What midfielder is suited to partner Bruno in the double pivot?

[UpWithRivers]

It is weird that everyone thinks Bruno is our best World Class player then the first signing we make is for his position and shove him in midfield. Amorim obviously does not like him as a 10. Not that he cant or wont play there but he is not his ideal. So now we get our best player and experiment with him as CM. The same as Amad. The two players everyone says are class we shove them into unnatural positions. Some say they will be brilliant there. Some not. At the end of the day no one knows. Not even Amorim. And its not even to do with his ability. He could possibly be a world class CM in a 3. Just like Mainoo. But a double pivot in this system that requires you to cover large spaces is very questionable. My guess is that will probably work some games and everyone will be on the CAF shouting told you so! Fkn brilliant. Then the next game it will fail because we play a team with 3 big midfield bastards. If it doesnt work then what? Sell for peanuts?

There is a skill that is selling at the right time. City do it. Chelsea do it. Arsenal do it. All the top teams do it. They sell even top players like Palmer because they dont think they are right for the club at that moment in time. United on the other hand just hang on to players and play them out of position - Rashford as a 9 then as a 10 then even right 10. Mata we played RW. It goes on and on.

I presume Amorim has a plan and we will have to trust him but it always feels like we are putting square pegs in round holes and there is a ripple effect to that because now you have to get a DM that covers for Bruno's weaknesses and if Bruno doesn't work we are left with a player that was bought to cover Bruno and not an ideal player for midfield. For examplle Wharton/Baleba would be ideal. Yes we cant afford it but they would complement eachother. A budget alternative is Stiller/Ederson. Or a similar pairing. Now for instance getting Wharton would be a bad idea because he wouldn't work with Bruno.

To answer this question we need a pure 6. The ideal profile would be a big fkr that covers the ground well but basically sits in front of the back 3 and can bring the ball out from the defense. Basically Casemiro with legs. Players like that are rare just ask City. Maybe Boubacar Kamara if City need funds and his contract is up in 2 years? Not exactly Wharton I know but he probably could do the job.

 

[gorky_utd]

City just signed reijnders for 55m euro. Hopefully we can find someone without spending outrageous money.

 

[hellhunter]

City just signed reijnders for 55m euro. Hopefully we can find someone without spending outrageous money.

€70m

 

[blackhawk747]

I will go for Jack Rudoni of Coventry. Great Physique, decent passing and technique, and most importantly, Englisht football proven.

 

[NZT-One]

A good fit would be prime Kante in a 6'5 version. What kind of partner we would need for him depends on what Amorim expects of his CMs. My takeaway from a few videos about Sporting was that his CMs there were hardworking grafters, who moved around a lot, covered ground, plugged gaps and presented combination options. They were also pretty robust. None of them played like a deep lying playmaker, nor a box crasher - the play from deep was more on the CBs and while the chance creation was predominantly on the front-3 and the wingers.
Whether Amorim is going to replicate that is unclear. He misses quite a few parts for that if you ask me. Only midfielder who would fit right now is Ugarte. Maybe Amorim has a slightly adjusted plan. Although I struggle to come up with one that gets away with a weak attacking midfielder who has no real natural instincts playing in the centre of the pitch. Currently, we need his passing to have anything resembling a ball progression.

 

[giorno]

You could also sign a fast guy and go for the Barcelona strategy of parking the CBs in midfield and playing the offside trap on every counter

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

A prime Matic, the Chelsea years, are there any around at the right price?

 

[giorno]

A prime Matic, the Chelsea years, are there any around at the right price?

Tchouameni

100m and he's yours. He's good we swear

 

[TheRedDevil'sAdvocate]

Tchouameni

100m and he's yours. He's good we swear

Ha! We'll get him off your "galactico" hands, and he'll thrive, as usual, in our completely non-toxic environment. Oh, wait... On a more serious note, i don't know what's the deal with him. He seemed like a player who could make it at this level. It's not like he's full of himself and thinks he's the dog's bollocks, either.

 

[lucashood2025]

I was slightly disappointed with the news that Bruno is staying because if we are signing Mbeumo it means Amorim sees him as one of this 2 deep mids. I am flabbergasted by this . It will not work against the best sides . If you look at the best sides in europe over the years they tend to play 433 with 3 mids who are good on the ball press resistant and have a bit of physicality. Look at the current PSG midfield Vitinha Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves . All technically excellent and can all do a bit of dog work but the requirement for them to score a load of goals isnt a necessity. The same with Real Madrid team a few years ago with Casemiro Kroos and Modric . It's all about control and it's the most important area on the pitch to get right . Bruno wouldnt get anywhere need these 2 midfields and in a 343 you need 2 athletes who can cover ground to make it work

 

[UpWithRivers]

Tchouameni

100m and he's yours. He's good we swear

Oh what Id give for Tchouameni and Camavinga and yet Real think they arent good enough. Goes to show how far we are off a decent midfield. Should have sold Bruno and gave you 150 for the both of them

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

I don't see an argument about him not being our best player last season? Which, in turn, doesn't dispute the fact that he's ill-suited to playing as a CM. It's like asking a fox to go against its instincts and guard the henhouse - eventually bad things will happen. Bruno's all about going forward and making stuff happen, which is a far cry from controlling the midfield.

One would think that having spent 6+ months coaching in the PL, Amorim would be more aware of the demands of the league. By the looks of it, he's hell-bent on shoehoring Bruno into the team at any cost and that may end up costing him the job.

Some of his best performances last season came as a CM. I agree that I prefer him closer to the opposition's box, but I also prefer us to field more attacking players as we're already resigning ourselves to starting 5 defenders and a DM every game (contrary to popular belief, Amad barely played RWB).

Does anyone feel we are going 433 next season? There is no way Bruno is staying to be a permanent for the CM spot. If we are buying Cunha, Mbeumo & a striker and keeping Bruno then it makes sense that we play with a 3 man midfield with Bruno the most advanced midfielder. Also, I don't think we have the WB's or the money to buy WB's for a more attacking 3421. All three of our current options - Dorgu, Dalot and Maz are better suited as DB's than WB's. It makes much more sense to line-up with a 2 man defense than ina three when we don't have a CCB who can pass through the lines effectively and defend large spaces.

GK/GK
Dalot/Maz deLigt/Harry YoroHeaven Dorgu/Shaw
New CM/Ugarte Casemiro/Mainoo
Mbeumo/Amad Bruno/Mount Cunha/Garnacho
Striker/Zirkzee
​

Makes much more than starting with a 3 man central defense and start Bruno as a central midfielder.

Amo has talked about the system being more important to him than a formation. So, the basic principles remain the same while players play in positions where they are the most comfortable.

Not a chance under this manager. Last season's PL games were the perfect opportunity to try out 3 CMs and 2 CBs but we never saw it once in any of those dead rubber matches.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

I was slightly disappointed with the news that Bruno is staying because if we are signing Mbeumo it means Amorim sees him as one of this 2 deep mids. I am flabbergasted by this . It will not work against the best sides . If you look at the best sides in europe over the years they tend to play 433 with 3 mids who are good on the ball press resistant and have a bit of physicality. Look at the current PSG midfield Vitinha Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves . All technically excellent and can all do a bit of dog work but the requirement for them to score a load of goals isnt a necessity. The same with Real Madrid team a few years ago with Casemiro Kroos and Modric . It's all about control and it's the most important area on the pitch to get right . Bruno wouldnt get anywhere need these 2 midfields and in a 343 you need 2 athletes who can cover ground to make it work

Hopefully this a stop gap plan by Amorim to tide him over until next summer when he can revamp the midfield. But yeah I'm not a fan of this idea - reeks of Rooney in midfield to put a tape over a mess.

 

[UpWithRivers]

Some of his best performances last season came as a CM. I agree that I prefer him closer to the opposition's box, but I also prefer us to field more attacking players as we're already resigning ourselves to starting 5 defenders and a DM every game (contrary to popular belief, Amad barely played RWB).


Not a chance under this manager. Last season's PL games were the perfect opportunity to try out 3 CMs and 2 CBs but we never saw it once in any of those dead rubber matches.

Why do people keep saying this? Some of Maguires best performances came as a striker. Doesnt make him a striker. Everyone knows Bruno can play CM at a good standard. Good players can play anywhere. Put him at wingback and I bet he will have games where he is class. But he also has had games playing midfield where he has been sht. The final for example. And thats the difference between putting a player in thier best position and a position where they thrive sometimes. Cunha was a striker and not the best and then he moved to left 10 and he was class. Mateta was getting 6 goals until Glasner changed systems and stopped using him as a sole striker and let him make runs while being supplied by the 10's. It goes on and on. You have to put players in their best position and give them a platform to thrive

 

[giorno]

Ha! We'll get him off your "galactico" hands, and he'll thrive, as usual, in our completely non-toxic environment. Oh, wait... On a more serious note, i don't know what's the deal with him. He seemed like a player who could make it at this level. It's not like he's full of himself and thinks he's the dog's bollocks, either.

The deal is he's not very good

 

[Gabriel Djemba-Bebe]

Why do people keep saying this? Some of Maguires best performances came as a striker. Doesnt make him a striker. Everyone knows Bruno can play CM at a good standard. Good players can play anywhere. Put him at wingback and I bet he will have games where he is class. But he also has had games playing midfield where he has been sht. The final for example. And thats the difference between putting a player in thier best position and a position where they thrive sometimes. Cunha was a striker and not the best and then he moved to left 10 and he was class. Mateta was getting 6 goals until Glasner changed systems and stopped using him as a sole striker and let him make runs while being supplied by the 10's. It goes on and on. You have to put players in their best position and give them a platform to thrive

Well if you'd like the manager to put most of our players in their best positions then I've got news for you about our wing back options...

 

[The-Mezzala]

Limited players aren't of much use to sides chasing the biggest prizes in football. Palhinha is a player for an underdog team who are expecting to defend like honey badgers and hang on in games, not sides where the onus is on passing the ball proactively and through defensive lines time and time and time again. Bayern are too big a club to ever play like the underdog - win or lose, they will go out sticking to their principles, and so with Palihinha essentially going there and being exposed as too limited to function, he's not going to get playing time.

Palhinha is even more limited than Ugarte and definitely isn't a player you'd look to for constructive build up play from deep. Of all the bigger name clubs in Europe, you won't see a player like Palhinha, and even Bayern would have bought him expecting him to step up, which he couldn't do.

We need some quality footballers; whoever we get in needs to be skilled and able on both sides of the ball.

Paulinha is definitely better on the ball than ugarte but at 29 probably not as mobile which definitely is a problem in Amorims system. But he had some impressive stats at fulham. Highest number of tackles won.

I am not saying spend stupid money. But a loan could work him and Ugarte and as the ball winners. Bruno and Mainoo in the other role. Mainoo definitely needs a lot of work off the ball. I love him as a player but he is the one player we have that definitely doesn’t suit this system. It wouldn’t shock me if he was sold.

If we sell Mainoo. Go for Ederson he is a bit of an all rounder and could do both roles. Then wait for Wharton to become available. No way Palace are selling this summer. I don’t blame them first season in Europe and club is financially healthy cant see them selling anyone this summer.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Probably our most important signing?

Not sure what order to put striker, goalkeeper and CM.

I did think striker but if we get Mbuemo beside Cunha I am less concerned about scoring goals.

 

[dubplate warrior]

There isn't a midfielder who suits playing with him in a two because he isn't a midfielder who should ever play in a two.

It would have been a blessing in disguise to have sold him for big money and have bought two midfielders.

 

[Remember the geese]

There isn't one. We'd have been better off selling Bruno and bringing in two proper midfielders, or one and a striker. We have effectively replaced him with Cunha and Mbeumo.

 

[Remember the geese]

There isn't a midfielder who suits playing with him in a two because he isn't a midfielder who should ever play in a two.

It would have been a blessing in disguise to have sold him for big money and have bought two midfielders.

I hadn't seen your post prior to typing mine. Uncanny.

 

[DuruttiColumn]

Probably our most important signing?

Yes I absolutely think it is, it seems Amorim’s style demands a lung busting midfielder who can be “where the game is”
Who did this for him at Sporting?

 

[andersj]

I really like Andre at Wolves btw. Think he would be a good partner to Bruno.

 

[The-Mezzala]

Yes I absolutely think it is, it seems Amorim’s style demands a lung busting midfielder who can be “where the game is”
Who did this for him at Sporting?

Nunes but Portugese league is obviously different. Why this system is going to be hard to make work.without spending a lot of cash. People say Conte won the league with it. But he had Kante probably the hardest working player I have ever seen.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

I was going to say Onana from Everton.

Had to Google and totally forgot he went to Villa.

Swap for Rashford?

 

[dubplate warrior]

I hadn't seen your post prior to typing mine. Uncanny.

Wow

I think it will be the downfall of Amorim as we'll just continue to be bypassed at will on the transition.

 

[Silas]

For someone so fixated on the system, I'm surprised Amorim is happy with having Bruno as a square peg for the CM role.

 

[mctrials23]

Probably our most important signing?

Not sure what order to put striker, goalkeeper and CM.

I did think striker but if we get Mbuemo beside Cunha I am less concerned about scoring goals.

I think a functioning midfield behind the forwards is more important than a striker if we get Mbuemo. Football is a team sport and its been god knows how long since we have had a vaguely functional midfield. Cunha and Mbuemo will score goals and in a functioning United side, Hojlund and Obi will be able to chip in with enough goals to get us where we want to be this season. We still need a striker but I think its lower down the list than a top CM and a new GK.

 

[dinostar77]

I was slightly disappointed with the news that Bruno is staying because if we are signing Mbeumo it means Amorim sees him as one of this 2 deep mids. I am flabbergasted by this . It will not work against the best sides . If you look at the best sides in europe over the years they tend to play 433 with 3 mids who are good on the ball press resistant and have a bit of physicality. Look at the current PSG midfield Vitinha Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves . All technically excellent and can all do a bit of dog work but the requirement for them to score a load of goals isnt a necessity. The same with Real Madrid team a few years ago with Casemiro Kroos and Modric . It's all about control and it's the most important area on the pitch to get right . Bruno wouldnt get anywhere need these 2 midfields and in a 343 you need 2 athletes who can cover ground to make it work

think of it this way, if amorim starts badly say first 10 games or so and gets sacked. We will ditch his preferred formation and probably go to a 433. Suddenly it works with the players we have (this presuming we buy a striker this summer). So we have a striker, Cunha and Mbeumo playing LW/RW respectively. Bruno at the tip of the triangle in midfield. With a double pivot of casemiro/ugarte/mainoo/collyer. Suddenly we look much more solid in midfield.

Then hopefully next summer we can buy a Wharton or a Baleba. The point being just ditching amorims preferred formation and switching to a 433 helps resolve the bruno issue and our midfield issue for this coming season

 

[El Jefe]

This thread is starting to remind me of the Mount thread at the time he was signed and ETH’s plan to play him in midfield. Pretty much everyone said it wouldn’t work and lo and behold it didn’t work.

In Bruno’s case he’s obviously a far better player than Mount and has actually had good games there but again he’s a player we’ve watched consistently for over five years. He is not a CM and this too will fail.

Bruno’s best position is as an attacking mid//No.10. I’ve been vocal in wanting him moved on but let’s even say I’m happy with Bruno why would you put your best player in a position that isn’t his best. We are talking about rebuilding but then using the most important piece of the old team in his non favoured position. It’s folly from Amorim in the same way it was for ETH with Mount.

Bruno’s best seasons were his first 1.5 and the season just gone. These were the seasons he was able to pile in the goals and assists. By the looks of it we are going to upgrade our front three so we no longer need a CM that gets 30-40 G+A. You need midfielders like Bruno G, Tielemans, Enzo Fernandez, MacAlister that get the ball and keep it ticking but not necessarily being the final passer or scorer.

Can Bruno have a good season without high statistical output? I very much doubt that.

 

[aeh1991]

Hugo Larsson is the most complete CM talent around, in my opinion a bigger talent than Wharton. Get him before he joins another top club.

 

[Remember the geese]

Wow

I think it will be the downfall of Amorim as we'll just continue to be bypassed at will on the transition.

Unfortunately, I can see that. Bruno deciding to stay feels like a sliding doors moment for Amorim and not in a good way.

 

[pcaming]

This thread is starting to remind me of the Mount thread at the time he was signed and ETH’s plan to play him in midfield. Pretty much everyone said it wouldn’t work and lo and behold it didn’t work.

In Bruno’s case he’s obviously a far better player than Mount and has actually had good games there but again he’s a player we’ve watched consistently for over five years. He is not a CM and this too will fail.

Bruno’s best position is as an attacking mid//No.10. I’ve been vocal in wanting him moved on but let’s even say I’m happy with Bruno why would you put your best player in a position that isn’t his best. We are talking about rebuilding but then using the most important piece of the old team in his non favoured position. It’s folly from Amorim in the same way it was for ETH with Mount.

Bruno’s best seasons were his first 1.5 and the season just gone. These were the seasons he was able to pile in the goals and assists. By the looks of it we are going to upgrade our front three so we no longer need a CM that gets 30-40 G+A. You need midfielders like Bruno G, Tielemans, Enzo Fernandez, MacAlister that get the ball and keep it ticking but not necessarily being the final passer or scorer.

Can Bruno have a good season without high statistical output? I very much doubt that.

People on this forum only take off their rose tinted specs when the walls have fallen down.

We will win nothing with Bruno playing in a 2.

 

[Fortitude]

I was slightly disappointed with the news that Bruno is staying because if we are signing Mbeumo it means Amorim sees him as one of this 2 deep mids. I am flabbergasted by this . It will not work against the best sides . If you look at the best sides in europe over the years they tend to play 433 with 3 mids who are good on the ball press resistant and have a bit of physicality. Look at the current PSG midfield Vitinha Fabian Ruiz and Joao Neves . All technically excellent and can all do a bit of dog work but the requirement for them to score a load of goals isnt a necessity. The same with Real Madrid team a few years ago with Casemiro Kroos and Modric . It's all about control and it's the most important area on the pitch to get right . Bruno wouldnt get anywhere need these 2 midfields and in a 343 you need 2 athletes who can cover ground to make it work

PSG’s midfield is the current pinnacle of the sport, and this is standard issue for the guys you mention:



The amount of twists, turns, deft movements and spatial awareness of their surroundings both in terms of teammates and the opposition as well as know how of precisely what to do to reach the optimal solution is poetry in motion. It’s pretty much the same thing for each side that reaches the top of the game. It doesn’t have to be as elegant or rhythmic, but the principles of midfield play are adhered to with a superfluous ease - no missteps, no moments of hesitation or pause for thought - the consistency of the flow is paramount.

When you have people in positions that aren’t natural to them, this rarely occurs, and it’s also facade that doesn’t take much probing to come tumbling down. Being able to sometimes pass at doing a job is nothing like having expertise in the role and that’s the major issue with Bruno in deeper midfield; there’s so much of the finer detailing of the role that he just doesn’t have the game for through no real fault of his own - if you ask a player to do a job in a role that isn’t natural to them there will be schisms under examination, like when a proper, adventurous box-to-box central midfielder is asked to just sit there at the base of midfield like a natural defensive midfielder, but has those lapses in concentration that leave big gaps where their shouldn’t be, or when wing-forward is asked to play centre-forward and doesn’t have a clue of the finer details of the role etc. etc.

Bruno is definitely in a suboptimal role as a permanent fixture in central midfield and it’s a strange thing to do when he’s so potent in the #10. It makes more problems for the midfield than it fixes unless Bruno can actually morph into a player that can play CM as seamlessly as natural CM’s do. If we’re aspiring to eventually challenge the likes of that kind of football in the video, the entire midfield will have to go up a number of notches individually and collectively.

 

[TheGame]

 

[amolbhatia50k]

PSG’s midfield is the current pinnacle of the sport, and this is standard issue for the guys you mention:



The amount of twists, turns, deft movements and spatial awareness of their surroundings both in terms of teammates and the opposition as well as know how of precisely what to do to reach the optimal solution is poetry in motion. It’s pretty much the same thing for each side that reaches the top of the game. It doesn’t have to be as elegant or rhythmic, but the principles of midfield play are adhered to with a superfluous ease - no missteps, no moments of hesitation or pause for thought - the consistency of the flow is paramount.

When you have people in positions that aren’t natural to them, this rarely occurs, and it’s also facade that doesn’t take much probing to come tumbling down. Being able to sometimes pass at doing a job is nothing like having expertise in the role and that’s the major issue with Bruno in deeper midfield; there’s so much of the finer detailing of the role that he just doesn’t have the game for through no real fault of his own - if you ask a player to do a job in a role that isn’t natural to them there will be schisms under examination, like when a proper, adventurous box-to-box central midfielder is asked to just sit there at the base of midfield like a natural defensive midfielder, but has those lapses in concentration that leave big gaps where their shouldn’t be, or when wing-forward is asked to play centre-forward and doesn’t have a clue of the finer details of the role etc. etc.

Bruno is definitely in a suboptimal role as a permanent fixture in central midfield and it’s a strange thing to do when he’s so potent in the #10. It makes more problems for the midfield than it fixes unless Bruno can actually morph into a player that can play CM as seamlessly as natural CM’s do. If we’re aspiring to eventually challenge the likes of that kind of football in the video, the entire midfield will have to go up a number of notches individually and collectively.

Totally agree.

Can't only assume it's a stop gap to tide us over till next season because we don't have enough money and Bruno is crucial for the dressing room.

I've wanted us to sign a playmaker for 15 years and we end up sticking Bruno in there

 

[Uncle Mainoo]

This thread is starting to remind me of the Mount thread at the time he was signed and ETH’s plan to play him in midfield. Pretty much everyone said it wouldn’t work and lo and behold it didn’t work.

In Bruno’s case he’s obviously a far better player than Mount and has actually had good games there but again he’s a player we’ve watched consistently for over five years. He is not a CM and this too will fail.

Bruno’s best position is as an attacking mid//No.10. I’ve been vocal in wanting him moved on but let’s even say I’m happy with Bruno why would you put your best player in a position that isn’t his best. We are talking about rebuilding but then using the most important piece of the old team in his non favoured position. It’s folly from Amorim in the same way it was for ETH with Mount.

Bruno’s best seasons were his first 1.5 and the season just gone. These were the seasons he was able to pile in the goals and assists. By the looks of it we are going to upgrade our front three so we no longer need a CM that gets 30-40 G+A. You need midfielders like Bruno G, Tielemans, Enzo Fernandez, MacAlister that get the ball and keep it ticking but not necessarily being the final passer or scorer.

Can Bruno have a good season without high statistical output? I very much doubt that.

Slightly different. The blueprints are there and we knew Mount wasn’t going to work as the setup from the previous season had Eriksen doing the role Mount was asked to do and even though he had the legs he doesn’t have the passing range.

As for now Amorim has showed us we don’t have a midfield issue as much as we all just want the new Toni Kroos.

We are a position based team from the back line and we rarely get overrun in the midfield as we have bloody 3 defenders. Our issues are from the flanks which is why he needs physicality and aggression to help support his two CMs. Not only to take passes on the half turn and carry but also support the midfield when being attacked on the flanks. Replace Garnacho with Cunha for the Cucarella goal against Chelsea and you get a better view of what I mean.

Bruno will be fine we just need an upgrade on Ugarte/Casemiro for now. Eventually I agree the aim will probably be to get a Bruno.G/Tonali combo. But let’s not overlook the importance Bruno’s leadership in the dressing room will have on rebuilding this team. Ryan Giggs mentioned Robbo’s role in his early years pre winning our first Prem League. If he can help set the culture the manager wants to deliver with a new set of players. We could be on the right path.

 

[croadyman]

Bruno staying causes a fair bit of headache tactically. Only viable option is that he competes for the shadow striker roles. He's not reliable enough positionally to be part of a central midifield.

What if we signed that athletic no 8 with positional sense, would you still feel the same way. Wow Sam from United People's TV was right that people are really annoyed at the club for not selling Bruno

 

[Telsim]

This thread is starting to remind me of the Mount thread at the time he was signed and ETH’s plan to play him in midfield. Pretty much everyone said it wouldn’t work and lo and behold it didn’t work.

In Bruno’s case he’s obviously a far better player than Mount and has actually had good games there but again he’s a player we’ve watched consistently for over five years. He is not a CM and this too will fail.

Bruno’s best position is as an attacking mid//No.10. I’ve been vocal in wanting him moved on but let’s even say I’m happy with Bruno why would you put your best player in a position that isn’t his best. We are talking about rebuilding but then using the most important piece of the old team in his non favoured position. It’s folly from Amorim in the same way it was for ETH with Mount.

Bruno’s best seasons were his first 1.5 and the season just gone. These were the seasons he was able to pile in the goals and assists. By the looks of it we are going to upgrade our front three so we no longer need a CM that gets 30-40 G+A. You need midfielders like Bruno G, Tielemans, Enzo Fernandez, MacAlister that get the ball and keep it ticking but not necessarily being the final passer or scorer.

Can Bruno have a good season without high statistical output? I very much doubt that.

PSG’s midfield is the current pinnacle of the sport, and this is standard issue for the guys you mention:



The amount of twists, turns, deft movements and spatial awareness of their surroundings both in terms of teammates and the opposition as well as know how of precisely what to do to reach the optimal solution is poetry in motion. It’s pretty much the same thing for each side that reaches the top of the game. It doesn’t have to be as elegant or rhythmic, but the principles of midfield play are adhered to with a superfluous ease - no missteps, no moments of hesitation or pause for thought - the consistency of the flow is paramount.

When you have people in positions that aren’t natural to them, this rarely occurs, and it’s also facade that doesn’t take much probing to come tumbling down. Being able to sometimes pass at doing a job is nothing like having expertise in the role and that’s the major issue with Bruno in deeper midfield; there’s so much of the finer detailing of the role that he just doesn’t have the game for through no real fault of his own - if you ask a player to do a job in a role that isn’t natural to them there will be schisms under examination, like when a proper, adventurous box-to-box central midfielder is asked to just sit there at the base of midfield like a natural defensive midfielder, but has those lapses in concentration that leave big gaps where their shouldn’t be, or when wing-forward is asked to play centre-forward and doesn’t have a clue of the finer details of the role etc. etc.

Bruno is definitely in a suboptimal role as a permanent fixture in central midfield and it’s a strange thing to do when he’s so potent in the #10. It makes more problems for the midfield than it fixes unless Bruno can actually morph into a player that can play CM as seamlessly as natural CM’s do. If we’re aspiring to eventually challenge the likes of that kind of football in the video, the entire midfield will have to go up a number of notches individually and collectively.

Top posts and fully agreed. Not really much to add. This team is desperate for a proper CM. I said before the transfer window it's a position I consider on par with a striker in terms of importance. Fernandes has proven beyond any doubt he has no business playing deep. He isn't good there. Shifting him from his optimal position as a 10 to a suboptimal one to accomodate the likes of Cunha and Mbeumo, instead of selling and buying an actual midfielder, sounds like the usual lack of planning, though, so no surprises there. I think having all three of them in the same team is dumb and will cause issues eventually.

 

[Redstain]

PSG’s midfield is the current pinnacle of the sport, and this is standard issue for the guys you mention:



The amount of twists, turns, deft movements and spatial awareness of their surroundings both in terms of teammates and the opposition as well as know how of precisely what to do to reach the optimal solution is poetry in motion. It’s pretty much the same thing for each side that reaches the top of the game. It doesn’t have to be as elegant or rhythmic, but the principles of midfield play are adhered to with a superfluous ease - no missteps, no moments of hesitation or pause for thought - the consistency of the flow is paramount.

When you have people in positions that aren’t natural to them, this rarely occurs, and it’s also facade that doesn’t take much probing to come tumbling down. Being able to sometimes pass at doing a job is nothing like having expertise in the role and that’s the major issue with Bruno in deeper midfield; there’s so much of the finer detailing of the role that he just doesn’t have the game for through no real fault of his own - if you ask a player to do a job in a role that isn’t natural to them there will be schisms under examination, like when a proper, adventurous box-to-box central midfielder is asked to just sit there at the base of midfield like a natural defensive midfielder, but has those lapses in concentration that leave big gaps where their shouldn’t be, or when wing-forward is asked to play centre-forward and doesn’t have a clue of the finer details of the role etc. etc.

Bruno is definitely in a suboptimal role as a permanent fixture in central midfield and it’s a strange thing to do when he’s so potent in the #10. It makes more problems for the midfield than it fixes unless Bruno can actually morph into a player that can play CM as seamlessly as natural CM’s do. If we’re aspiring to eventually challenge the likes of that kind of football in the video, the entire midfield will have to go up a number of notches individually and collectively.

I agree, but the most pressing issue for a dominant midfield is the managers philosophy. Everything about Amorim's ideology is through progressive wide play which then inverts via the number 10's.

He has never demonstrated the intention of overrunning the midfield even at Sporting. It's astounding that a club of United's stature has never once hired a manager who prioritizes this facet of play aside (maybe) LVG who despite having possession couldn't get the balance right in attack.

Subjectively I think United do have the personnel to have a combative midfield in a 3 with Ugarte as the base and Mainoo as the left number 8. It would require another signing in the mould of a Wharton but I'm not convinced Amorim has the tactical flexibility to integrate Fernandes and have a balanced midfield simultaneously.