Pedro Gonçalves

Rozay

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We don't really need another goal scorer. We need creativity to feed the ones we have. It's a big reason we look so disjointed at times.
Well we do, but we need a striker who is a goalscorer. The most pressing job we need from a new midfielder is not goals. We need the player who is meant to score goals first and foremost to get goals.
 

beingshe7don

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If we are doing this deal with Sporting, I would do the Nuno Mendes deal as well and have him loaned back to Sporting. Nuno Mendes is the one to take over from Luke Shaw.
 

SportingCP96

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Check the thread I made “the jewels of Sporting”

Talented player who can play CM, CF, LF, CAM but he this season has mostly played further up and is the current top scorer of the league, technically sound player and a nifty finished but one thing I must say is he is still inconsistent. He can be super hot and then super cold. I think he should stay at Sporting another year.

For sure check out the thread though!
 

Cassidy

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So how do we know we cant play another way if he isnt injured? He is realistically playing every game this season, there isnt anything obvious about it
Its called rotation, for instance he should not have been playing the second leg vs Sociedad
 

cyberman

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Its called rotation, for instance he should not have been playing the second leg vs Sociedad
Why not? He hasnt suffered for it? Got a run around and taken off early.
Why rotate if he doesn't need to be rotated? To earn coaching points?
Its weird to criticise Ole for not having a plan when Bruno doesn't play because we havent seen Utd when Bruno doesn't play.
Isnt that obvious?
 

Cassidy

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Why not? He hasnt suffered for it? Got a run around and taken off early.
Why rotate if he doesn't need to be rotated? To earn coaching points?
Its weird to criticise Ole for not having a plan when Bruno doesn't play because we havent seen Utd when Bruno doesn't play.
Isnt that obvious?
Yes he has
Yes we have
 

SAFMUTD

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Buy any portuguese from Sporting, theyre great. Cristiano, Nani, Bruno :drool:....just not any argentinian
 

SportingCP96

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Hasn't he replaced Bruno and had become the key part of them winning the league this season?
Don’t you dare jinx us!!:lol::nono:

But yes he has done a great job at helping us forget Bruno but he is not as good as Bruno but it’s worth noting he is younger then bruno.
 

Wayne's World

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Don’t you dare jinx us!!:lol::nono:

But yes he has done a great job at helping us forget Bruno but he is not as good as Bruno but it’s worth noting he is younger then bruno.
You are 10 points clear and haven't lost a game this season, I'd be planning the parade/celebrations :lol:
 

MadDogg

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Why not? Messi and Ronaldo were playing almost every single game when their teams were winning everything. Top players want to play all the time, unless seriously injured, that's one aspect that separates them from the rest.
Messi and Ronaldo are two of the laziest players in Europe though, spending huge chunks of their games just walking around and waiting for moments to truly inject themselves for maximum impact. Obviously it's worked for them as it's allowed them to play almost every game and be the two best players in the world for over a decade, but it's not really comparable to Bruno who often has the largest distance covered in our team.

Nobody can say for sure, but it was notable that towards the end of last season Bruno's form tapered off quite badly and it arguably has happened again this season. Is it physical tiredness from playing every game? Is it mental tiredness from playing every game? Or is it just coincidence and has nothing to do with the amount of games?
 

cyberman

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Yes he has
Yes we have
How? When?
His numbers have been consistent for 18 months now and he has played every game. Its ridiculous to say United have ever suffered by having Bruno play. Its just stretching a point to cover another. Fact is we can play Bruno every game because he can. Same with Harry and AWB and to a lesser extent, Rashford.
 

troylocker

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Ok?! This guy didn't cut it at youth level at Valencia, didn't cut it in the U23s at Wolves, was sold back to Portugal for 1M as a 21 year old, had a good season for a mid-pack team in Portugal, was sold to Sporting for 6M, and now he's the best player in LigaNos and has Sporting killing the league, which they haven't won since 2002. He turns 23 in June. How is he suddenly clicking now? Is this his level, has he got more in his locker or is this just a 1 season wonder?
Too bad he is right footed.
 

pocco

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Ok?! This guy didn't cut it at youth level at Valencia, didn't cut it in the U23s at Wolves, was sold back to Portugal for 1M as a 21 year old, had a good season for a mid-pack team in Portugal, was sold to Sporting for 6M, and now he's the best player in LigaNos and has Sporting killing the league, which they haven't won since 2002. He turns 23 in June. How is he suddenly clicking now? Is this his level, has he got more in his locker or is this just a 1 season wonder?
Too bad he is right footed.
To be fair, look at Bruno's career up until his 2 great seasons for Sporting. He took a while to shine too, so it could also be the case here. Perhaps they have a good eye for players that they think they can get more out of.
 

Trex

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Never watched this guy play outside YouTube, he looks good,he looks more like an attacking midfielder than a wide player, I know sporting plays a 3421 were he plays on the right of the two behind the forward,it's quite a different role to playing as a right winger in a 4231 which he would be playing here, does he have the skillset for that or would he be a square peg in a round hole?
 

romufc

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The problems stemmed early on for VDB. He actually started reasonably well, but was not given opportunities to build on it. Instead he was left out for weeks. Then when he played and couldn't play well instantly, he was isolated again for more weeks.

The issue was that Ole knew Bruno had to play practically every minute because he is everything good about us going forward. Our tactic is quite literally 'work it to Bruno', whether that's directly through the middle or from out wide, cutting the ball back to him. Without Bruno we would be painful to watch and Ole knows it. He doesn't despise VDB, or think he's so crap he couldn't possibly play against some of the dross he's missed out on, he just knows Bruno has to play because he has no other ideas. This is so obvious (to some of us).

I can see from your post that you do not warm to Ole one bit. I don't understand why fans do this, let their dislike for the manager take over every conversation.

When you have a player like Bruno, why wouldn't you want to play him in every minute? You don't see Barca fans complaining that Messi in his prime played almost every minute?

He started out well? Apart from the Leipzig game, can you name one good performance? He was in the midfield 2 away at Istanbul that got bullied, he was in the Bruno position at West Ham when first half we couldn't get the ball out our half.

He got chances in the league cup, was poor. He had chances in the FA cup, was poor.

Our style of play is to find Bruno? clearly you have not watched our games because we use the LB/LW position quite alot, never realised Bruno plays there.
 

pocco

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I can see from your post that you do not warm to Ole one bit. I don't understand why fans do this, let their dislike for the manager take over every conversation.

When you have a player like Bruno, why wouldn't you want to play him in every minute? You don't see Barca fans complaining that Messi in his prime played almost every minute?

He started out well? Apart from the Leipzig game, can you name one good performance? He was in the midfield 2 away at Istanbul that got bullied, he was in the Bruno position at West Ham when first half we couldn't get the ball out our half.

He got chances in the league cup, was poor. He had chances in the FA cup, was poor.

Our style of play is to find Bruno? clearly you have not watched our games because we use the LB/LW position quite alot, never realised Bruno plays there.
I wouldn't say he was a disaster at the beginning. All those criticisms you now lay at his door, apply to many games where he didn't play and all the other midfielders too. Even games with Bruno and Pogba in midfield, which is apparently now the solution and we just need Pogba back to see it come to fruition. Even though he's been equally as poor himself. Point is that the others don't sit a game out when they stink the place up, VDB has. I don't particularly rate VDB, but Ole and the club obviously did or they wouldn't have signed him. With that in mind then surely he could have used him better.

And regarding the last part, clearly you didn't read my post. I mentioned that we like to work it out wide but you will still often see Shaw or Rashford looking for Bruno to work the ball back inside to him. Not 100% of the time, that would be ridiculous, but a lot. Same from the right, AWB looks for him quite often too. Look at his stats, it's obvious he is the major part of our attack.
 

romufc

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I wouldn't say he was a disaster at the beginning. All those criticisms you now lay at his door, apply to many games where he didn't play and all the other midfielders too. Even games with Bruno and Pogba in midfield, which is apparently now the solution and we just need Pogba back to see it come to fruition. Even though he's been equally as poor himself. Point is that the others don't sit a game out when they stink the place up, VDB has. I don't particularly rate VDB, but Ole and the club obviously did or they wouldn't have signed him. With that in mind then surely he could have used him better.

And regarding the last part, clearly you didn't read my post. I mentioned that we like to work it out wide but you will still often see Shaw or Rashford looking for Bruno to work the ball back inside to him. Not 100% of the time, that would be ridiculous, but a lot. Same from the right, AWB looks for him quite often too. Look at his stats, it's obvious he is the major part of our attack.
The reason why players don't sit out after bad games is because they have built up credit in the bank. Bruno has enough credit in the bank now to have 3/4 bad games and still start.

That is false, Pogba at the start was stinking out the place, he was benched for alot of the games then was played on the left and right to gain the managers trust back, he only started playing again after he gained trust.

Martial has been put on the bench when he wasn't playing well, he is only used because we do not have numbers in the top end of the pitch.

I agree maybe that Donny hasn't had enough chances to shine but when his time was coming he got injured, he would have got a chance in the last month when Pogba got injured. Don't blame that on the manager then.
 

croadyman

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Yeah certainly sounds more of a CM/AM than a winger by what people have said in this thread, so wouldn't say he is an alternative to Sancho as The Telegraph were trying to suggest in their article
 

pocco

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The reason why players don't sit out after bad games is because they have built up credit in the bank. Bruno has enough credit in the bank now to have 3/4 bad games and still start.

That is false, Pogba at the start was stinking out the place, he was benched for alot of the games then was played on the left and right to gain the managers trust back, he only started playing again after he gained trust.

Martial has been put on the bench when he wasn't playing well, he is only used because we do not have numbers in the top end of the pitch.

I agree maybe that Donny hasn't had enough chances to shine but when his time was coming he got injured, he would have got a chance in the last month when Pogba got injured. Don't blame that on the manager then.
Pogba was benched but still got gametime. Fred and McTominay have been in regular rotation all season, same with Matic too. Obviously Bruno has a lot of leeway, I agree with that. But if you don't think VDB has been underused and everyone else is wrong, fans, media, his ex colleagues, fellow countrymen, and you think he has been well used then we'll just leave it there. We're all mad and Ole has handled it tremendously.
 

Leeuw

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You are 10 points clear and haven't lost a game this season, I'd be planning the parade/celebrations :lol:
You don't know our history, you don't know portuguese referees and portuguese newspapers. And we are playing with some players who weren't born when we last won the leaugue.
 

Peyroteo

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Hattrick on the last matchday and he's the league's top scorer, at 22 years old, without playing striker while we've won our first league in 19 years.

First portuguese in 25 years to be the league's top scorer. What a player, really hope he gets the call up to the Euros now that the squad's size has increased.

 

Lash

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Hattrick on the last matchday and he's the league's top scorer, at 22 years old, without playing striker while we've won our first league in 19 years.

First portuguese in 25 years to be the league's top scorer. What a player, really hope he gets the call up to the Euros now that the squad's size has increased.

Some of the keeping in that video is atrocious! He looks like the next big talent for you guys though and congratulations on winning the league!
 

Number32

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"If he's not good enough for Wolverhampton U23, he's not good enough for us"
I'm waiting for this comment but after his performance last night, I think I'm sold!
Let's sign him, and forget Sancho.
 

amolbhatia50k

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"If he's not good enough for Wolverhampton U23, he's not good enough for us"
I'm waiting for this comment but after his performance last night, I think I'm sold!
Let's sign him, and forget Sancho.
OP says he's a central midfielder? Let's not forget the difference in league's they're playing in
 

gorky_utd

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Will be interesting to know more about him. The last player from sporting turned alright for us.
 

Number32

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OP says he's a central midfielder? Let's not forget the difference in league's they're playing in
He plays as RW last night, more often playing as an AM though.
Bundesliga's quality is not that far away from Liga Nos. And for the record, players from Portugese League are more successful in England than players from Bundesliga.
 

amolbhatia50k

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He plays as RW last night, more often playing as an AM though.
Bundesliga's quality is not that far away from Liga Nos. And for the record, players from Portugese League are more successful in England than players from Bundesliga.
We don't need an AM though. Already have Bruno, Pogba and erm VDB.

Bundesliga is miles better than the Portuguese league. Doesn't mean players can't succeed /fail from either but there's several levels between the two
 

Number32

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We don't need an AM though. Already have Bruno, Pogba and erm VDB.

Bundesliga is miles better than the Portuguese league. Doesn't mean players can't succeed /fail from either but there's several levels between the two
So? Sancho is more often a LW and AM this season, already have Rashford too?

Chelsea have over paid 2 of Bundesliga's stars last summer, I'm not saying they can't suceed but with that price tag they are overrated.
 

amolbhatia50k

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So? Sancho is more often a LW and AM this season, already have Rashford too?

Chelsea have over paid 2 of Bundesliga's stars last summer, I'm not saying they can't suceed but with that price tag they are overrated.
Sancho is excellent at both RW and LW. We are weak in wide areas. No issues, let's see how this chap develops.
 

André Dominguez

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Not sure it would work out. He's a player who thrives on finding spaces when the team wins the second ball and usually english teams are better drilled defensively which would make more difficult for him to find space.
 

el_loco_bielsa

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I watched a fair bit of him last season and read your very fine analysis of his traits on your site.

I’m wondering how he’d fare as a false 9 firmino replacement in klopp’s system, and how he might compare with someone like dani olmo in that sort of role (I see them as not dissimilar players).

I’d predominantly see them as playing as a foil to a pair of goalscoring inverted wide wingers (mane, salah, jota etc).

I’d be curious to hear your thoughts.
 

SportingCP96

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His finish and assim vs Lyon we’re brilliant.

Great player and he will probably leave after this season.