[Feed Me]

Great player and still a favourite of mine. Yesterday’s performance was horrendous though. Misplaced so many simple passes and seemed to constantly make the wrong decisions.

Trademark performance. It’s going to be interesting if his productivity starts to flatten out, something that is possibly already starting to happen.

 

[Kostov]

He goes on blubbering about how big of a winner he is, and then comes this. Come on Bruno, shut the feck up until at least you win something here.

 

[Idxomer]

I think it is more a case of when he is not getting goals and assists HE doesn’t look great. He’s a weird player to me in that he is very productive, without ever really impressing me on a football pitch. Very loose in possession, and rarely/never pulls out anything that wows me, be it a touch, skill etc.

His strengths lie in his vision and personality to me. But in terms of raw talent, I’ve never seen him as a top level player. Like, he’s not nearly as gifted as Grealish or James, to me, but he deserves credit for managing to be as productive (or more so). He just keeps going, and he has great vision. But he doesn’t strike me as a player who was the best in his team at 16.

I do appreciate that it’s a simplistic way of looking at the game, especially today’s game where numbers matter most, but it’s always how I look at it. I don’t see him as one of #10s that would have gotten my juices flowing growing up. Like, as far as this generation of Portuguese #10s, Bernardo Silva is comfortably the more gifted footballer for me. But Bruno has an incredible drive. And of course, numbers.

He's basically Mkhitaryan with a better mentality.

 

[abraz79]

Bruno was on par with the team. Everyone was giving away the ball, everyone was impotent to make something happen. Sheffield United played very tightly, defending with a lot of players with good pressing. And that just makes it easier to lose the ball.

There were too many obstacles between Bruno and the team mates that played behind him, so that's why at a certain point he was appearing more behind, to get the ball.

This is not the players' fault, really. Ole should have done something, to counter the tactic of the adversary.

And for those who insist that Bruno was wasteful with his passes... Eveyone was giving away the ball, let's not single out a player, that wasn't even the most wasteful on the field today.

It was a bad game, because the team was bad and didn't cope with SU's strategy. But apparently, if Bruno doesn't save the day, he's terrible and should be sold. If he saves the day, well... That's nice, but he's too wasteful. Let's see how that will help him in the long run.

I think supporters should... Support the players. Not just add pressure. You saw that the team was trying, it wasn't for a lack of effort. You could see that we weren't more frustrated than the players on the field.

 

[Devil81]

Were people seriously thinking he could keep 10/10 performances every week.

He's either running a game or he's detriment to the team, there isn't going to be an in between.

What we need is 10 more players capable of covering for his off days, unfortunately they all seem a similar mould.

 

[Womp]

Not sure how much of the blame I can put on him tbh, it seems like he's trying to play balls into compact defences with such little movement or fluidity. At the end of the day, he's human. If anything, I'm surprised he managed to maintain the ridiculous output he had for so long despite the circumstances.

He does need to sometimes keep it simple and stop trying to dictate so much though. Sometimes he just takes one or two touches too many, to our detriment

 

[The Oracle]

I don't particularly enjoy watching him play. He's so erratic.

Retain the ball and be patient with those killer passes.

The amount of times he loses possession is absolutely frustrating.

 

[Feed Me]

He goes on blubbering about how big of a winner he is, and then comes this. Come on Bruno, shut the feck up until at least you win something here.

He’s never won anything of note, neither has our captain.

 

[Kostov]

He’s never won anything of note, neither has our captain.

Nor sure why the need for so many interviews? Go and do you fecking business talk later.

 

[Feed Me]

Nor sure why the need for so many interviews? Go and do you fecking business talk later.

Our lads have been good at sound bites for years since Fergie retired.

 

[Champ]

Honestly baffles me some of the views in here!
Bruno is the epitome of what anyone would want as a United player.
Someone who is capable of absolute genius, never ever gives up, puts 110% in and is has the right mentality.
Last night he wasn't great, but he certainly wasn't the worst performer, yet people are now start calling him out, mind boggling.

He's a step up from any other player we have at the club. Look at his reaction to the second goal, was the only player willing to close the Sheffield United player down, despite being ten yards away. He constantly drives other players on, he isn't willing to settle for anything less than 110%, and that makes up for giving the ball away after taking a risky pass.
We are lucky to have him at the club.

 

[Champ]

He’s never won anything of note, neither has our captain.

Nations league, League cup and National cup with Sporting,
Or is it because it's not the premiership they don't count?

 

[Classical Mechanic]

I didn't think he was that bad. If the rest of our players had the same mentality as him we wouldn't have lost that game. When Martial lost the ball to Burke and then stood and watched as he ran up the pitch towards goal it was Bruno who tracked back and sorted it out. When our whole defence melted for the second goal I think Martial and Pogba were stood watching the horror unfold whilst Bruno was busting a gut from much further away to take some defensive responsibility. In contrast Rashford let his man go at close quarters so Maguire was left in a 2v1 with McGoldrick who got a chance on goal.

We won't win the title unless the other players show the kind of desire that Bruno does.

 

[Ash_G]

We can't lose sight of the impact he's had, that would be completely unfair, but I think we can also say that he clearly has work to do on his own game. As others have said sometimes he over complicates things and I know it's part of his style that he will keep trying the 'difficult' pass but that doesn't mean he can't work on finding a better balance.

I think his main issue comes down to one of his greatest strengths which can also be a threat in that he tries so hard. He's not a player who will let a game pass him by, he will get involved and therefore if he's not playing well then we'll see that and be impacted by that in a way that a player who drifts in and out of games might go under the radar more.

That said the bigger issue is that we don't have players regularly stepping up when he's having a bad game. That's a much bigger issue for me than the development Bruno can work on for himself.

 

[Zlatan 7]

So yesterday he was being talked about as the best attacking midfielder in Europe, he’s been carrying the team and Being compared to Bruno.

One bad result and people are calling him “mr I don’t like to lose” an idiot and worried about him, he’s been shit for months, he’s masking how shit he is with stats.

great fun

 

[Brophs]

He’s a great player but this narrative of ‘he tries things and that’s why he loses the ball all the time’ doesn’t really explain how often he misplaces simple 10 yard passes. He could do with tidying up that aspect of his game.

 

[Rozay]

I’m sorry you can’t see the obvious.

It’s possible that Bruno was fully fit but has suddenly become a shite footballer who can’t cope with Sheffield United, but it’s not likely. What’s more likely, and actually obvious, that we’re running Bruno ragged. Of course he’ll say he’s fine, but of course a footballer is never going to say publicly that he needs a rest, whether he does or not.

It’s the manager’s job to manage the minutes of his players throughout the season. All things considered Ole has done a great job of it, although I question the lateness of his substitutions and a few other things.

Bruno looked fatigued today, fatigue which results from extensive use over the last four months. He worked hard against Sheffield but his passing was not sharp and it’s above all his passing that makes Bruno an exceptional footballer. One example of his working hard was his attempt to close down the Sheffield attacker who scored the match winner, but there were other examples of hard work and from a fan’s perspective is very much appreciated.

Ole got it right against Liverpool by bringing Bruno on if and when we needed him in the second half. He should have done the same against Sheffield. That’s not just hindsight. Once the starting XI was announced a number of us lamented Bruno starting for this very reason. I made that exact point on the match day thread, that this was a match that Bruno should have started on the bench and brought on only if we needed him in the second half if we found ourselves in a close match. With all due respect, it was obvious to anyone willing to open his eyes that Bruno looked fatigued and should have started from the bench.

We know we have a more imposing opponent this weekend and Bruno has to start. What he’s got in the tank for Arsenal we’ll see, but we know that he’s just put in 90 minutes three days prior and 30 minutes three days prior to that, and loads and loads of games before that over the prior four months. And as many posters here have noted, the summer break was very short. And as many posters here have also noted, Bruno was running on fumes the last six weeks of the season.

Looking ahead, it’s hard to see when we can give Bruno a rest any time soon. This was the opportunity. And we saw the result.

What’s more likely is that he is just in poor form or played badly. Nobody has any such difficulty seeing this if it were Pogba, where not even COVID was accepted as a valid excuse, or Martial, who people are very happy to believe has ‘just become a shite footballer’, despite being a brilliant one last season. With Bruno, he’s always tired, despite being rested in our very last game against Liverpool and despite denying fatigue himself. Or Rashford ‘must be carrying an injury’ whenever he plays poorly.

 

[The Original]

Bruno was on par with the team. Everyone was giving away the ball, everyone was impotent to make something happen. Sheffield United played very tightly, defending with a lot of players with good pressing. And that just makes it easier to lose the ball.

There were too many obstacles between Bruno and the team mates that played behind him, so that's why at a certain point he was appearing more behind, to get the ball.

This is not the players' fault, really. Ole should have done something, to counter the tactic of the adversary.

And for those who insist that Bruno was wasteful with his passes... Eveyone was giving away the ball, let's not single out a player, that wasn't even the most wasteful on the field today.

It was a bad game, because the team was bad and didn't cope with SU's strategy. But apparently, if Bruno doesn't save the day, he's terrible and should be sold. If he saves the day, well... That's nice, but he's too wasteful. Let's see how that will help him in the long run.

I think supporters should... Support the players. Not just add pressure. You saw that the team was trying, it wasn't for a lack of effort. You could see that we weren't more frustrated than the players on the field.

I won't blame Bruno for this game. I've said elsewhere that this attacking unit is not a title winning one so I don't expect us to maintain the title challenge.

Having said that, the facts are that this is how Bruno plays even when he plays well. If Greenwood converts and we won you would be hearing a bunch of praise for him. He has always been erratic with his passing, and very strangely so because a player of his calibre should not be struggling with certain passes.

Here is the truth about Bruno. He's great when the likes of Rashford have space to run in behind but against a team that won the give that to you he will struggle to create. Always has.

In these sort of games he needs to play more as agoal hunter as he is actually the best finisher we have at the moment. But he can't do that when he has Pogba and Matic playing deep...that sort of game requires one of Fred or McTominay on the pitch, usually both.

 

[The Original]

So yesterday he was being talked about as the best attacking midfielder in Europe, he’s been carrying the team and Being compared to Bruno.

One bad result and people are calling him “mr I don’t like to lose” an idiot and worried about him, he’s been shit for months, he’s masking how shit he is with stats.

great fun

It's not one bad performance is it? Except for his substitute appearance agaisnt the Liverpool it has been a series of bad performances. The difference is, all those other times we managed to win or draw against tough opposition so people were less motivated to criticize. This time we lost at home to Sheffield Utd...there's much less tolerance in the air.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

Just for the record, Bruno Fernandes has made 35 tackles. While the three United players nearest him on the pitch have made either 13 or 15 tackles combined, between the three of them.

Cross-posted from another thread. He’s been carrying our frontline with more than just goals and assists.

 

[Zlatan 7]

It's not one bad performance is it? Except for his substitute appearance agaisnt the Liverpool it has been a series of bad performances. The difference is, all those other times we managed to win or draw against tough opposition so people were less motivated to criticize. This time we lost at home to Sheffield Utd...there's much less tolerance in the air.

It’s not tolerance or motivation to criticise, I distinctly remember reading a thread yesterday about how good he is and maybe the best AM in Europe.

I just find it funny how people can have such different opinions of a player

 

[Caesar2290]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, our over reliance on this man will cost us big time! He is the reason we finished 3rd last season and are in the title run this season. Once his farm falls off a cliff or he get's injured we'll struggle to finish Top4. Today's game exposed that fully.

 

[Canagel]

What’s more likely is that he is just in poor form or played badly. Nobody has any such difficulty seeing this if it were Pogba, where not even COVID was accepted as a valid excuse, or Martial, who people are very happy to believe has ‘just become a shite footballer’, despite being a brilliant one last season. With Bruno, he’s always tired, despite being rested in our very last game against Liverpool and despite denying fatigue himself. Or Rashford ‘must be carrying an injury’ whenever he plays poorly.

It's nothing new. You would know by now that the CAF loves to make excuses for stinkers by their favorite players and don't keep the same energy across the board for all players

 

[FrankDrebin]

Our lads have been good at sound bites for years since Fergie retired.

^This.

 

[romufc]

We always look to Bruno to create something, other players need to take it upon themselves to create something too.

He had a shocker and still created the 2 best chances we had... says it all.

We have Greenwood, Rashford, Martial who should all be doing better, we never get the ball to Bruno in an around the box where he is most effective.

 

[hubbuh]

Cross-posted from another thread. He’s been carrying our frontline with more than just goals and assists.

I'm worried about how mentally fatiguing that sort of burden can be on a player. After a while, I imagine it'll inevitably lead to friction and frustration. Beyond flashes of brilliance and a bit of magic from Bruno, Pogba, and Rashford, we still lack cohesiveness and a collective ability to play well and win comfortably.

 

[Rozay]

I'm worried about how mentally fatiguing that sort of burden can be on a player. After a while, I imagine it'll inevitably lead to friction and frustration. Beyond flashes of brilliance and a bit of magic from Bruno, Pogba, and Rashford, we still lack cohesiveness and a collective ability to play well and win comfortably.

This is true, particularly when Shaw doesn’t play. I don’t think his own contribution can be underestimated here, he adds so much going forward. The problem is people only know how to interpret football in goals and assists now so he doesn’t get his dues in an attacking sense, but he adds a lot of cohesion going forward for us.

 

[The Original]

It’s not tolerance or motivation to criticise, I distinctly remember reading a thread yesterday about how good he is and maybe the best AM in Europe.

I just find it funny how people can have such different opinions of a player

Well, people are different and it shouldn't surprise you that some think he is great and others have their doubts. Yesterday those who thought he was great may have had a louder voice and today, for obvious reasons, those who have their doubts have a louder voice. As opposed to this being a reflection of any fickleness on the part of the fans, it is a reflection of how much the player divides opinions.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

Weirdly for parts of the game I felt he played in a far more matured way. For a spell at the start he actually played in midfield and he and Pogba held the ball and moved it about instead of their usual just ping it forward And see what happens.

I think that when Bruno and Pogba stop looking for the killer ball all the time and trying Hollywood passes this team is going to be much better. We really need to learn how to keep and move the ball through midfield without these two just turning over possesion all the time.

Anyway, after those 10 minutes he went back to what he normally does playing as a striker or winger and not really working positions. there were certainly still good bits of play mixed in but that is something he needs to start doing consistently for me as well as picking up better positions of when and when he can’t go somewhere or try stuff.

As good as he has been in a way I feel like his presence similarly can effect us in a negative manner at times. At somepoint we and he are hopefully going to hit upon the perfect balance and when he and we do I think he’ll go to another level and so will the team.

 

[jem]

Trademark performance. It’s going to be interesting if his productivity starts to flatten out, something that is possibly already starting to happen.

I think we saying the same thing at the end of last season, when his performances started to tail off. He's just a very high risk/reward player, who will have games like last night due to the way he plays. It is infuriating to watch at times, but we'd be fecked without him.

 

[bosnian_red]

Bit of a loss of form, nothing to worry about (from him). You know that at least if he has an off day, his work rate will still be top notch and he'll bring that attitude (and might still pop up with a goal or assist). I do see a lot of comparisons with Rooney actually. Yeah he might have periods of inconsistent all round play. But he more than makes up for it and has longer periods of great play anyway.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I think we saying the same thing at the end of last season, when his performances started to tail off. He's just a very high risk/reward player, who will have games like last night due to the way he plays. It is infuriating to watch at times, but we'd be fecked without him.

Bit of a loss of form, nothing to worry about (from him). You know that at least if he has an off day, his work rate will still be top notch and he'll bring that attitude (and might still pop up with a goal or assist). I do see a lot of comparisons with Rooney actually. Yeah he might have periods of inconsistent all round play. But he more than makes up for it and has longer periods of great play anyway.

Agreed. And the Rooney comparison is a good one.

 

[jem]

It's nothing new. You would know by now that the CAF loves to make excuses for stinkers by their favorite players and don't keep the same energy across the board for all players

You would have some shred of credibility if you didn't go hiding in this thread whenever Bruno plays well. Instead, you pop up with disingenuous nonsense like this when he has an off-day.

 

[Hugh Jass]

If half the team had his work rate we would have won comfortably.

 

[mancan92]

I believe he is tired. I understand he is crucial but it's clear he has been running on fumes

 

[jem]

He goes on blubbering about how big of a winner he is, and then comes this. Come on Bruno, shut the feck up until at least you win something here.

Not sure he's bragging about being a winner; more talking about how much he hates losing, something that is pretty obvious when watching him play. What I would do for a squad full of players with Bruno's mentality. It's one reason I don't have as big of a problem with McTominay's playing as others do.

 

[jem]

I believe he is tired. I understand he is crucial but it's clear he has been running on fumes

I agree, and seriously, what's the point in spending 40 million on a player if you can't entrust him to start the occasional game?

 

[Rozay]

I believe he is tired. I understand he is crucial but it's clear he has been running on fumes

He was literally rested in the game before this one. I mean, he played the last 10 minutes or so that’s it. And he was also rested against Watford. AND (again), he also put in a huge physical effort yesterday. Why are people continually insisting he’s tired, to the point where even he and his manager have had to deny it?

 

[tomaldinho1]

And this, with perhaps the addition of more Bruno at LB.

It's just embarrassing. It's as bad as watching Southgates 343 struggle to create against Croatia.

Monstrous holes in the setup (it's never to be called a system).

Amended for 100% accuracy:

Martial-------- Rashford B--R--U--N--O- Greenwood----------
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--E--B--E---B--R--U---N---O----B--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O---B--R--U--N--O ---B--R--U--N--OB--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--OMatic -B--R--U--N--O-Pogba----B--R--U--N--O
B--R--U--N--O-Telles -Maguire -Axel B--R--U--N--O-AWB
-----------------------------------------DDG-----------------------------------

 

[horsechoker]

He's not tired, it just doesn't come off sometimes.

He tracked back almost the entire length of the pitch to make a tackle near the end of the game.