Would like to see him tried as one of the front 3
in a wider role with a bit more free reign. Would obviously need a better midfield for that.
in a wider role with a bit more free reign. Would obviously need a better midfield for that.
8
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 46
- Goals
- 10
- Assists
- 13
- Yellow cards
- 10
- Status
A lot of reactionary posts immediately after the game.
Bruno has been very poor for a while now, but then again, so have most of our players. He proved in his first year here he's capable of being a world class player.
Needs to get rid of his whining though, drives me mad and is a really dislikeable trait.
Bruno has been very poor for a while now, but then again, so have most of our players. He proved in his first year here he's capable of being a world class player.
Needs to get rid of his whining though, drives me mad and is a really dislikeable trait.
This happened with Rashford as well, he was initially playing well. Then was showing poor performances and getting goals/assists but then it just became poor performances.
He's a frustrating player, no doubt. He was frustrating at times even when he was playing well. But he is just another player who's following the same trajectory as every other fecking player we've had at this club post-Fergie. That's the main issue here. He shouldn't be absolved of blame, of course, but he's just another example. That's the main issue here. It's not the case that these are all shite players. It's this fecking club that's the problem.
Whose decision was it to extend the contract for no reason?
Bruno is the Russell Westbrook of the Premier League. He'll have excellent 'stat pad' numbers, but analyze his game on a deeper level, his performance/style isn't conducive to a highly functional/successful team.
He is maddening to watch.
Bruno is the Russell Westbrook of the Premier League. He'll have excellent 'stat pad' numbers, but analyze his game on a deeper level, his performance/style isn't conducive to a highly functional/successful team.
He is maddening to watch.
No, the theme is actually consistent, good or bad game.
More people pick up on it when he plays against top 6 opposition.
How he didn't get sent off I don't know.
He’s definitely not an ‘old-fashioned’ #10. Old fashioned 10s were the most gifted players on the team, the players who you paid money to watch their every touch. Bruno is a player who has been saved by the creation of the ‘new fashioned #10’ - the G+A era.
When I was a kid watching football, I would watch football from everywhere, youth tournaments, foreign games and in the lineups, I always looked for whoever wore the 10 shirt as that was the player I expected to entertain me, have the most skill, the best touch, have the most of the ball etc. Bruno is not that player at all. I grew up on Bergkamp, Zola, Totti, Del Piero, Moller, Aimar, Rui Costa and several other flawed inferior versions like Djalminha, Alex, Gallardo and so many more. Bruno has no command of the football whatsoever, no subtlety to his game, nothing cute in close quarters. He’s very much a new school 10.
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His truly awful body language, winging, feigning injury….
Can‘t stand the sight of him. Tops my list of players I want sold.
Can‘t stand the sight of him. Tops my list of players I want sold.
I ignored a lot of Bruno’s negative traits, the moaning, the arm-waving, the many misplaced passes, as I felt he cared, I felt he knew what it took to be a Manchester United player.
But I’m done with him now, I can’t remember which recent game it was, the shit games have all blurred into one, but we were putting on our usual shit show and I actually saw Bruno trying to ‘gee-up’ the Stretford end.
Read the room Bruno, those fans were here before you came and will be here when you’ve fecked off, the one thing those people don’t need is geeing-up by you or any of your other teammates, they sing from minute one till the cowardly players have skulked off down the tunnel, it’s YOU who needs fecking ‘geeing-up’!
I know it’s something you see a lot of players do, and it’s annoyed me an irrational amount, but it’s the final straw for me with him, a real show of a shite attitude.
But I’m done with him now, I can’t remember which recent game it was, the shit games have all blurred into one, but we were putting on our usual shit show and I actually saw Bruno trying to ‘gee-up’ the Stretford end.
Read the room Bruno, those fans were here before you came and will be here when you’ve fecked off, the one thing those people don’t need is geeing-up by you or any of your other teammates, they sing from minute one till the cowardly players have skulked off down the tunnel, it’s YOU who needs fecking ‘geeing-up’!
I know it’s something you see a lot of players do, and it’s annoyed me an irrational amount, but it’s the final straw for me with him, a real show of a shite attitude.
Never misses a penalty until a certain thing happened 
Yet people don't believe this can happen
Yet people don't believe this can happen
Never misses a penalty until a certain thing happened
Yet people don't believe this can happen
It’s Ronaldo’s fault he missed the pen. Ffs
No Ronaldo should have taken the penalty.
Why didn’t you write that?
Always been a bit of a liability in the big games but was previously excellent in the others. Now he is shit in most games compounded by his ever worsening antics
That contract decision will inevitable kme back to bite us
That contract decision will inevitable kme back to bite us
It's hardly reactionary, the negative sides of his game and how it influences our overall play has been pointed for well over a year now, the majority is just slow to catch up because they simply look at chances created, assists and goals scored, the majority considered him the solution and not part of the problem.. It's another Ruud vs Saha comparison, Ruud was the superior goalscorer but Saha made us a better team, comparing stats between them and Ruud would always come out on top but it didn't show how much more fluid we became as a team and how it opened up matches more for Rooney and Ronaldo. We certainly have to rethink how Bruno is being used, too many times he's giving away possession in dangerous areas, would be interesting with an overview of how many goals we've let in as a direct consequence of Bruno losing the ball outside our box.
His pressing has gone to shits as well, it's more half arsed than ever, he'll pick a side and gamble that the player goes there, not sure how many times he got turned against Arsenal with an ocean of space left behind him. It really, really doesn't do us much good.
Oh, and his overall body language is absolutely horrible as well, needs to be told off
One season wonder. should never take a penatly in front of Ronaldo
Not disagreeing and never said otherwise, but some people really do need to take a step back before they come out and say some things. In a season where pretty much all our players have played terribly, it's getting boring game after game seeing comments abusing players. We've had a terrible season, no need to dwell on it. We're out of the top 4 race now unless a miracle happens, so what's the point in continuing to affect your own mindset by blowing up on player performances.
Wasn't convinced back when we signed him and told people it made far more sense to sign a midfielder to play in the pivot and keep Pogba as the most advanced midfielder. He shut me up in his debut season, but the underlying issues of ball retention have always been there. Hot potato football roulette just isn't something that can be relied on. I'm pretty similar to @Rozay in what I look for in footballers. Productivity is obviously important, but technical ability is something that should never be compromised on. Same reason I never wanted AWB, regardless of defensive stats.
He can't dribble for shit though. Looks uncomfortable every time he's out wide.
Yeah, I can’t argue with any of that
The sentiment with Bruno is too extreme either way. I always argued against the dumb talk of him being the next Cantona, but he's also not useless either.
Clearly he needs a high pressing team and a high line to work his magic without issues. Once we're able to play very high up the pitch, pin teams in their own half, and push 5, 6, 7 players forward consistently, I can easily see Bruno being a deadly unpredictable weapon from midfield.
Clearly he needs a high pressing team and a high line to work his magic without issues. Once we're able to play very high up the pitch, pin teams in their own half, and push 5, 6, 7 players forward consistently, I can easily see Bruno being a deadly unpredictable weapon from midfield.
To actually play in midfield, your every pass doesn't, and shouldn't be an attempt at a decisive, high risk action. It looks great when it comes off, equally, it's abysmal and wasteful when it doesn't.
Bruno had a much higher completion rate on these high risk plays when he first got here, but he also played higher up the pitch, where those actions are more desirable and are much less scrutinised when they don't come off.
He isn't showing any capacity to rein in his impulses or read the flow of games to know when, and where, on the pitch to attempt these high risk actions and it is putting the team in jeopardy on easy counters or effortless turnovers.
Being an 'unpredictable weapon' from midfield is about more than treating the ball like a bomb; the great offensive midfielders stagger games, bend them to their will, calm their own side down and hit devastating plays at opportune times. They are not constantly unsettling teammates with countless ill-advised or hasty actions.
I don't think the sentiment around him is extreme at all; the remonstrations over yet another wasteful action vary in degree, but the root cause of complaints against him are wholly consistent and fair because he is wasteful and he doesn't pick and choose his moments to be so - if you have such a player repeatedly throwing the ball away, it's going to become a talking point, it has to, it's just that the voices of discontent are greater when it doesn't result in goals or assists, but Bruno has been a talking point in this regard even when he was doing better on the goal contribution side.
Move the same player into the final third, and a lot of the complaints against him become a redundancy.
Thing is, he has shown in the past at Sporting he is a better player than what he has showed at United. I think it was a Spurs game but he played as an 8 stayed deeper in midfield and for me it’s been his best performance in a United top.
He is completely capable of playing in midfield but the fact he’s been pampered and allowed to do as he pleases has in my eyes created this version of him.
Only hope someone can come in and correct these flaws, it’s the same with Rashford. Both clearly gifted but need correcting. Bruno might not be a KDB, Iniesta, Silva or the likes but he would be lethal I feel arriving later in the box ala Lampard Gerrard. If we can get him back to his Sporting version (still somewhat risky and losing the ball) but a far better player than what we have now. Get some possesion of the ball and an ability to preasure teams higher up th pitch with good movement and hopefully we’ll see a better version of Bruno.
Guess it will be up to ETH to decide and Bruno to hopefully be able to take critiscim and look at his own flaws.
‘Unpredictable weapons’ should be playing out wide. That is where they have always played, have traditionally always been the ‘frustrating’ types who will take the greatest risk in creation.
I feel that a large degree of predictability is needed to play midfield. People need to remember that there are so many other actions on the pitch besides creating a chance. 9 times out of 10, you will not be in a position to create a good chance. On those occasions, there are a range of other needed functions. Similarly, 9 times out of 10 a striker receives the ball, unfortunately for him, it will not be in a direct action to score a goal. This is why players like Lukaku or Icardi get criticism. Because the 9 times out of 10 are not good enough. In Icardi’s case, he tends to ignore the 9 times altogether to be honest, and has zero involvement in a football match beyond the action of trying to score.
It is also becoming increasingly highlighted for goalkeepers. Even if you can save shots, in a football match, probably 50-60% of your interactions with the ball will not be in the act of saving a shot. So they are becoming scrutinised in what they can do on those occasions in addition to the few moments they spend in the act of saving. Because the job is more than just making a save. And Bruno’s is more than just making a chance, because he can’t possibly make 20/30 chances per game. His issue is that he’ll try to do just that, which means that the majority of his actions are blind/hopeful hoofs forward. There is a time to try to create, there is a time to circulate. And mathematically, the time to circulate is far more frequent than the time to create. Yet Bruno is quite poor at the part he is supposed to do the majority of the time, and is reliant upon the praise received from successfully completing what he’s supposed to do on only a small amount of occasions in a game.
I haven't totally given up on him, but he really is going to have to work on turning his game around if he's solely deployed in midfield, I think.
What he currently is makes life harder for his teammates and makes him look like an unintelligent player because he doesn't evaluate the fallout from what he's doing, which is the antithesis of what you want in midfield - he's supposed to be making life difficult for the opposition, not us and that's where I think the disconnect is within the fanbase, as you have those who only see the goal or the assist and dismiss literally all the things other people have misgivings about, namely cohesive, intelligent midfield play.
It would save us a fair bit of time and money if he can actually turn it around under ten Hag, or at least be deployed in a way where his attributes don't disrupt the team.
That right there is Bruno with the ball AND Bruno without the ball.
There was a phase of play in the first half when Telles played a non-issue pass to Bruno near the edge of Arsenal's box, and then Bruno over hit a cross in to the box and it went out, and immediately Bruno turned to Telles and absolutely berated him!
His constant moaning and arm waving on the pitch knows no bounds. Not only are us fans sick and tired of it, the players must be as well.
We've given him the team and told him he's the man.
That's exactly what has happened and it all started with Ole.
Hopefully it comes to an end with ETH.
That's exactly what has happened and it all started with Ole.
Hopefully it comes to an end with ETH.
Where our fans are showing they can't support him.
Even at his best, it always felt like our fans were waiting for him not to be perfect. This happens to every single top player we have had over the last few years. It even happened to Ronaldo earlier in the year. It's ridiculous. We always target our best players, try to have them sold, then wonder why we are not winning games with Fred and Mctominay. Give him time. He is also struggling to perform with this team just like everyone else. I wonder how our fans would have treated Kane earlier in the season with their reaction to Bruno.
Bruno was brilliant last season, but something inside me tells we’ve seen the best from Bruno in the United shirt.
Well I hope this happens quickly then, because the only players that are mopping up when he loses the ball at the moment are the opposition!
Never seen such a flat track bully in my life. Face any team with a sniff of prestige and he vanishes.
One thing that has to be said for Bruno and the type of game he has is that it's more suited to counter attacking with lots of players breaking at pace across the pitch where his job is almost purely about putting balls in front of the runners. That's a very short, decisive passage of play that relies upon some of the hasty actions he now gets berated for. I can understand that us shifting from that type of team he thrived in to the one trying to play on the front foot with a more considered kind of football could be a real jolt to his system.
It doesn't absolve him of the necessity to adapt to a new environment, however, one where he's got to be more thoughtful and considered.
What confuses me with him sometimes is when he has lots of space ahead of him and no real need to do the must low performing action. Why not work the ball forward, look for a smart position to receive the ball and then consider what the next most productive action might be? Why just execute the most difficult and unlikely action before even pausing to think of what the fallout might be?
Maverick midfielders tend to get placed wide sooner or later - it even happened to Gerrard, who might be considered Bruno on steroids. The better the opposition, the harder it becomes to accommodate through the centre of a midfield, which is where I think the walls have closed in a bit on Bruno as it's clearly a theme that he is ineffective against the higher levels of midfield who severely punish such wasteful usage of the ball.
I think it's fair to say that could be the reason why he shined when our team was full of pace further up the pitch (Dan James, Martial, Greenwood, and Rashford - when Rashford used to bust a gut for the team).
Now that three of those four players aren't here, and the fourth one has downed tools, that is a lot of pace missing from our forward play - is it any wonder that none of our players get on the end of Bruno's Hollywood passes anymore? We no longer have anyone left in the team with enough pace to get on the end of them! (I'm not even joking!)
Not true though is it? He's been MOTM against City twice for me including the one where he dinked the ball over for Martial volley past Ederson.
He's a victim of a team that is badly coached and not set up to succeed. This is why he probably tries things that aren't always on for him.
I'm expecting Bruno to be a lot better next season.
I said this also.
This is Rashford v2.0 in the making.
Poor performance with G/A stats masking off.
Then poor performance with no end product will follow.
Then fans will turn the screw.
Main Problem is Rashford & Bruno are not "talent sustainable" meaning they don't have a sustainable talent to be grown.
Main difference between Sancho and Rashford is with Sancho you can see what you can extract from him with good coaching. While with Rashford we know nothing, he's a winger? no, he's a striker? no, he's a AMF? no, so when the going gets tough he's left naked.
Can you teach Bruno to be a football controller? No. He flourish in chaos, he maybe best suited for Liverpool, because of how Liverpool play straight forward immediately, but even in there who does he replace? So he becomes a no man's land player.
So when he start having less G/A stats also him he becomes extremely naked in the football pitch as he has nothing to hide with.
We need to cross our fingers he doesn't go the Rashy route because he will be extremely hard to move on.
dusty baller
I swear we have the most tolerant fecking fans when it comes to certain players. I mean people were calling for fecking Ronaldo to be dropped in November, yet there are still people writing every day in this thread that Bruno is still top class and just going through a tough period.
We can agree this is a true description, so once we transition from counter attacking as the main source of our chance creation, how much is left for the use of him in the team then? I cannot envisage how he can improve his ball retention to a high enough level for a jdp system.
I just watched some man united fans YouTube channel and the some Ajax fans that were invited to the channel believe Bruno can be utilised as winger. They think the way how ETH uses both of his wingers is like a no 10. If I’m being honest, Bruno has no press resistance, how many times this guy cost us a goal for being so bad with press resistance that he lost the ball in dangerous position, may be due to coaching issue that he couldn’t play quicker pass.
I think we should sell him while his stocks is still high. I can see him being completely exposed under ETH system. He simply just can’t function well as AM/playmaker in any proper passing team. He is individual impact player who only shines under counter attack system with no emphasis on any midfield control build up play, which is totally opposite to ETH possession football.
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