Telles don’t play either. That would have been spicy. Wait tell man get to see Telles on the pitch. Warrior.
The case for Bruno to be club captain
- Thread starter Irrational.
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik and Imran hold a long overdue conversation about United's awful league form with 1 win in 7. They discuss a disappointing draw at Bournemouth, a not so disappointing draw against Liverpool and a crushing defeat at Chelsea - Is time nearly over for Erik Ten Hag?
Then in a special second half of the pod, Nik welcomes Natalie ( https://twitter.com/natalie_17) to discuss the fortunes of Manchester United Women as they booked a place in the FA Cup Final after a historic first ever win vs. Chelsea.
I'm sure he will too, however, if we can pull out wins vs PSG and Chelsea (assuming Maguire is out) it may force Ole's hand.
He's the boss.
I'm not a fan of having creative/streaky players as captains. I think their job should be being creative and focus on linking attacking play. Being a captain takes a bit of that focus away.
I prefer the one-note work horse, consistent (not just in their performance but their role in the team) types.
Maguire aside, who's not exactly being amazing, there's no other strong candidate, which fits my description.
I'd love for say a Fred to play every single game and elevate his level and become that glue guy, who can then intangibly raise the rest of the team.
Take nothing away from Bruno, his attitude is fantastic, he's got real quality but I would like more maturity in his play. it's a bit too much passion over fundamentals for me. That's on Ole as well I guess. I'm afraid the captaincy will just 'enable' or give him impetus to continuing being blood and thunder/a roy of the rovers trope.
Or it could become the opposite and see him taking a step back and organising the team. Will be interesting to see either way!
I prefer the one-note work horse, consistent (not just in their performance but their role in the team) types.
Maguire aside, who's not exactly being amazing, there's no other strong candidate, which fits my description.
I'd love for say a Fred to play every single game and elevate his level and become that glue guy, who can then intangibly raise the rest of the team.
Take nothing away from Bruno, his attitude is fantastic, he's got real quality but I would like more maturity in his play. it's a bit too much passion over fundamentals for me. That's on Ole as well I guess. I'm afraid the captaincy will just 'enable' or give him impetus to continuing being blood and thunder/a roy of the rovers trope.
Or it could become the opposite and see him taking a step back and organising the team. Will be interesting to see either way!
God it is so nice having a set PK taker (even if Bruno missed over the weekend), I tremble remembering LVG's terrible next man up penalty scheme where we were switching takers every time someone missed.
On topic - for sure Bruno deserves it, although, as others have noted, there isn't exactly a lot of competition. Hopefully that changes moving forwards.
He's got high standards and demands that everyone plays to that high level - remind you of anyone?
Irrational OP. We literally have zero reason to contemplate a change of captain at this time.
He should be... Maguire has shown zero credentials to be club captain apart from being English.
Too lazy to read all this to see if its been mentioned before - but if you havent watched the post game interview with Bruno after the Newcastle game then youre missing out. Very articulate and measured and his words. Suggest watching it still because he talks a lot about the squad and club in general, rather than the game.
He made me feel a lot more optimistic than i felt in a long time tbh.
He made me feel a lot more optimistic than i felt in a long time tbh.
At this time, it’s neither warranted nor wise to be even thinking about this. The amount of media attention it brings to club, Maguire and Bruno himself can only do us harm. Do we really need to give media a chance to corroborate the “dressing room divide” stories? This is the time to back our centre back instead of completely shooting his confidence down.
He kind of is the unofficial captain already. On the pitch he's the one pushing everyone around him to do better, off the pitch he talks for the group and sounds like a real leader.
I kind of understand what you mean because I dont really like striker captains or attacking captains - i like my captains to be playing a bit deeper on the pitch so they can see the gameplay as it unfolds from a deeper perspective. Have that ability to influence players in front of them as much as they can influence a few players behind them.
It's also personally why I've made up in my head that defense and midfield ex players tend to be better as managers because they have that feeling of how to build the tempo of the game, how to position themselves as the game unfolds, that view of trying to counter what the opposition does etc.
What if Bruno ends up playing in centre midfield? It's not exactly a new position for him (internationals) and if I remember correctly many of the Portugal league watchers said that this was his position too.
I say this because I have a feeling that Van De Beek may break in to the first 11 soon and if he does then Bruno would be the one adding energy, attacking & defensive abilities (his allround stats are exceptional) and creativity like he already does, but a bit deeper.
Right at the heart of the team.
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Seems Bruno will captain the side vs PSG.
Hopefully true.
Hopefully true.
Perfectenschlag reference.That made me laugh out loud. Wonder how many of them got the reference.
You'd hope it's true considering it was Solskjaer himself who said it!
Make it happen!
I fear he is so ultra competitive he wont be here in two years when he realizes we have no hope of winning a major trophy.
I fear he is so ultra competitive he wont be here in two years when he realizes we have no hope of winning a major trophy.
DDG or Bruno, no one else deserves it, especially not Maguire. With current form, yeah, Bruno
Don't think de Gea will ever be captain, he's nowhere near vocal enough. I doubt we'll give it to him based on longevity either.
He may be a fan favourite, but I don’t think he’s captaincy material. Anyway, Ole doesn’t have too many choices as there aren’t many leaders in the squad.
Well, it's still possible for Ole to change his mind at the last minute.Tweet
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Just like many of us, he didn't expect that at all.
First step of many to be club captain?
First step of many to be club captain?
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Absolutely love Bruno, I find it astonishing we didn't move mountains to sign him in the transfer window before we actually got him.
Thankfully we did, he's not only the difference maker in terms of his ability but he has the strongest mentality in the whole squad. He says the right things but more importantly he backs them up with his actions as well, by far the hardest worker we have.
Thankfully we did, he's not only the difference maker in terms of his ability but he has the strongest mentality in the whole squad. He says the right things but more importantly he backs them up with his actions as well, by far the hardest worker we have.
Two important things to note, for me:
- Pride in performance. Genuinely hates losing and will give everything he has to prevent that from happening. If he's there busting his balls late into a game, others have to, too.
- Communication. He's constantly on others to do something, be it: positioning, concentration, tempo, combative spirit. He is the annoying one who others appreciate after the fact.
Don't know if he has the softer touch at the right times or uf he knows how to handle different personalities, but I guess we'll find out.
- Pride in performance. Genuinely hates losing and will give everything he has to prevent that from happening. If he's there busting his balls late into a game, others have to, too.
- Communication. He's constantly on others to do something, be it: positioning, concentration, tempo, combative spirit. He is the annoying one who others appreciate after the fact.
Don't know if he has the softer touch at the right times or uf he knows how to handle different personalities, but I guess we'll find out.
I think the only time you ever give captaincy based on longevity is if no other player deserves the role. Right now we have Bruno, Maguire, and maybe one or two others I think would get it before De Gea.
If he's really on 70k/w that's another huge check mark in favor of.
You think back when we had Schmeichel, Bruce, Pally, Keane, Ince, Cantona, and the likes, do you think it mattered really who had the armband. Leaders will lead regardless and they all did. I remember Gerrard saying he loved playing with Carragher as he was the one doing the Keano role, whereas Gerrard spoke to players differently, but both approaches benefitted the team collectively. I think we are making an issue out of something that isn't there.
I could watch his reaction to that all week
I'm in abit of a lousy mood right now but that genuinely put a smile back on my faceHe's basically taken over Ander's influence as someone who raises the games of everyone around him, who always has the right attitude, determination, work ethic and wants to make the difference in key matches.
You'd have to misunderstand the job of a captain to deny that he's the best choice at the club
You'd have to misunderstand the job of a captain to deny that he's the best choice at the club
Captains armband or not, he leads out on that pitch and demands the same from every other player. It's nice for him but it won't change his game. He's a serial winner.
His mentality, work on the pitch, and ability as a speaker make him the outstanding candidate imo. There's a vague concern his temperament may veer toward volatile at times, but if you look at when happens, it's really where we shouldn't be in the first place. It's what you'd expect from anyone who gave a sh*t in the circumstances.
It doesn't have to. Every player has a job and I don't see how being the leader on the pitch stops that.
Or the opposite. He could be a catalyst for some change. I can't imagine he would take too kindly to ed saying "you can't talk to your director of football like that". We need more players who care about the club above themselves especially with such a young squad.
Yes you are Bruno. Yes you are.
Fergie was a striker. So was Ancelotti, and Mancini too. Cruyff was a winger / forward but could also play deeper. Ottmar Hitzfeld and Jupp Heynckes were forwards too too I think. Zidane of course was an attacking player though he could also play deeper.
In summary there have been loads of great coaches who were forwards. Arguably there might be more midfielders and defenders through history but then you could argue there are usually more midfielders and defenders on a pitch at any given time than there are forwards...
I never said strikers couldnt be managers & be successful ones. I just said I feel like midfielders and defenders end up succeeding more these days when given a job due to their utilisation of tactics even when playing.
SAF is well known to be one of the best man management managers but is also tactical heavily influenced by his assistant manager. Hitzfield is another forward who was successful for Bayern. Mancini is another. Heyckness is another manager who is a forward and succesful. Cruyff was a forward but also an attacking midfielder.
Compare those to the ones we see more in the modern game and sligthly older who have played as a defender or midfielder to some degree -
Marco rose (defender), Klopp played as a striker first then RB, Pochettino (CB), Guardiola (midfielder), Zidane (Midfielder), tuchel (defender), Simeone (midfielder), allegri (midfielder), conte (midfielder), Ancelotti (midfielder), Mourinho (midfielder), Biesla (defender), del bosque ( midfielder), luis Enrique (midfielder & forward), Benitez (defender), sarri (CB), van gaal (midfielder), Capello (midfielder), Lippi (sweeper defender), ranieri (defender), deschamps (midfielder), emery (midfielder), low (AM), Pelligrini (CB), southgate (midfielder/CB), Arteta (Cm). I could go on but I cant be bothered.
Not everyone is a midfielder or defender but by picking random out they do tend to be in quantity in such positions more than a forward tends to be (even if the quality isnt the same).
It's just a random thing I've made up in my head. I for example wouldn't be surprised if Nicky Butt, Giggs or even Carrick become our manager one day because each one of them has that wonderful experience playing in the middle of the park. You aim to keep a tempo for your team, trying to focus down on the opposition attack as much as their defence to try create something from nothing, speaking to the players in front of you just as much as behind you etc. Those thoughts when playing football does increase the interest in being a manager.
I'm not giving you Ancelotti, classic second striker although I'm sure he could play in midfield. For the sake of argument let's say teams generally played 2 forwards until quite recently. That being the case you'd expect 3-4 out of 20 Prem managers to have been forwards of some description. Ole, Ancelotti and Hasenhuttl were forwards. Lampard scored a lot of goals but I'd say he's certainly midfielder, so we're very marginally light on forwards in terms of representation. You'd expect about 2 GKs, we've just got one in Nuno. So yeah centre halves are probably over represented but more so in comparison to wide players and keepers than forwards I reckon.