Bruno Fernandes | New contract until 2027

He's our talisman. He was pretty good the last third of last season. On his day he's outstanding. But he's massively inconsistent and he has significant tactical limitations. I'm amazed that he was given a new contract when he was already a high earner.

On a related note, are the bonuses on average individual (i.e. goals, assists, etc.) or collective (wins) ?
 
Why didn't he go with his left first on his chance inside the box? Should of scored on his second chance.
 
Love Bruno. A well deserved new contract. The last four years he has been our best player and one of the few leaders in the squad.

He's in his prime so hoping there's a lot more to come from him.

Looked rusty last night should've scored one of those chances.

Next time.
 
I still don't know what we gained from taking a player who's now turned 30, who was already on big money, and already on a 2+1 contract, and giving him a big pay increase and contract extension. There was a stronger argument for cashing in on him and rebuilding the team without him, than there was to pay him 300k a week on a longer contract.
 
I still don't know what we gained from taking a player who's now turned 30, who was already on big money, and already on a 2+1 contract, and giving him a big pay increase and contract extension. There was a stronger argument for cashing in on him and rebuilding the team without him, than there was to pay him 300k a week on a longer contract.
Unbelievable decision.
 
I still don't know what we gained from taking a player who's now turned 30, who was already on big money, and already on a 2+1 contract, and giving him a big pay increase and contract extension. There was a stronger argument for cashing in on him and rebuilding the team without him, than there was to pay him 300k a week on a longer contract.

The club clearly learnt nothing from the Rooney, De Gea & Casimero contracts.

The smart move would have been to recreate Arsenals strategy of moving on all the aging big names on huge contacts (Ozil, Lacazete, Aubamyang) Instead we’ll now be stuck with Bruno for another 3 (?) years on an undroppable 300k a week contact. If you think he’s bad now, I can’t even imagine how bad he’ll be at 33.
 
He's absolutely good enough for an elite club to want to steal him. The disrespect for our best player is staggering

Honestly don't understand how a united fan can't be a big fan of our best player in the last, what, five years at least?

Hmmm, so why are you criticizing Cristiano, arguably the greatest United player of all time? Isnt that a bit hypocritical?

By the way, I am a fan of Bruno and I believe hes been Uniteds best player over the last 4-5 years.
 
He has so many negatives now.

- Slow
- Not very athletic
- Poor decision making
- And now his execution is so inconsistent

If he doesn't improve by December I could see him being a sub who comes on to help get a late goal. That's big money for a future bit part player.
 
I still don't know what we gained from taking a player who's now turned 30, who was already on big money, and already on a 2+1 contract, and giving him a big pay increase and contract extension. There was a stronger argument for cashing in on him and rebuilding the team without him, than there was to pay him 300k a week on a longer contract.
Said the same at the time. A few others did too. The majority were happy enough with the decision. Clowns.
 
Couldnt believe people were for him signing that new contract. Joke of a club.
 
I said when it was announced, giving him that huge new contract was fecking stupid and I stand by that.
 
Said the same at the time. A few others did too. The majority were happy enough with the decision. Clowns.

I'm not sure the majority wanted to give him a new deal. I've seen some people use the argument that he needed parity with Casemiro and Rashford, which in my view is the only argument that makes any sense, but still it's a two wrongs make a right argument. We're likely offloading Casemiro first chance we get and Rashford will either have to put up world class numbers or the club will likely try to move him on next summer (which I don't think would be the case if he had signed a relatively modest new deal).
 
He was garbage and he has been for a while.

INEOS dropped the ball regarding his contract because it wasn't a necessity given the remainder he had on his previous deal.
 
I'm not sure the majority wanted to give him a new deal. I've seen some people use the argument that he needed parity with Casemiro and Rashford, which in my view is the only argument that makes any sense, but still it's a two wrongs make a right argument. We're likely offloading Casemiro first chance we get and Rashford will either have to put up world class numbers or the club will likely try to move him on next summer (which I don't think would be the case if he had signed a relatively modest new deal).
Just basing it on the reaction to mine and others disapproving posts at the time. You're spot on with the two wrongs not making a right. He should be sold and so should Rashford.
 
I still don't know what we gained from taking a player who's now turned 30, who was already on big money, and already on a 2+1 contract, and giving him a big pay increase and contract extension. There was a stronger argument for cashing in on him and rebuilding the team without him, than there was to pay him 300k a week on a longer contract.

Next year we will be struggling again to get rid of Bruno and Casemiro with big contract and over 30 players. We also have Antony or maybe Rashford to worry about who also have big contracts. The club need to learn.
 
I'm not sure the majority wanted to give him a new deal. I've seen some people use the argument that he needed parity with Casemiro and Rashford, which in my view is the only argument that makes any sense, but still it's a two wrongs make a right argument.
Two wrongs make a right is perfect description of what's happened here.

This decision really makes you question if the new structure truly know what they are doing, or whether they're getting too much credit just for being better than the previous clowns.
 
I still don't know what we gained from taking a player who's now turned 30, who was already on big money, and already on a 2+1 contract, and giving him a big pay increase and contract extension. There was a stronger argument for cashing in on him and rebuilding the team without him, than there was to pay him 300k a week on a longer contract.
It's politics really. From the sources I read, Bruno's contract was a carryover from the previous regime. The current INEOS regime decided not to veto it.

I imagine they were trying to keep the players happy and not "go back" on the things that were promised.
 
It's politics really. From the sources I read, Bruno's contract was a carryover from the previous regime. The current INEOS regime decided not to veto it.

I imagine they were trying to keep the players happy and not "go back" on the things that were promised.
I thought it was just better terms on the remaining time on his current contract rather than an extension. I hope it’s not an extension, else we will be stuck with another mill around our neck.
 
Good luck selling him on current form and salary. I thought new owners are smarter than that!
 
INEOS got this completely wrong. I said about three seasons ago (and got slaughtered on here) we wouldn't compete for a prem/cl with Bruno and his 100mph hollywood ball football, he's just too chaotic and his one man pressing is often half the reason we get ran through midfield. He can't pass 10 yards half the time it's embarrassing and in the days of stats and analysis the coaches should be all over this but again, he's undroppable and probably first name on the temsheet. He should have been hooked instead of Zirkzee because the later was making everything tick in the final third and we offered zero threat once he was off. I still think about 80% of the caf is pro Bruno but you'll see it more and more this season swinging the other way when people cotton on the fact he has no place in this Ten Hag style, yet Ten Hag is still going to pick him, because he's the captain, and force him to play a system there are better players for' make it make sense. Until Bruno and Rashford are gone I won't believe we've finally turned a corner. It's negligence at this point to not drop him until he sorts his shit out and learns how to play this new style of football because he looks totally lost out there, and upping his wages and extending it was absolute incompetence on the boards part and it's already biting us on the arse, we have another player the wrong side of 30 on stupid wages.
 
Last edited:
Hmmm, so why are you criticizing Cristiano, arguably the greatest United player of all time? Isnt that a bit hypocritical?

By the way, I am a fan of Bruno and I believe hes been Uniteds best player over the last 4-5 years.
How am I disrespecting Ronaldo?
 
There is a pretty decent argument that Bruno is still a very good, if not great player and it’s manager issues that have him underperforming. Rashford’s another example. Not taking a position, just mentioning it.
 
There is a pretty decent argument that Bruno is still a very good, if not great player and it’s manager issues that have him underperforming. Rashford’s another example. Not taking a position, just mentioning it.

both of these players are counter attacking players. So bet we should go back to counter attacking football to play at their strengths?
 
I dunno. I like winning. I have no problem with counter attacking goals. Was peak Ronaldo and Rooney on the counterattack boring?

For some reason, Pep style football seems to be held in higher regard than Ancelotti style… I think Ancelotti has won more CL titles, no?
 
The contract extension was totally unnecessary. Considering his up and down performance levels, a bit more caution would have been required.

Yes, he is our best player, which helps explaining why we are where we are.

Another depressing situation. He and Rashford should have been sold. If we're serious about a real rebuild by avoiding past mistakes, this only shows that the new structure isn't as great as advertised.

Rashford still here, philosopher Ten Hag still in charge, Maguire still a Utd player, Bruno still our talisman. This is pretty mediocre, shows a lack of ambition and proves bad decision making.
 
I dunno. I like winning. I have no problem with counter attacking goals. Was peak Ronaldo and Rooney on the counterattack boring?

For some reason, Pep style football seems to be held in higher regard than Ancelotti style… I think Ancelotti has won more CL titles, no?

Ronaldo/Rooney were not exactly "counter attack" players and Ancelotti was not exactly a "counter attack" coach.

Ability to score from counter attacks =/= playing a lowblock RELYING on counterattacks to score goals. Man City and Liverpool scored a lot from counter attacks as well but no one call them "counter attack teams"

Both Rashford and Bruno do not fit any tactics that can win us a big trophy (CL or PL). It is down to their personal shortcomings.

I believe I dont need to waste next 5 min of my life explaining how they are unfit right.
 
I dunno. I like winning. I have no problem with counter attacking goals. Was peak Ronaldo and Rooney on the counterattack boring?

For some reason, Pep style football seems to be held in higher regard than Ancelotti style… I think Ancelotti has won more CL titles, no?
A. Thats because statistically counter attacking football gives you a much lower chance of winning than possession based football in which you have 20-30 shots on target and dominate the other team.

B. Because counter attacking football can’t work against teams that drop deep and defend which is the go to strategy of the majority of PL teams against big teams.

For sure, practice counter attacks and get more potent at that but having it as the main plan and buying/playing players only suited to counter attacking football is the reason why we will never get back to the top.

Bruno and Rashford are our best players but can only play this chaotic (read: transition) football. The sooner we get rid of this mindset, we’ll become much better.
 
Said it for years, when he's not scoring or assisting, like yesterday, he's painful to watch. Sloppy, wasteful, constantly in a hurry, and the opposite of controlled.
 
Ronaldo/Rooney were not exactly "counter attack" players and Ancelotti was not exactly a "counter attack" coach.

Ability to score from counter attacks =/= playing a lowblock RELYING on counterattacks to score goals. Man City and Liverpool scored a lot from counter attacks as well but no one call them "counter attack teams"

Both Rashford and Bruno do not fit any tactics that can win us a big trophy (CL or PL). It is down to their personal shortcomings.

I believe I dont need to waste next 5 min of my life explaining how they are unfit right.
Not sure what you are saying??!! SAF was basically a counter attacking manager. He played a 4-5-1 away in Europe and a 4-4-2 at home. Everyone gawks and talks about how great Man City are, when actually over the last 5 years, you’d pick Real’s trophy cabinet over City’s….
 
I understand why the contract was given out. Bruno has presence, on and off the pitch, for better and for worse. You can't just remove him out of this ecosystem without consequences. It's not like there's a player ready to takeover from him - Mount might on the footballing front if he can stay healthy. This situation is manageable as long as we can steadily reduce his minutes. A bit of Bruno is still effective, we just have too munch Bruno right now.
 
His initial contract after signing would still have 2 remaining years if they never extended him.

He got a new contract after finishing 6th and another after finishing 8th.
 
Not sure what you are saying??!! SAF was basically a counter attacking manager. He played a 4-5-1 away in Europe and a 4-4-2 at home. Everyone gawks and talks about how great Man City are, when actually over the last 5 years, you’d pick Real’s trophy cabinet over City’s….

As you said,
He only played pragmatic counterattacking football in Europe against big teams. Same for Ancelloti for real.

the big problem of counter attacking football is that it is mentally and physically draining, since if the ball is in your team's possession. around 7 of your 11 players on the field can be more "relaxed". but if you are defending, your whole team need to be concentrated. it is not sustainable.
 
I understand why the contract was given out. Bruno has presence, on and off the pitch, for better and for worse. You can't just remove him out of this ecosystem without consequences. It's not like there's a player ready to takeover from him - Mount might on the footballing front if he can stay healthy. This situation is manageable as long as we can steadily reduce his minutes. A bit of Bruno is still effective, we just have too munch Bruno right now.

The new contract/raise came after his agent began leaking to Romano and other "ITK" journalists as early as June that he had opened talks with several (but unnamed) big European clubs and that his client had yet to be convinced about INEOS' new project. For some reason, it's a tactic that always works when you're negotiating with United.

On the other hand, according to Romano again i believe, the purported price tag INEOS have put on him is 100 million. If that's true, they had no other option really than to give him the extension and wages he wanted.

And i still don't get the whole thing about the consequences of him (and other high earners) leaving. I mean, what's the worst thing that can happen to us? Finish a campaign close to the middle of the PL table? Fail to win 60 points in a whole season? It's already happened with Bruno having the prominent role he has in the team. We are a midtable club as it is. When he (and Rashford) find a vein of good form, we look like a midtable club with a good shot at a top-four finish. But this is as good as it gets. Why can't we just get rid of all the big contracts and continue to invest in hungry young players who are also the right profiles for what we want to achieve? Then, when the foundations will be laid and it will be obvious where the extra quality is needed, fork out the cash to add a few ready-made solutions.