Bruno Fernandes Out?

Yagami

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Would be delighted to see the back of him. Selling him could be a sign that we're finally intending on becoming a club that prioritises playing cohesive, possession football as a team instead of our individualistic Hollywood style.
 

CtrlAltDeLigt

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I’m a fan of his, he’s the only player that can command a 70/80 million figure even for his age.

If the club’s purpose is just for a quick cash injection and rebuilding other positions, it might sound good, but given the condition the team is in, we can’t let players who have actually been good just binned out.

Would rather keep him, he is irreplaceable given we can’t buy a better replacement.

Also sets a bad precedent, we don’t want to end up like Chelsea by selling good players with experience.
 

Lash

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Would be delighted to see the back of him. Selling him could be a sign that we're finally intending on becoming a club that prioritises playing cohesive, possession football as a team instead of our individualistic Hollywood style.
Nonsense. You would sell so many other players in this squad before Bruno if that was your aim. Delighted to see the back of him is just a mental thing to say as well.
 

Don't Kill Bill

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On the one hand we have a lot of potential in the attacking center midfield position so a sizeable offer might be tempting.

On the other none of the alternatives have displaced him yet.

The new manager has a big call here on whether he fancies him or not. He will be on his what 3rd/4th manager sacked if ETH goes. We don't know what goes on in the background but he is playing every minute of every game and all the team pass to him to take responsibility.

The argument he has the wrong players around him gives me PTSD flashbacks to the Paul Pogba debates.

I don't think a new manager is going to want to bet his job on him in the current set up so either big changes are made in how we play which should happen with new management or he leaves. He doesn't seem to be a player who will accept reduced minutes or status and I think that is what these quotes are about.
 

stepic

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Put it this way..


------------------ Haaland ------------------
Grealish --------------------------- Foden
--------- Bruno --------- De Bruyne ---------
------------------- Rodri -------------------

How do you think he'd do?
He can’t play in CM, which is why we don’t play a 433 and at least attempt to control some games against big sides.

Being forced to fit Bruno into our line up is part of our problem, and as much as he tries on the pitch, I’d be happy to get rid. He plays a position that doesn’t quite mesh with modern football for the big clubs.
 

IRELANDUNITED

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Not to keen on Bruno the person but he’s far too good a footballer to let go.

He’s easily Utd’s best player though don't think he’s suited to captaincy.
There’s absolutely nothing wrong with him as a person, he always has time for the fans and on the pitch he gives 100% every week, never misses a game and absolutely loves playing for this club. He’s everything you’d want in a player and a person representing Manchester United. If only the others around him had the same mentality we mightn’t have been as shite as we have been.
 

Yagami

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Nonsense. You would sell so many other players in this squad before Bruno if that was your aim. Delighted to see the back of him is just a mental thing to say as well.
He'd be one of the first out the door for me. Probably 3rd behind Casemiro and Varane. So, no, I wouldn't sell that many before him because he's one of the very, very few we could potentially get a decent offer for to reinvest back into the squad. There are others like Eriksen or Lindelof who I think are awful and need binning ASAP, but won't get anywhere near the amount we'd get for Fernandes. If we weren't taking money into account, no, he wouldn't be one of the first for me, but we are so he is.

It's also not a "mental thing" to say because I will be delighted. I don't like Fernandes. He's an overrated player who happens to be a huge cheat on top of that.
 

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He can’t play in CM, which is why we don’t play a 433 and at least attempt to control some games against big sides.

Being forced to fit Bruno into our line up is part of our problem, and as much as he tries on the pitch, I’d be happy to get rid. He plays a position that doesn’t quite mesh with modern football for the big clubs.
And why is that, because we don't have the players to do it, put in him a team with the right players and I think Bruno would be sensational
 

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Not sure about other United fans, but i feel no emotional connection to any of the current players, maybe Mainoo is becoming one. That being sad I have no problem in getting rid of all of them, Bruno included. He can whine and cry someplace else.
 

stepic

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And why is that, because we don't have the players to do it, put in him a team with the right players and I think Bruno would be sensational
he’s also not the right player for it though. He naturally wants to play further up the pitch, he doesn’t have that controlling presence in midfield.
 

yeaherino

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We should sell him. He will be 30 in September. And if we want to play possession football with the new manager he has to go.
Given our transfer record, it is hard to sell our Best Buy of the decade but he is getting older.
 

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he’s also not the right player for it though. He naturally wants to play further up the pitch, he doesn’t have that controlling presence in midfield.
If we had a controlling presence in midfield he wouldn't need to be, his main issue is that he runs about like a headless chicken because no one else runs about, and he has this notion that he has to do it all himself because of that
 

gajender

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i mean there are pros and cons to both, but hilarious to see some making it seem like it is just inconceivable that we could/should move on from Bruno.
How could we ever reach the dizzy heights of qualifying for Champions league every other season to get unceremoniously dumped at group stages if we move on from our Captain Fantastic .
 
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Judas

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There's a lot of players who I'd rather see out of the door first. As frustrating as he can be, he's been one of the few reliable players over the last few years. But if the price is right the price is right.
 

Isotope

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Would be delighted to see the back of him. Selling him could be a sign that we're finally intending on becoming a club that prioritises playing cohesive, possession football as a team instead of our individualistic Hollywood style.
Garnacho and Hojlund aren't players suitable to play cohesive, possession football. Sell them also?
 

OldTrevil

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I haven't gone into the stats so this is from what I see. For every chance Bruno creates, there's about 5 or so dumb/inexplicable passes that more often that not puts the whole team under pressure. I don't think his output would necessarily be hard to replace especially if we set up to play a cohesive team game. I also think he's a huge part of the reason our whole team seems to not care about their passing, since the one guy who plays ever minute of every game, never seems to care about his passing as long as he leaves the game with a couple of assists or chances created.

That said, I do appreciate his effort and his ability to keep himself fit. If I was the manager, I would give him strict instructions to play a disciplined game and if he doesn't like it or cannot do it efficiently, then I'd look to sell.
 

Andersons Dietician

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I suppose it makes sense to sell him soon from a buisness perspective, because I would imagine we would make a profit on selling him now. Something we rarely ever seem to do. Which if we kept him another season or two might no be as good given he’d be 31-32 making him harder to shift. Especially if he is on 300+k a week

Sure Ineos and Sir Jim have mentioned our poor timing on moving players on.

I’m not a massive fan of Bruno, He is a maverick and has many great attributes and can provide some spectacular moments.

However I think he holds back the progression of the team and if we want to improve we will need to move on with out him. I’m just not convinced that this summer would be the right time to do it as we need a lot of new players and I just don’t think United have the financial capabilities to bring them in. Even if we sell Rashford and Bruno.

I suppose if it’s going to happen maybe it is better to do it sooner rather than later and just start the process of rebuilding a structure that isn’t dependant on 1 guy creating moments but a team creating and playing better football.
 

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Don’t think he’s wasted his career with us. His other option at the time we signed him was Spurs. We’ve qualified for the Champions League most seasons since he signed and he was probably the main catalyst for us making top four in the season he signed, and was an important part of the team that achieved the same in later seasons. That’s about his level as a starter, and I wouldn’t really blame those seasons where we’ve failed to make top 4 on him, although he has been dire at times.
 

Lash

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He'd be one of the first out the door for me. Probably 3rd behind Casemiro and Varane. So, no, I wouldn't sell that many before him because he's one of the very, very few we could potentially get a decent offer for to reinvest back into the squad. There are others like Eriksen or Lindelof who I think are awful and need binning ASAP, but won't get anywhere near the amount we'd get for Fernandes. If we weren't taking money into account, no, he wouldn't be one of the first for me, but we are so he is.

It's also not a "mental thing" to say because I will be delighted. I don't like Fernandes. He's an overrated player who happens to be a huge cheat on top of that.
Fair enough on the money part, I wasn't taking that into account.

I just couldn't disagree more on your assessment of him, but clearly you don't like him on the whole, so makes sense.
 

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Would be a good move for all concerned. I don't think you can plan to build to a great team with Bruno as it's focal point; especially at his age. For a player who is so dependent on his super work-rate, his fall from the top is going to be swift, imo. Before someone suggests to move him to CM a year or two down the line, that wouldn't work as he doesn't have the ability to beat the press and loses the ball constantly when put under pressure. He'd be like Rooney when we moved him in the midfield. He still would have an eye for a pass but rest of the stuff like positioning, ability to control games, short passing etc will be missing from his game.

I think we already have two players in Mount and Mainoo to play number 10 next season without the need to spend big on another immediately. So, it works out for us if someone from Saudi stumps up a big sum for him. It would go a long way in strengthening other areas of the pitch which are more important. I rather get a good striker and another skillful and pacey winger to replace Bruno and Rashford for our front 4.

Garnacho/Winger Striker/Hojlund Greenwood/Antony
Mainoo/Mount
 

Sied

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I couldn't blame him for wanting to leave given his age and what a mess we are currently. The rebuild isn't likely to be an instant success and at 29, he's likely to be on the decline by the time the squad is performing (if that happens at all).

I fully expect him to look world class if he picks the right club to go to that he clicks with.
 

Smores

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I think in some of those quotes he's not so subtly talking about others rather than his own situation.

Absolutely no chance we sell our most productive player.
 

spe88

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I feel split on this one. He creates the most chances for the team, but at a cost. I saw somewhere his pass completion was only 79%. This is how it compares:

Fernandes 79%
Odegaard 87%
McGinn 82%
Macallister 88%
Szoboszlai 87%
De Bruyne 84%
Silva 89%
Guimaraes 85%
Maddison 87%

Maybe this leads to one of the reasons we concede possession which leads to attempts on goal.

I do think there are other priorities we need to strengthen in the squad before looking at replacing him.
 

bitcoin

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There is no way we should even consider selling him. We would score even less goals than we currently do. Where would our chance creation come from? We certainly can't rely on Antony, Rashford, Garnacho, Mount (never fit), Eriksen etc to consistently create goal scoring opportunities.

He's our best player, always fit, always committed, reliable penalty taker, creates multiple opportunities per game. People talk about his "negative" body language, but no one here really knows what he is saying to his teammates.

He is a net positive to this team and unless we have a ready made replacement for him, I wouldn't even take 100M for him.
 

KiD MoYeS

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It would be impossible to replace his output. The only reason you would accept offers would be if the new manager had a preferred style or formation that did not include a player of his ilk. And even then you would only be entertaining big, big offers.
 

mad1max954

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He's one of a few actual top players we have. But I think it's time (long overdue in fact) to rebuild and if we can get a good fee for him then it makes sense for both sides for him to move on.
Clearly we need a rebuild and the rebuild must be built on young players. Given his position and age, and that his game needs energy, he’s not going to be part of that when these players come of age. We should absolutely sell whilst we can.
 

DomesticTadpole

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I feel split on this one. He creates the most chances for the team, but at a cost. I saw somewhere his pass completion was only 79%. This is how it compares:

Fernandes 79%
Odegaard 87%
McGinn 82%
Macallister 88%
Szoboszlai 87%
De Bruyne 84%
Silva 89%
Guimaraes 85%
Maddison 87%

Maybe this leads to one of the reasons we concede possession which leads to attempts on goal.

I do think there are other priorities we need to strengthen in the squad before looking at replacing him.
How many chances have the others created. Possession % is great, but not if you get nothing from it. He is our top scorer as well. Imagine if we had a competent striker how many assits he would have.
 

AneRu

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Clearly we need a rebuild and the rebuild must be built on young players. Given his position and age, and that his game needs energy, he’s not going to be part of that when these players come of age. We should absolutely sell whilst we can.
We need players around him that can take advantage of his creativity and we can look to replace him in three seasons. Hopefully by then we will be more settled and having moved up a level or two as a team. He is the last one out of this bunch.
 

DomesticTadpole

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Clearly we need a rebuild and the rebuild must be built on young players. Given his position and age, and that his game needs energy, he’s not going to be part of that when these players come of age. We should absolutely sell whilst we can.
So you will not moan for 4 to 5 years while these young players make a lot of mistakes because there is no experience in the team to guide them. People again are blinded by United and youth and Class of 92. SAF did not just parachute them into a team of young players. It was full or experienced hardened professionals. They have to be careful how they do this. It has to be gradual so by the time the last young player comes in the first ones are classed as experienced.
 

Wilt

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Would be a good move for all concerned. I don't think you can plan to build to a great team with Bruno as it's focal point; especially at his age. For a player who is so dependent on his super work-rate, his fall from the top is going to be swift, imo. Before someone suggests to move him to CM a year or two down the line, that wouldn't work as he doesn't have the ability to beat the press and loses the ball constantly when put under pressure. He'd be like Rooney when we moved him in the midfield. He still would have an eye for a pass but rest of the stuff like positioning, ability to control games, short passing etc will be missing from his game.

I think we already have two players in Mount and Mainoo to play number 10 next season without the need to spend big on another immediately. So, it works out for us if someone from Saudi stumps up a big sum for him. It would go a long way in strengthening other areas of the pitch which are more important. I rather get a good striker and another skillful and pacey winger to replace Bruno and Rashford for our front 4.

Garnacho/Winger Striker/Hojlund Greenwood/Antony
Mainoo/Mount
“Greenwood/Antony” ….you’re having a laugh?
 

Mindhunter

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What nonsense am I reading here? Fernandes wasting his career with us?

The reality is that if someone was willing to pay him more than us for his skill set, he would have long departed. He is an assist machine and of course is carrying the club on his back right now (has done for a couple years at least) but that doesn’t mean he isn’t part of the problem. To accommodate him, the manager has to throw any collective game-plan out of the window.

He is having a purple patch right now but let’s not rewrite history. He has frustrated more often than not and on his bad days you feel like tearing your hair out. His obsession to be everything all at the same time takes away from making the team greater than the sum of their parts. The only reason he gets such treatment is because our managers and owners have messed things up to the extent that the only way we win now is through a little bit of individual brilliance from him.
 

MegadrivePerson

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What options does he have if he leaves?

He's not good enough for Madrid, too expensive for Barcelona. Doesn't seem like a Bayern Munich style of player.

The lack of interest in him means that he probably won't be going anywhere unless he fancies a big Saudi pay day.
 

Ayoba

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If I was him I would leave, 4 and a half seasons at one Club, he's given it a good go. Time for a new challenge.
 

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We need to perform a massive rebuild and getting rid of the entire senior squad is a bad idea. I say keep Bruno for another season and then go all out for Wirtz the following.
 

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For a team that doesn't score many goals i would fear where our creativity and goals will come from. I wouldn't be totally against it but as long as we had suitable replacements.
 

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Can we replace him with the 60/70m we get? No way imo, i would keep him and let him play a part in our rebuild before he leaves in around 3 years.
Yes we probably wont get as much money, but we will have a senior player who is always ready to play and gives his all.
 

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If I was him I would leave, 4 and a half seasons at one Club, he's given it a good go. Time for a new challenge.
Or maybe he wants the biggest challenge of all, fixing United