I knew when I said what I said that it was not the time to have the conversation. I think too much ‘storyline’ is involved in football; and the storyline of Bruno’s transfer is a certain way at present. Perhaps after more recent disappointments, or maybe just after hearing every single storyline 10 times in all my time watching football and then seeing how things actually turn out - I’ve been trying to take all emotion and narrative out of watching football recently. For me, I don’t see him as a too bracket player. A good one for sure, but more Eriksen class than anything more. Watching him, it looks to me that when we inevitably stop getting penalties every week, people will focus more on the rest. Right now, the storyline has written that every failing is fine because he is fatigued and ‘takes risks’. There have been so many very easily completed passes that have gone astray, and it’s been incredibly frustrating. There’s no way that can be dressed up as a good thing. It will be for now, but I can almost guarantee that once the novelty of him being new has worn off, once we get a Sancho perhaps and the storyline now loves to how he is the mew saviour - Bruno’s current standard of passing will be far from acceptable all of a sudden.
Despite the talk of ‘risk’ - his quality of passing is simply too low for me. I’d back Pogba to complete a fair more final passes than he is completing out of the situations he finds himself in, and when he actually moves further forward, he actually seems to do so.
Depending on what we do in the longer term, I expect his place to come under threat, just because I don’t see that bracket of quality that guarantees you a starting spot at a club like ours. Even a player like Grealish who many would like as a ‘backup’. If he comes in, I think he’d fancy taking Bruno for that starting spot. Strip away all the ‘he’s give everyone a lift’ and similar narrative - the actual footballing quality isn’t a level that Grealish will feel he can’t match IMO. Aside from scoring about 8 penalties, I don’t see any superior ability between Bruno and Grealish since he’s been here.
Just to close, I think he’s been a fantastic signing, so far. He’s come in at a fair price, and transformed the mood of the team and the club. Once a new season starts, that will matter little anymore I think. He won’t be the last one in anymore for a start. In terms of quality, he’s given us a huge boost, just by being positive even, with the likes of Lingard and Pereira so poor and offering no attacking threat at all. I think he is the level of player we need in our squad, and even in the team, I just don’t think he’s the quality for untouchable status.
I didn’t want to say it initially, as it obviously wasn’t going to be received well. Although I guess it’s better, because if things went that way later and I dared to say it, I’d be called reactionary and the rest. And to repeat, I think he’s a good player. No doubt people will confront me everytime he does something good now, but I expect him to. He’s a good player. Just not in the De Bruyne, Sterling, Salah, Kane, Van Dijk, Trent bracket of player as is being implied. Anyone below that tier can be upgraded at some point for a top side. We’ve seen that once De Gea has dropped from Godly to something less. We’ll see that Henderson, POTY and captain isn’t in the same untouchable bracket as some of his teammates.
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Sometimes I forget how much of a freak Messi is when this is his contribution in a 'poor' season for him.
