herre now pretty much the same period of time as Pogba was.......over his career here, has he actually been any better when you look beyond stats?
 

Zlaatan

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He served Mount on a platter in the first half and he hit the winning cross. On top of this he did some decent defensive work.
Praising him for hitting the winning cross is really scraping the bottom of the barrel. Just because it leads to a goal doesn't mean the most basic of things a footballer can do is something worthy of praise.
 

Chicharo

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Can anyone genuinely recall a single game where he actually performed well while playing wide? But that's more of a question for ETH
I'll never be able to see him as a proper leader of a team who's competing for the title, but I know he won't be dropped at any point
 

amolbhatia50k

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Can anyone genuinely recall a single game where he actually performed well while playing wide? But that's more of a question for ETH
I'll never be able to see him as a proper leader of a team who's competing for the title, but I know he won't be dropped at any point
Leicester City I think last season where he was excellent
 

Snow

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I love Bruno as a player and think he is our best footballer and has been since joining us but this season he's not been playing well. Won us 2 points on his own because we were terrible against Burnley, played a good game against Forest but that's only 20% of good performances. I can give him a little bit of leeway as he has had to play out of position, he's in fact had to play 5 different positions this season and that messes with consistency for sure but the basics just haven't been there this season and there's been less penetrative positives from him and worse finishing. Statistically, even though he's below his average in pass completion he's average 3 key passes per match which is quite high so he's at least doing something right each game
 

gajender

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I love Bruno as a player and think he is our best footballer and has been since joining us but this season he's not been playing well. Won us 2 points on his own because we were terrible against Burnley, played a good game against Forest but that's only 20% of good performances. I can give him a little bit of leeway as he has had to play out of position, he's in fact had to play 5 different positions this season and that messes with consistency for sure but the basics just haven't been there this season and there's been less penetrative positives from him and worse finishing. Statistically, even though he's below his average in pass completion he's average 3 key passes per match which is quite high so he's at least doing something right each game
You even thinking That right there is a big problem and the fact it might actually be quite closer to the truth is an embarrassment for the Club of United's stature and resources .

Bruno while being a Good player have few obvious qualities but is a fairly limited footballer otherwise and no Big Club having aspirations to compete at the highest level should have him as their best footballer or even Best player it spells trouble as we have seen with United .
 

Snow

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You even thinking That right there is a big problem and the fact it might actually be quite closer to the truth is an embarrassment for the Club of United's stature and resources .

Bruno while being a Good player have few obvious qualities but is a fairly limited footballer otherwise and no Big Club having aspirations to compete at the highest level should have him as their best footballer or even Best player it spells trouble as we have seen with United .
This is barely a sentence. What are you even saying? What are his good qualities? How is he limited? Why is it bad that he'd be a best player on a team? We scored 36 less goals than City last season but he had the same output as KDB, the best player in the league for several years now. Like KDB he also puts in a shift defensively. He's actually quite decent when the opposition has the ball. For the first time in a while we have a striker that makes it so his pressing abilities can be used more cohesively.

He's so ridiculously underrated here at times. If you look at statistics, he's the barometer for several stats. Meaning out of all the footballers in the world he scored the highest. Not only that but he scores among the highest in several defensive stats.

People dislike him and they can't explain why. Probably because he moaned a lot and does what Portuguese players do (notice he's not done that this season, coinsidence?).
 

gajender

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This is barely a sentence. What are you even saying? What are his good qualities? How is he limited? Why is it bad that he'd be a best player on a team? We scored 36 less goals than City last season but he had the same output as KDB, the best player in the league for several years now. Like KDB he also puts in a shift defensively. He's actually quite decent when the opposition has the ball. For the first time in a while we have a striker that makes it so his pressing abilities can be used more cohesively.

He's so ridiculously underrated here at times. If you look at statistics, he's the barometer for several stats. Meaning out of all the footballers in the world he scored the highest. Not only that but he scores among the highest in several defensive stats.
People dislike him and they can't explain why. Probably because he moaned a lot and does what Portuguese players do (notice he's not done that this season, coinsidence?).

Bruno's limitations and how it hinders the team dynamics has been done to death on this very forum So I would rather not go into that argument again .

It seems you aren't still ready to have real conversation about Fernandes So let's leave it at that , Eventually reality would dawn upon you as well it always does .
 
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Mr Smith

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Lets be honest, he has been herre now pretty much the same period of time as Pogba was.......over his career here, has he actually been any better when you look beyond stats?
Not sure if serious...

The negativity around here lately is producing some truly bizarre takes.
 

ROFLUTION

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He served Mount on a platter in the first half and he hit the winning cross. On top of this he did some decent defensive work.
Had a really hard shot saved too from the distance. Not his greatest game, but people just go black and white with the likes of Bruno and Rashford who xGI wise stil are ours and some of the leagues most involved players.
 

philippexyz

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It's sad to see that he still has a **** here who don't understand how he puts a limit on the team he plays for by being a "midfielder" who basically can't keep possession and gives the ball away constantly, for fun. With him, there is no control. If there is no control, things become more chaotic, random and you don't have the consistency needed to win the league (or be anywhere close to that), for example.

He needs to be shipped off, sooner the better. We have to give up on transitional football and play more sustainable, possession football with more midfield control, without Hollywood passes and hot potato midfield. I would take Maddison over Bruno, easily. Spurs are currently top of the league(without Harry Kane, by the way), and we're sitting at 10th place.

I know Bruno has some nice qualities, but he is also limited/flawed footballer and those limitations are not acceptable at the highest level - where we supposedly want to be.
 

Escobar

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Like Rashfors, he is not „in“ it currently. I would bench him and have him change his attitude and form first.
No way should he have been made captain either
 

lex talionis

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Bruno doesn’t complain when he’s played out position, but when he’s played out of position his contribution is near zero. He’s never going to beat a defender on the dribble or do anything wide right, so we end up forcing play to the left, which means Rashford, which means attacks end when he takes on the 2-3 defenders on the dribble.

At some point Erik will have to accept that Mason and Bruno is a marriage not made in heaven. Or perhaps he spread knows that and is beginning his phasing out of Bruno.
 

RuudTom83

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I think Portugal have games against Slovakia and Bosnia, so hopefully he can get a bit on confidence back against some easier opposition.
 

zaafi

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This is barely a sentence. What are you even saying? What are his good qualities? How is he limited? Why is it bad that he'd be a best player on a team? We scored 36 less goals than City last season but he had the same output as KDB, the best player in the league for several years now. Like KDB he also puts in a shift defensively. He's actually quite decent when the opposition has the ball. For the first time in a while we have a striker that makes it so his pressing abilities can be used more cohesively.

He's so ridiculously underrated here at times. If you look at statistics, he's the barometer for several stats. Meaning out of all the footballers in the world he scored the highest. Not only that but he scores among the highest in several defensive stats.

People dislike him and they can't explain why. Probably because he moaned a lot and does what Portuguese players do (notice he's not done that this season, coinsidence?).
Laughable post.

In what way did he have the same output as De Bruyne? How is he underrated? Most overrated United player I can remember. Why are you claiming he scores among the highest in several defensive stats?
 

OrcaFat

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This is barely a sentence. What are you even saying? What are his good qualities? How is he limited? Why is it bad that he'd be a best player on a team? We scored 36 less goals than City last season but he had the same output as KDB, the best player in the league for several years now. Like KDB he also puts in a shift defensively. He's actually quite decent when the opposition has the ball. For the first time in a while we have a striker that makes it so his pressing abilities can be used more cohesively.

He's so ridiculously underrated here at times. If you look at statistics, he's the barometer for several stats. Meaning out of all the footballers in the world he scored the highest. Not only that but he scores among the highest in several defensive stats.

People dislike him and they can't explain why. Probably because he moaned a lot and does what Portuguese players do (notice he's not done that this season, coinsidence?).
Yeah he’s underrated and under appreciated. He’s frustrating to watch sometimes and does things that make people angry. He gets a lot of criticism on here but pundits on tv don’t really see him the same way. They don’t focus on the stuff that doesn’t come off.
 

zaafi

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Had a really hard shot saved too from the distance. Not his greatest game, but people just go black and white with the likes of Bruno and Rashford who xGI wise stil are ours and some of the leagues most involved players.
Why should a shot on the goalkeeper be a contribution worth mentioning? The standards some have ffs
 

philippexyz

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Bruno doesn’t complain when he’s played out position, but when he’s played out of position his contribution is near zero. He’s never going to beat a defender on the dribble or do anything wide right, so we end up forcing play to the left, which means Rashford, which means attacks end when he takes on the 2-3 defenders on the dribble.

At some point Erik will have to accept that Mason and Bruno is a marriage not made in heaven. Or perhaps he spread knows that and is beginning his phasing out of Bruno.
I hope so, but probably not. Bruno will bring the sack to ETH(one of the main reasons). You can't play top football when you constantly give away control and possession.
 

V.O.

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Did the captaincy get to his head?
I mean, this is pretty much just regulation Bruno unfortunately, I don't think the armband changes much.

Having both him and Rashford starting every week while bang out of form is fecking us, though. I don't think we can afford to drop both, because either can win games out of nothing, but I think we should have one or the other on the pitch for a while because carrying the two of them is too much.
 

KikiDaKats

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Did the captaincy get to his head?
It can’t be. The critics are just louder now.

Similar performances to last season without the goals and assists and he was called majestic. He’ll be called majestic again soon, because the expectations are currently plummeting within the fan base and such performances will get better appreciation.

The current expectations are higher and it’s exposing some players. When he first arrived expectations were low as well, just like last season. Gary Neville tried pointing it out against Liverpool but the fans attacked him because we were too busy scraping the barrel for droplets.
 

V.O.

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It can’t be. The critics have are just louder now.

Similar performances to last season without the goals and assists and he was called majestic. He’ll be called majestic again soon, because the expectations are currently plummeting within the fan base and such performances will get better appreciation.

The current expectations are higher and it’s exposing some players. When he first arrived expectations were low as well, just like last season. Gary Neville tried pointing it out against Liverpool but the fans attacked him because we were too busy scraping the barrel for droplets.
Neville was making shit up about Bruno begging to come off the pitch, wasn't he? Of course our fans had issue with that.
 

KikiDaKats

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Neville was making shit up about Bruno begging to come off the pitch, wasn't he? Of course our fans had issue with that.
Did you hear the whole rant? Or just the one sentence?
 

KikiDaKats

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I read the whole thing. I was responding to your last point. Bolded to make clearer.
You know there is no GOTCHA in that bold bit. What’s there not to understand in “tried pointing out”?
You are right to be specific on wordings in your criticism of him but it’s not taking away the underlying points being made.
 

NotQuiteManc

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Wasn't there an article that mentioned Bruno played the most minutes or something like that? Surely even for someone as fit as Bruno, he should be given a rest ("dropped") from time to time? To me, physically he capable of playing a lot of minutes, but mentally I am not sure. He, more often that not, would make bad passes, bad choices especially when try to dribble his way out of trouble when he is one of the last line of players, and then gets annoyed at his teammates when things go wrong by his own doing.
 

V.O.

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You know there is no GOTCHA in that bold bit. What’s there not to understand in “tried pointing out”?
You are right to be specific on wordings in your criticism of him but it’s not taking away the underlying points being made.
It's not a gotcha, I'm not even arguing with your overall point.

It's just that United fans were attacking Neville because he was making things up on air to attack a United player (in a game where it's not like he didn't have a million other things to say that were actually true if he wanted to go in) not because he was generally criticising Bruno and standards are low or whatever.
 

KikiDaKats

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It's not a gotcha, I'm not even arguing with your overall point.

It's just that United fans were attacking Neville because he was making things up on air to attack a United player (in a game where it's not like he didn't have a million other things to say that were actually true if he wanted to go in) not because he was generally criticising Bruno and standards are low or whatever.
I hear you.