He will play the free role like he originally did but with better midfielders behind and better attackers in front of him him to cover his mistakes. You can accommodate mavericks - Trent gives the ball away as much as Bruno. But you cant have the rest of your team as non pressing/giving the ball away as well. We have too many luxury players in a sense they want to do what they want. We can have 1 and that will be Bruno by the looks of it. If ETH tries anything fancy like thinking he can play LW or CM he is going to find out real quick its a bad idea.
How will Bruno fit into Ten Hag's style of play?
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The Tadic position is a pretty flexible one. He's played mostly from the left this season, bit he's also played off the right, up top and at #10 throughout his time under Ten Hag.
In term of profile/role I think it's a pretty good shout. They're both distributors first and foremost, they both take loads of risks with their passing and they're both at their best in the final third.
So whether he's played off the wing or behind Ronaldo, I think his duties will be largely the same as Tadic's when we have the ball.
He'll do well in the false 9 position.
As others have said, he'll likely play as more of an attacker than a midfielder.
What actual position he does that from I have no idea as ETH seems very flexible when it comes to formations. Someone like Tadic has played in multiple positions over the years.
What actual position he does that from I have no idea as ETH seems very flexible when it comes to formations. Someone like Tadic has played in multiple positions over the years.
I got a feeling he’s going to do well and ETH is going to love him. He’s a good player and he can get better. Going to be good to see how ETH works with him.
I can see him playing further up, firstly, cause of his nature of play and secondly, due to our lack of attacking options. If we go for 2 midfielders (including De Jong) and a defender (or two) I cannot really see now we manage to buy more players this window.
I hope he can put the previous season behind, and has a cracking next season. An in form Bruno can win you a lot of matches.
I hope he can put the previous season behind, and has a cracking next season. An in form Bruno can win you a lot of matches.
ETH has a problem as neither Bruno or Ronnie suit his style of play. Ronnie will drift in and out of the side during his last season I expect, but Bruno is a problem. He doesn’t have the ability to play the way we may well set up. We’ve never seen it since he joined and his short, quick passing has been league 1 level this last season.
I reckon Bruno will be sulking and pushing for a move come Christmas.
I reckon Bruno will be sulking and pushing for a move come Christmas.
I think this idea that Bruno is forever consigned to a player that gives it away at every opportunity is a load of waffle.
Of course he can make simple passes. But why would he when the team is failing and he's the only creative influence? It's not as if him passing it 8 yards would have suddenly improved us, we would have just continued side to side, slow football. The managers are also unlikely to say anything because they're clueless and he has the potential to save their arses.
He'll have to adapt to what the new manager wants and there's a good chance he will. He's far from the only one, based on last season who could you state the case for slipping into an ETH side with no improvement? That's why we've got a new manager, we were piss poor.
Of course he can make simple passes. But why would he when the team is failing and he's the only creative influence? It's not as if him passing it 8 yards would have suddenly improved us, we would have just continued side to side, slow football. The managers are also unlikely to say anything because they're clueless and he has the potential to save their arses.
He'll have to adapt to what the new manager wants and there's a good chance he will. He's far from the only one, based on last season who could you state the case for slipping into an ETH side with no improvement? That's why we've got a new manager, we were piss poor.
At Ajax ETH used a rather traditional striker, not sure his 4231 even suits a false 9. He might want to play him as a 9 1/2 though, I also think that's where Bruno is at his best.
If this happens we'll be looking for a new manager come April.
Fair point. Certainly not gonna fit as a traditional striker, or a traditional central midfielder.
Correct answer. Under a proper coach (we haven’t had one post Fergie bar maybe LVG) good players will find their place. Bruno is a goal scorer and a creator of the highest quality. He is wasteful but that’s fine if the team is settup to accommodate him and only him doing it.
Either forward, wide or out the door.
"He won't" is ultimately a more concise answer.
"He won't" is ultimately a more concise answer.
In that case wouldn’t we be better off selling him this summer, while his stock is still relatively high, and reinvest the money in more suitable players?
So our midfield is going to be overran again for another season.
Great times. I can’t wait.
Manchester United don’t operate like this. We just gave him a new contract.
Maybe, but when have we ever sold a player at the right time?
Unless he change his style of play, or playing position, he won't.
Bad decision making and being maverick and does what he wants is down to managers he played with doesn’t coach or give him proper instructions aka relying on individual brilliance. Due to poor coaching or no instruction, Bruno tends to play too many long balls. Now we have manager who is known with giving coaching or instruction to his players. This instruction would improve the player‘s decision making.
So where is Bruno would be best to play imo? It would be in Tadic or Antony role. Wide player that act like no 10 or playmaker. Can he do that under ten Hag. Of course, why can’t he do that? Look at the comparison especially between him and Tadic. Tadic has more unsuccessful touches, has lost more possession (being dispossessed), and has worse passing accuracy than Bruno. Bruno is not worse than Tadic in technique and defensive works.
Someone with good end product, has technique, play progressive passes, and has work rate to press (check out his pressing and compare it to Nkunku who plays in pressing team) will fit into ten Hag’s system.
He'll be fine. Hard working and loves playing for United. He will adapt and do as he is told and be absolutely fine. One of the few players in our side that I don't think will struggle under ETH. His fitness levels are twice that of some of our other players.
People saying he'll be fine; why isn't this the case for his NT?
Very likely ETH will play him as a winger, ETH doesn't like risky players on the midfield. He did the same thing with Ziyech.
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Because his national team manager is just as bad as our club managers have been and play the most boring anti football style imaginable. Bruno will be more than fine in an attacking style system.
The problem with comparing him to someone like Tadic is that Bruno is a much bigger goal threat with much better movement in behind. For that reason alone I can’t see any manager using him anywhere other than through the middle where he can make runs beyond, naturally drift into the box and create from both sides. He’s too good to shunt out wide.
Unsuccessfully, I wager.
All the talk is tactics, but I think Bruno simply needs a rest before the new season.
He's been playing constantly, and he needs a fresh mind and fresh legs. If he has that, then Ten Hag can get much more out of him.
He's been playing constantly, and he needs a fresh mind and fresh legs. If he has that, then Ten Hag can get much more out of him.
He also can’t play out wide because he’s too slow and is hopeless at dribbling or in a one v one isolated scenario. You can try and play him as a wide playmaker to drift infield, but it’s a redundancy when Sancho does that role better. Plus you’d need much better fullbacks on the overlap than what we currently have.
It feels very lazy to say he won't without even seeing a single thing
Ten Hag said he fits a system using the players and would be mental to write off one of our best players without doing all he can. Bruno as well is a professional and will work as hard as any outfield player, bar Ronaldo, to fit in and win based on what we've seen. He may be a bit wreckless with the ball but that's how he has been taught to play and seems to have been given free reign to make stuff happen. If he realises he doesn't need to magic up a ball because the players are already in good position then it will be fine. He doesn't give away 5 yard passes, he gives away 25 yard eye of the needle attempts because there is no other option to get the ball forward
Ten Hag said he fits a system using the players and would be mental to write off one of our best players without doing all he can. Bruno as well is a professional and will work as hard as any outfield player, bar Ronaldo, to fit in and win based on what we've seen. He may be a bit wreckless with the ball but that's how he has been taught to play and seems to have been given free reign to make stuff happen. If he realises he doesn't need to magic up a ball because the players are already in good position then it will be fine. He doesn't give away 5 yard passes, he gives away 25 yard eye of the needle attempts because there is no other option to get the ball forward
Yeah this seems likely enough to me. I think we’ve probably seen his true potential here already. His early form for us was his ceiling I feel. So he can obviously be a valuable member of the squad if he can hit that form again, but in a more tactically disciplined set-up that may be difficult for him.
International football isn't much of a factor in a footballer's development. Their style is greatly influenced by what they do every week at their clubs. He's not going to automatically adapt for 2 odd games, that said, Portugal themselves do like to play on the counter quite a bit.
I honestly don't know whether Bruno will adapt to ETH's plan or not; what I do know though is that Ole constantly encouraged Bruno and the rest of team to take risks and try things - that was a feature of his time here, and Bruno fully embraced (and probably loved) that principle, he's mentioned it a few times in interviews. Let's hope he's able to embrace a new way of working.
He has used all sorts of players as striker, notably Huntelaar(a poacher), Tadic(as a false nine) or Haller(as a target/pressing man).
Bruno was awful last night from all accounts, I really hope Hag can sit down with him & make him change his nasty habits he has grown.
He won't.
Also don't see the false 9 thing happening at all, people comparing him to Tadic, Tadic is better than Bruno at holding on to the ball in areas with a small amount of space, has better decision making, is better technically than Bruno and is better at one vs ones.
Bruno's strength lies in his long balls (When he actually gets them to work) and his finishing.
Also don't see the false 9 thing happening at all, people comparing him to Tadic, Tadic is better than Bruno at holding on to the ball in areas with a small amount of space, has better decision making, is better technically than Bruno and is better at one vs ones.
Bruno's strength lies in his long balls (When he actually gets them to work) and his finishing.
Are you sure it's that simple? He looks lost when asked to perform perfunctory, team-based football of any kind. Why would that be down to any one manager and not the mind and intelligence of the player?
Bruno is a maverick, and outside of that there a lot of issues with how he plays; I don't see how or why that changes - he needs a team to cater to what he does, imo it actually cannot go the other way.
ETH will find a place for him, I'm sure of it. I know his form has been patchy this year but look at the difference he made to our team singlehandedly, when we were in shambles.
I think he'll thrive unde ETH, though I've no idea in what position - RW / 10 / False-9? Looking forward to finding out though.
I think he'll thrive unde ETH, though I've no idea in what position - RW / 10 / False-9? Looking forward to finding out though.
From the accounts of Bruno throughout his time as a pro he has always been the same and it was earmarked in the scouting report and stated as a reason we didn't pull the trigger until Ole vetoed. It's also been stated as a reason why he was still in Portugal at such an age as other clubs steered clear.
Why will his fundamental and intrinsic principles change? In fact, how can they, in all seriousness?
With obsessive, details oriented coaching. He has basically been allowed to do whatever he wants to some degree in his time at Utd.
If you take into account that he was coached by Jorge Jesus who is known as one of the most obsessive and detail oriented coache around. Your question is pertinent, there is a chance that Bruno isn't fixable.
I have no doubt he is fixable but won’t be giving us the stats that makes him undroppable.
Ten Hag throughout the year played different formations at Ajax, depending on the players at hand.. In the very successful Champions League run he played with Dusan Tadic as false 9.