PL era possibly, all-time no.
Picking your all-time united eleven. Do you consider Bruno?
- Thread starter simplyared
- Start date
I’m 34. If I go off players I’ve actually watched - then yeah I think he does. You could debate this endlessly though.
Big Pete
Neville - Ferdinand - Vidic - Evra
Keane - Scholes
Ronaldo - Bruno - Giggs
Rooney
Neville - Ferdinand - Vidic - Evra
Keane - Scholes
Ronaldo - Bruno - Giggs
Rooney
Bruno > Rooney
Judging by the replies in here I guess I must be mad
Very different players. Both hard-working and high output (assuming that goals and assist count the same). But that's where the similarities end.
Bruno is a true captain and a freak of nature fitness-wise. He's also far more creative than Rooney was.
Rooney is arguably the greatest second-striker of all time and a far better goalscorer. Rooney's super-power was that he could form successful partnerships with anyone.
As a manager you'd love to have both in your team. I'd pick them both over Cole, Yorke, RVN and RVP etc.
I agree with most in this. Bruno's floor is higher and he's more consistent. Also, he has never played in a dominant United side, unlike Rooney.
I think Rooney's frustrating last few years have clouded my judgement, unfortunately
I'd be interested to know what people think in 10-20 years time when Bruno is retired.
All of the players mentioned are absolute greats with no questions asked but as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder and I feel Bruno will truly be appreciated as one of our best ever players after his career is over.
I'm a massive Wayne Rooney fan, and I'm sure this same underrating was happening about him during his playing career even with all the silverware.
All of the players mentioned are absolute greats with no questions asked but as the old saying goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder and I feel Bruno will truly be appreciated as one of our best ever players after his career is over.
I'm a massive Wayne Rooney fan, and I'm sure this same underrating was happening about him during his playing career even with all the silverware.
It'd be brave to leave out players who won us multiple league titles, doubles, and a treble, to put in Bruno. I mean why fix teams that weren't broken
No chance. Maybe for the fourth or fifth team.
Oof, can’t really get on board with that. 100% disagree if it’s modern era only.
Great selection of players but no all time or modern era best team should ever have three at the back.
This is why it's so hard to judge him fairly. And you could add Cantona to that list. His team (and manager obviously) was far better than anything Bruno's had to work with.
If you want to ignore the likes of Scholes, Sir Bobby, Eric and Rooney, sure. Bruno is great on a horrible era but let's not forget the glorious players of our past.
It comes down to Bruno or Ruud. Bruno has more years at United but let's not forget how great Ruud was at his peak as well, was regarded as one of the best strikers in the world at a time where there were it was a long list of world class strikers.
As others have said the difficulty is that so many great players have played here that it’s not a criticism of the man if he’s left out. He’s unequivocally the best signing we’ve made since Wayne Rooney in my opinion and yet I’d struggle to include him in a top 11 of all time here.
I went with a 3-2-4-1 ala City in 2023, I like it for XI’s because who wants to waste a spot on a fullback instead of an attacking midfielder or a winger, although Irwin deserves a place in a best United XI for sure.
Robbo? Most people would agree he's one of the all time greats but he didn't exactly win a lot and the two leagues he did win he wasn't a major player for. If united wins 2 league's when Bruno is 35 and 36 does he then make it in? For me he doesn't and that's solely based upon the competition he has, but he absolutely is already a legend.
Bruno's great, but it's a high fecking bar to be in a United all time XI!
Given our history, there's no way you get in that sqaud without having delivered a significant amount of success. Bruno's nowhere near.
Now, is Bruno United's best CAM since the global switch from 442 to 3 in midfield? Maybe. But that doesn't put him ahead of the handful of better CMs and STs we've had play for us over the last century.
This isn't even a consideration. It's a clear no.
Given our history, there's no way you get in that sqaud without having delivered a significant amount of success. Bruno's nowhere near.
Now, is Bruno United's best CAM since the global switch from 442 to 3 in midfield? Maybe. But that doesn't put him ahead of the handful of better CMs and STs we've had play for us over the last century.
This isn't even a consideration. It's a clear no.
Pretty funny that a couple of years and idiot managers ago you had a fairly sizeable amount of the fanbase wanting him gone and insisting he was holding Utd back.
You're 34. You've watched RvN, Cole, Beckham, Carrick, and more. All of those could fit into a 4-2-3-1 with the rest of your squad, and all are considerably greater than Bruno from a United perspective.
In a post-Ferguson XI, he’s the undisputed first name on the team sheet.
Who'd ever forget that delightful thread "We will never win the league with Bruno Fernandes in the team"
Those you've listed are not considerably greater than Bruno though... Greater players, as in won more? Or more talented? Mmm... I disagree, but ok
True, but not saying much considering our history. Being the best player in our worst period in the last 40 years or so is like being the tallest midget in the room.
Doesn't really count for a lot.
He would make the bench for sure, but realistically if we’re going for a second striker type like he effectively plays for us, then I would go for Rooney over him
Ruud would arguably be a shout in this side over Bruno tbf.
Becks - love the man but I’d have Giggs and Ronaldo over him as wide players.
Cole - nah. Obviously part of the treble side, but it was a far better team than Bruno has ever played in. Bruno has out scored his best season as well.
Carrick - would be competing with Keane/Scholes in this. Love him, and think he’s wildly under rated but he’s not getting in. He’d be on the bench.
All those players have much richer legacies at United than Bruno. All were leaders, all brought success. How are we defining greatness?
Is Bruno a technically better player than them? Arguably, but not definitively. Did they all achieve more for United and bring more glory and 'greatness'? Objectively, yes.
In a post-Ferguson XI, he's first name of the team sheet, captain, manager, CEO, and the groundsman.
Oh, they definitely brought more "glory and greatness". But they all played under SAF. Bruno played under EtH and Amorim. That counts double
Exactly.
We're dangerously close to using the infamous "Chadwick > Gerrard" argument now. Except unironically. And against a player of our own!
was that even a thing?? Don't remember thatThat's a fair stipulation, but we do have to accept that this isn't a level playing field. All our greatest players were only as good as they were because of the other players and staff around them.
If Bruno were playing under SAF, this would be a different conversation. If Bruno had produced exactly the same individual output over his United career, but over that time we'd won 3 league titles, this would be a different conversation.
With United being United though, you need to have won to be a great. And to be in the greatest ever XI, you need to have won a lot!
I hear ya, but feel sorry for Bruno. The fact that he is even being considered (by a couple) is possibly a greater achievement than winning the treble
Any player in our best XI would not just have had to have won a lot, but played a leading role. Cleverly isn't greater than Bruno because he won titles. But not having won titles is disqualifiying when you consider the great players in our history that have led us to glory.
Schmeichel
Ferdinand - Vidic - Stam
Beckham-Keane-Scholes-Giggs
Cantona
Rooney-Ronaldo
I guess Bruno can be back up for Cantona.
Ferdinand - Vidic - Stam
Beckham-Keane-Scholes-Giggs
Cantona
Rooney-Ronaldo
I guess Bruno can be back up for Cantona.
I recall quite a few meme pictures in the 2000s and early 2010s that compared their number of PL titles
100% meant to rile up Liverpool supporters obviously.I disagree because Robson barely featured when he won his only titles. And like I said on the other page, plenty of older Liverpool supporters consider Gerrard the greatest Liverpool player of all time despite 0 of their 20 titles being won with him in the team. You can point to the CL trophy, but I'm pretty sure that even without that trophy many would still consider him the greatest.
Trophies matter of course, but these starting XIs are typically based on pure individual skill. That is why Bruno is in the conversation.
But like I wrote on the first page, the issue isn't just trophies. The main issue is that United is absolutely stacked when it comes to legendary, world class players over the years. Particularly in midfield and attack. Bruno not making the cut doesn't really say much then.
PL era maybe.
I would have RVP in 2012-2013 over any Bruno season personally
And I can't pick Bruno over Rooney or Cantona
So he wouldn't get in for me
I would have RVP in 2012-2013 over any Bruno season personally
And I can't pick Bruno over Rooney or Cantona
So he wouldn't get in for me
This part has basically been my point all along. I love Bruno, and he's been fantastic for us. It's no criticism of Bruno to say that he's not in this conversation. At United, best all time XI is a very high bar.
I don't see Rooney as an out and out midfielder tbf. Looking at Scholes, Robson and Keane Bruno will have surpassed all of them regarding representing their countries. Portugal being a top football nation and he walks into their starting eleven. Could be you'd have to choose either Bruno or Beckham.
I like this
Is Bruno above Robson ? Similar influence in eras when we were not winning.
Yes, I know Robson won the Prem in 93 and 94, but he didn’t play a big part in those titles.
Yes, I know Robson won the Prem in 93 and 94, but he didn’t play a big part in those titles.
Not even close