It seems a complicated scenario to resolve. Potentially, a big part of our problems may lie with Bruno. And, before anyone starts, he has been our best player. He could potentially be an amazing player in an amazing side. But, it is more the way he plays, or perhaps feels he has to play.
The great thing about him is that he demands the ball. He doesn't shy away from the challenge. But, the other players seem to pass the buck to him. Feel that he will be the man to make things happen, and they are simply pawns to try and keep the engine ticking. Bruno will try and cover every blade of grass to get the ball, and his team mates will look to find him. And, when he does have the ball, at best his team mates will run away from the ball, and hope he will just launch a quarterback pass into their path. Which is hard to do, especially when the opposition know that is what is coming. But, as he is running all over the pitch, none of the other players will instinctively know where he is. They often need to take a touch, look up, find him, process the info and play the ball. Often, by the time they do, Bruno is marked or they've been tackled.
Possibly my favourite player ever was Scholes, obviously brilliant. But, he never ran all over the pitch. He would be in that midfield role, and his team mates always knew where he'd be. He'd often play a simple sideways ball, and follow the ball so that his team mate he passed to has at least an easy option back to him. If he got it, he could then turn and switch the ball long, the simple movement before creating space in other areas of the pitch. He kept his position on the pitch brilliantly, and obviously had great players all around him he could trust to do their jobs, and he focused on his.
I'm desperately hoping that now we have Cunha and Mbeumo, two players who also look confident in receiving and caring for the ball, that we spread the load from just being on Bruno, to at least 3 quality players. And that will create space for the younger, faster players around them. The holding players are still a concern, and it will be interesting how he plays Bruno, Cunha and Mbeumo in the same 11. Will he have Bruno in the deep role and the others in the No 10 roles in games, in other games perhaps stick Mbeuno up top with the other 2 in the No. 10? Can't see any of them being out wide, in his wing back roles.
I do have some positivity that, if those 3 players keep fit (or at least 2 out of 3 at any given time), it should help us massively in attack compared to previous seasons. But, I do really think it will need Bruno to be disciplined, and I hope he doesn't have an ego that means that he is always trying to be the main man on the pitch every game. He needs to start trusting his team mates, and of course his team mates need to stand up and earn that trust.
