[Andersons Dietician]

I have no clue how anyone that understands football the slightest bit can't see how good Bruno is or would "rejoice" at his leaving. I think it's similar to the Herrera situation where it was clear that he was by far our best midfielder and yet there were people ecstatic he was going.

He’s just in a weird position and people have different takes on football. I agree on Herrera but for me all these faults with Bruno have been evident since his arrival and even when he was at his best all these things still happened. Last season however he just fell through the floor and didn’t seem to have the luck of previous seasons.

I can totally see why some wouldn’t mind if he left, I mean I’m probably one of them but I don’t mind seeing how ETH plans to fit him in our team but Bruno needs to vastly improve his game for me, along with many others. Personally I just don’t see him being in our best 11 if ETH gets us playing how we should. Like there is no way Bruno gets in the Man City team. Maybe Klopp could find a use for him but it’s different styles and takes and that’s where Bruno falls into. Not good enough for a possesion based team, but probably fit in a high working quick turn over team.

 

[shamans]

My only problem with this is that its Fred and you can't question his work ethic.

Also, Bruno could be having an off day. It could be a joke. Could be anything so to me it doesn't matter much

 

[Skills]

He's obviously joking

 

[shamans]

Have a feeling ten Hag will start Bruno out wide next season. I just think with Van de Beek coming back, the strong Eriksen links and the fact that Rangnick played him there in a couple games on the back end of last season (was he told to do that?) suggests it could be his new role - kind of similar to how ten Hag used Tadic out wide - as a wide playmaker, if you like.

I think because he's so erratic, having him as the focal point in a possession based team wouldn't work.

Ronaldo
Bruno Eriksen Sancho
De Jong Fred

The addition of Eriksen and De Jong, who ten Hag has urged United to sign, would really transform our midfield.

He can't play wide. He can't dribble to save his life and he isn't really blistering either. In close spaces Bruno will get massacred.

 

[Frank White]

He’s just in a weird position and people have different takes on football. I agree on Herrera but for me all these faults with Bruno have been evident since his arrival and even when he was at his best all these things still happened. Last season however he just fell through the floor and didn’t seem to have the luck of previous seasons.

I can totally see why some wouldn’t mind if he left, I mean I’m probably one of them but I don’t mind seeing how ETH plans to fit him in our team but Bruno needs to vastly improve his game for me, along with many others. Personally I just don’t see him being in our best 11 if ETH gets us playing how we should. Like there is no way Bruno gets in the Man City team. Maybe Klopp could find a use for him but it’s different styles and takes and that’s where Bruno falls into. Not good enough for a possesion based team, but probably fit in a high working quick turn over team.

What's the 11 if you don't mind me asking?

 

[DWelbz19]

He can't play wide. He can't dribble to save his life and he isn't really blistering either. In close spaces Bruno will get massacred.

We’ve seen it this season gone too. Rangnick tried to get him playing there in his “4222” and he looked even worse than usual

 

[Andersons Dietician]

What's the 11 if you don't mind me asking?

Well depends on who all comes in but for ETH’s style of football Bruno isn’t as well suited as Donny or Erikson so either Bruno adapts and improves or I don’t see him being best suited for the style of football going forward.

Bruno was a far better player at Sporting and if he can get back to playing like he did there then hopefully ETH can find a space for him.

 

[TsuWave]

I have no clue how anyone that understands football the slightest bit can't see how good Bruno is or would "rejoice" at his leaving.

I mean this guy was kicking ball in Liga Sagres not very long ago putting up all sorts of numbers and only Manchester United was suckered into buying him. To be fair to United, our scouts advised against signing him citing his poor decision making, giving the ball away cheaply etc. Stuff that we have now witnessed at United for a year and a half now.

The day he gets sold I’ll pop down to my local and buy everyone a pint. Hell, at this point if he’s not in the starting eleven I might just feck around and do the same.

I liked Herrera though, and think we could have done more with him through the years.

 

[Berbaclass]

He's obviously joking

Is he though. He literally moans at everything on the pitch. Would be consistent with he character for sure

 

[Jeppers7]

And the rest... Don't know where you're from but getting called a CNUT would definitely be seen as a insult. As for the rest fair enough, just when it comes to Bruno you're name tends to pop up a lot more than the rest.

Fair enough . I’m from Manchester and it’s quite a common phrase here ‘weird Cnut’ while you’re not literally calling someone a Cnut.

As I said feel free to search for my posts when he’s played well. I actually loved watching him when he first arrived but he’s been poor in my opinion for a looong time.

 

[shamans]

We’ve seen it this season gone too. Rangnick tried to get him playing there in his “4222” and he looked even worse than usual

Yep. Been my issue with Bruno. He needs a very, very specific role to succeed similar to how it was under Ole and that's at the expense of the team more often than not. You can squeeze a 4-5 month spell of getting lucky but long term, you can't have a team like that.

I think there is a player there but it's just not worth getting the balance right for. You'd have to tinker too much to play to his strengths. Hopefully we sign Erickson who I think will replace Bruno within a few months.

 

[Frank White]

We’ve seen it this season gone too. Rangnick tried to get him playing there in his “4222” and he looked even worse than usual

If we're using anything from last season as evidence for anything then we need a whole new team because literally everyone was gash.

 

[Red Shorts]

Isnt this exactly what redcafe have been asking for? players to knuckle down and take it seriously? stop acting like ballers?

Yet the moment 1 of our players says it here's uproar

I bet if that was Pogba he was shouting at he'd be a hero.

Summed up perfectly. One day we are screaming out for personalities in the dressing room, once it's captured on video literally happening then some recoil in horror.

I've read it's Telles capturing a day in training at Carrington and filming moments of the day. If so, then I hope Bruno's reaction there is genuine and acting like a leader in the dressing room

 

[VanDeBank]

He's yelling at Telles, ffs. I think Buttner at 34 is a better left back.

 

[RedChisel]

Teller seems proper miserable in Manchester judging by that video. Talking about how it rains all the time and he does the same thing every day. We seem to have a squad of proper grumpy sods.

 

[GazTheLegend]

I can totally see why some wouldn’t mind if he left, I mean I’m probably one of them but I don’t mind seeing how ETH plans to fit him in our team but Bruno needs to vastly improve his game for me, along with many others. Personally I just don’t see him being in our best 11 if ETH gets us playing how we should. Like there is no way Bruno gets in the Man City team. Maybe Klopp could find a use for him but it’s different styles and takes and that’s where Bruno falls into. Not good enough for a possesion based team, but probably fit in a high working quick turn over team.

I think the only reason Bruno wouldn't get in the Man City team is because they already have Kevin de Bruyne, but the odd thing is, that DESPITE (by his standards) this last awful season, Bruno still put up comparable numbers to de Bruyne. So I don't think they're THAT far apart. And Bruno works hard enough and is definitely good enough for Liverpool, I could easily see Bruno playing there instead of Firmino or whoever and scoring and assisting an insane number of goals. It doesn't matter where you go for the stats on this, Bruno Fernandes is right up there https://www.fotmob.com/leagues/47/stats/season/16390/players/total_att_assist/premier-league , https://www.squawka.com/en/premier-league-most-chances-created/ (this one is particularly damning for our forwards, to be frank, scoring only 6 goals from 82 big chances created is absolutely astonishingly bad)

Now he might not LOOK like he's playing well but when the players next to him are fluffing every chance he makes, of course people are going to focus on the misplaced passes he tends to make trying those things and that can lead to a lack of control in games. But to my eyes Bruno has been fine this last season, just not putting up the numbers - and he ENDED the season playing awful, so that's what people remember, recency bias and all that.

 

[Frank White]

He's yelling at Telles, ffs. I think Buttner at 34 is a better left back.

Buttner is 34??? Jesus time flies.

 

[Jeppers7]

I think the only reason Bruno wouldn't get in the Man City team is because they already have Kevin de Bruyne, but the odd thing is, that DESPITE (by his standards) this last awful season, Bruno still put up comparable numbers to de Bruyne. So I don't think they're THAT far apart. And Bruno works hard enough and is definitely good enough for Liverpool, I could easily see Bruno playing there instead of Firmino or whoever and scoring and assisting an insane number of goals. It doesn't matter where you go for the stats on this, Bruno Fernandes is right up there https://www.fotmob.com/leagues/47/stats/season/16390/players/total_att_assist/premier-league , https://www.squawka.com/en/premier-league-most-chances-created/ (this one is particularly damning for our forwards, to be frank, scoring only 6 goals from 82 big chances created is absolutely astonishingly bad)

Now he might not LOOK like he's playing well but when the players next to him are fluffing every chance he makes, of course people are going to focus on the misplaced passes he tends to make trying those things and that can lead to a lack of control in games. But to my eyes Bruno has been fine this last season, just not putting up the numbers - and he ENDED the season playing awful, so that's what people remember, recency bias and all that.

I typically agree or respect a lot of what you post, but do you ever do the eye test with Bruno? I keep reading stats but to my eyes he was abysmal last season week in week out.

 

[Caesar2290]

I typically agree or respect a lot of what you post, but do you ever do the eye test with Bruno? I keep reading stats but to my eyes he was abysmal last season week in week out.

Apparently you need a pair of glasses there mate.

 

[Jeppers7]

Apparently you need a pair of glasses there mate.

You think he’s played well the last 12 months? It’s not me who needs glasses ffs.

 

[Caesar2290]

You think he’s played well the last 12 months? It’s not me who needs glasses ffs.

Our entire team was shit last season mate. Hardly his fault.

Also if we were to swap KDB with Fernandes, do you think he would have carried other his City form?

 

[Rozay]

I think the only reason Bruno wouldn't get in the Man City team is because they already have Kevin de Bruyne, but the odd thing is, that DESPITE (by his standards) this last awful season, Bruno still put up comparable numbers to de Bruyne. So I don't think they're THAT far apart. And Bruno works hard enough and is definitely good enough for Liverpool, I could easily see Bruno playing there instead of Firmino or whoever and scoring and assisting an insane number of goals. It doesn't matter where you go for the stats on this, Bruno Fernandes is right up there https://www.fotmob.com/leagues/47/stats/season/16390/players/total_att_assist/premier-league , https://www.squawka.com/en/premier-league-most-chances-created/ (this one is particularly damning for our forwards, to be frank, scoring only 6 goals from 82 big chances created is absolutely astonishingly bad)

Now he might not LOOK like he's playing well but when the players next to him are fluffing every chance he makes, of course people are going to focus on the misplaced passes he tends to make trying those things and that can lead to a lack of control in games. But to my eyes Bruno has been fine this last season, just not putting up the numbers - and he ENDED the season playing awful, so that's what people remember, recency bias and all that.

Do you think Bruno is better than every 10/creative midfielder he has better goals and assists stats than, and if not, why not?

 

[Andersons Dietician]

I think the only reason Bruno wouldn't get in the Man City team is because they already have Kevin de Bruyne, but the odd thing is, that DESPITE (by his standards) this last awful season, Bruno still put up comparable numbers to de Bruyne. So I don't think they're THAT far apart. And Bruno works hard enough and is definitely good enough for Liverpool, I could easily see Bruno playing there instead of Firmino or whoever and scoring and assisting an insane number of goals. It doesn't matter where you go for the stats on this, Bruno Fernandes is right up there https://www.fotmob.com/leagues/47/stats/season/16390/players/total_att_assist/premier-league , https://www.squawka.com/en/premier-league-most-chances-created/ (this one is particularly damning for our forwards, to be frank, scoring only 6 goals from 82 big chances created is absolutely astonishingly bad)

Now he might not LOOK like he's playing well but when the players next to him are fluffing every chance he makes, of course people are going to focus on the misplaced passes he tends to make trying those things and that can lead to a lack of control in games. But to my eyes Bruno has been fine this last season, just not putting up the numbers - and he ENDED the season playing awful, so that's what people remember, recency bias and all that.

Stats only tell half a story and what really is classified as a big chance? We all watched last season and the season before so we know in reality he’s nowhere near KDB in terms of ability or influencing the flow of a game.

I’m not sure I’d go with recency bias as like I said many of these issues were there in his game when he was scoring and assisting at higher rates. The reason he wouldn’t get in to City’s team is he is terrible in tight spaces, can’t dribble and has horrible ball possesion. Throw in the poor movement and not giving options to the other players then just no way he gets in the city team.

Qite simply he’s become a bit of a lazy player and is not doing the simple things it takes to be a great player. Hopefully these are flaws that ETH can eradicate from Bruno’s game so he can actually be a vital part of the team as there is no doubt he has special abilities but he just lacks the ability to know when and when not to do or try certain things.

 

[Jeppers7]

Our entire team was shit last season mate. Hardly his fault.

Also if we were to swap KDB with Fernandes, do you think he would have carried other his City form?

I didn’t ask you about KDB I asked if you thought Bruno has played well the last 12 months…then ill expand to 18 months. The post you quoted had nothing to do with other players ?

 

[Caesar2290]

I didn’t ask you about KDB I asked if you thought Bruno has played well the last 12 months…then ill expand to 18 months. The post you quoted had nothing to do with other players ?

You did bring up KDB in the post above the one I quoted so don't pretend like it hasn't got anything to do with our discussion.

Also, why do go to specific timeline. Why 18 months? I though football is being played over a period of a season? Salah for example by all accounts had a very good season, that despite the fact that he fell off the cliff in the last months, and yet nobody says he is shit.

But I'll humor you... sure, Bruno's form deteriorated in the last 18 months. Mind you, he wasn't bad, just not as good as the standards he set for himself in the first 12 months he was here.

But, let's look at our other attacking players in the past 18 months: Martial was already on a nosedive, Rashford's decline also started at the exact same time, Greenwood's form was very patchy in this time period, Sancho hasn't exactly hit the ground running and Ronaldo is still patchy. Notice a pattern?

It's as if all our attacking players regressed severely in the last 18 months and this trend continued into this season as well. Why single out Bruno who was the best of the bad bunch?

 

[GazTheLegend]

I’m not sure I’d go with recency bias as like I said many of these issues were there in his game when he was scoring and assisting at higher rates. The reason he wouldn’t get in to City’s team is he is terrible in tight spaces, can’t dribble and has horrible ball possesion. Throw in the poor movement and not giving options to the other players then just no way he gets in the city team.

How's it not recency bias? Would people still be 'glad to see the back of Bruno!' at the end of his first 6 months with us? Is anyone even TALKING about Bruno's first 6 months where he was unbelievable? Football fans have short memories, and sometimes you even see it lasting as short as the last game. People in this thread are unironically judging him based on the Crystal Palace match where he gave the ball away for a goal. I Doubt their brains can think back past yesterday, so I don't BLAME them, but the thing about statements like

Stats only tell half a story

is that that might be true in a vacuum, but when you can -directly compare them with other footballers- (in this case de Bruyne) it's a pretty useful too. And otherwise all you have is anecdotal he-says-she-says.

 

[Rozay]

How's it not recency bias? Would people still be 'glad to see the back of Bruno!' at the end of his first 6 months with us? Is anyone even TALKING about Bruno's first 6 months where he was unbelievable? Football fans have short memories, and sometimes you even see it lasting as short as the last game. People in this thread are unironically judging him based on the Crystal Palace match where he gave the ball away for a goal. I Doubt their brains can think back past yesterday, so I don't BLAME them, but the thing about statements like is that that might be true in a vacuum, but when you can -directly compare them with other footballers- (in this case de Bruyne) it's a pretty useful too. And otherwise all you have is anecdotal he-says-she-says.

Why is a 6 month body of work so important anyway? It was 6 months, not 3 years! And besides, SOME people raised concerns even then.

And ‘Scholes is better than Bruno’ would be ‘he-says-she-says’ because you would tell me to ‘look at the stats’, I presume?

 

[Andersons Dietician]

How's it not recency bias? Would people still be 'glad to see the back of Bruno!' at the end of his first 6 months with us? Is anyone even TALKING about Bruno's first 6 months where he was unbelievable? Football fans have short memories, and sometimes you even see it lasting as short as the last game. People in this thread are unironically judging him based on the Crystal Palace match where he gave the ball away for a goal. I Doubt their brains can think back past yesterday, so I don't BLAME them, but the thing about statements like is that that might be true in a vacuum, but when you can -directly compare them with other footballers- (in this case de Bruyne) it's a pretty useful too. And otherwise all you have is anecdotal he-says-she-says.

I think you’ll find there are many supporters who just maybe view football in a different way from you and maybe understand it differently. Take Rashford when he was being lauded as an outstanding player as good as Mbappe and scoring goals, there were people pointing out the many many many issues within his game. These people were laughed at and abused and told they didn’t have a clue.

Same when people questioned Bruno’s actual ability when he again was doing a Rashford. Now neither are without talent, both I believe happen to be quite talented, but somewhere along the line got lost and confused and don’t do the correct things that makes you and your team a better team. You say KDB and Bruno are similar but ask anyone who they’d rather have in their team and it will be KDB because he is actually a far better footballer tham Bruno who understands and plays the game in a way Bruno at this moment can’t do.

People like to use stats all the time and yes, they have uses but you still have to watch the players because there are other pieces to a pass, a cross, a shot, a tackle, a chance, a run that just aren’t measured by stats. Until people can get their heads around that simple fact that sports and performance in sports isn’t just a statistical break down model then their is no hope.

I seem to recall when Modric was at Spurs many didn’t want him Because his stats weren’t good enough. Didn’t get enough assists, didn’t score enough goals and so on. But these people clearly don’t watch the game and understand that the man was a must have then and a do not miss because all they cared about was the stats and can’t actually spot a good or bad player to save their lives.

Now I’m not writing Bruno off, as I’ve said many a time he was a far better player when he was playing for Sporting. Maybe the lack of leadership at the club and coaching allowed him to go down this path he finds himself on now where all his worst qualities are the the things he relies heavily on in games and just making stupid decisions after stupid decision but hey, hopefully ETH can improve Bruno. Like I said he undoubtedly has quality but he is nowhere near the likes of your Silva, KDB, Iniesta, Modric, Scholes types.

But hey it’s a game of opinions.

 

[roonster09]

The club fans who adored Keane, Scholes (even when he was deeper player), Carrick it's very hard to believe that fans didn't want Modric because of assists.

 

[red woppit]

I don’t mind him losing possession if he sees an opening and going for it but he loses possession mindlessly and needlessly most of the time when there is absolutely no need. He doesn’t have to make every other pass into a through ball or a hollywood one. Not only it gives away any midfield control but also it puts so much pressure on us as a result. The whole game becomes so chaotic without any semblance of control. I would love it if ETH can cut this out of him.

The biggest problem with Bruno losing possession of the ball is where he is when he loses it. When he's deep in his own half, he tends to be closed down quickly, and put under pressure, and subsequently opponents can win the ball, and has cost us goals in the past. If De Jong does sign, then I would imagine that he would take up that deeper position.

 

[shamans]

Our entire team was shit last season mate. Hardly his fault.

Also if we were to swap KDB with Fernandes, do you think he would have carried other his City form?

Just to entertain you, KDB would have enough of a brain not to try some of the stuff Bruno does when his team is struggling. Ronaldo and De Gea have played in the same team as well. Even Sancho has played better than Bruno. He's been a disaster

 

[Jeppers7]

How's it not recency bias? Would people still be 'glad to see the back of Bruno!' at the end of his first 6 months with us? Is anyone even TALKING about Bruno's first 6 months where he was unbelievable? Football fans have short memories, and sometimes you even see it lasting as short as the last game. People in this thread are unironically judging him based on the Crystal Palace match where he gave the ball away for a goal. I Doubt their brains can think back past yesterday, so I don't BLAME them, but the thing about statements like is that that might be true in a vacuum, but when you can -directly compare them with other footballers- (in this case de Bruyne) it's a pretty useful too. And otherwise all you have is anecdotal he-says-she-says.

I didn’t point that out in isolation, it was part of a post highlighting many big moments in the season where Bruno cost us. Villa at home at 1-0 missing that penalty, fine but why have his penalties gone from being assured to terrible? That defeat really set off a downward spiral that probably would’ve come at some point but putting away that penalty in the last minute could’ve had a big impact. We never recovered from that.

Then you have Boro at home in the cup and missing an open net. I think we won five games last season beyond that point. It ended all hopes really of a trophy. The. You’ve got Arsenal away where he again missed a vital pen when we were really on top….then he gifted Arsenal the third goal. The palace one was the least important but almost put us in the conference…..On top of that you’ve got his performances week in week out.

 

[Jeppers7]

You did bring up KDB in the post above the one I quoted so don't pretend like it hasn't got anything to do with our discussion.

Also, why do go to specific timeline. Why 18 months? I though football is being played over a period of a season? Salah for example by all accounts had a very good season, that despite the fact that he fell off the cliff in the last months, and yet nobody says he is shit.

But I'll humor you... sure, Bruno's form deteriorated in the last 18 months. Mind you, he wasn't bad, just not as good as the standards he set for himself in the first 12 months he was here.

But, let's look at our other attacking players in the past 18 months: Martial was already on a nosedive, Rashford's decline also started at the exact same time, Greenwood's form was very patchy in this time period, Sancho hasn't exactly hit the ground running and Ronaldo is still patchy. Notice a pattern?

It's as if all our attacking players regressed severely in the last 18 months and this trend continued into this season as well. Why single out Bruno who was the best of the bad bunch?

I didn’t.

Bruno was not the best of that bunch by a long way and he was beyond bad.

 

[Rozay]

The club fans who adored Keane, Scholes (even when he was deeper player), Carrick it's very hard to believe that fans didn't want Modric because of assists.

To be fair to him, and Bruno, Modric wasn’t so much a traditional 10. Assists are a greater part of Bruno’s job spec than Modric’s.

 

[roonster09]

To be fair to him, and Bruno, Modric wasn’t so much a traditional 10. Assists are a greater part of Bruno’s job spec than Modric’s.

That's why I find it hard to believe that ManUtd fans didn't want him or rate him because of assists.

 

[Rozay]

That's why I find it hard to believe that ManUtd fans didn't want him or rate him because of assists.

Oh, I didn’t know that was actually a thing. That said, I do think of all the top clubs in England, in fact, in Europe even - we have been the slowest to modernise philosophy/ideology. We’re only just starting to not look at ‘possession’ as a dirty word, we’re last to the pressing party, and seem to have been stuck on some obsession with the counter-attack more than most I’d say. A player like Modric perhaps takes some sort of ‘getting’. You used Scholes as a comparison, but he was still somewhat palatable as someone who can be put into the ‘adds goals from midfield’ box. The in between of midfield play, outside of big tackling, big shooting and big switching from left-to-right is traditionally under appreciated by us I think.

 

[roonster09]

Oh, I didn’t know that was actually a thing. That said, I do think of all the top clubs in England, in fact, in Europe even - we have been the slowest to modernise philosophy/ideology. We’re only just starting to not look at ‘possession’ as a dirty word, we’re last to the pressing party, and seem to have been stuck on some obsession with the counter-attack more than most I’d say. A player like Modric perhaps takes some sort of ‘getting’. You used Scholes as a comparison, but he was still somewhat palatable as someone who can be put into the ‘adds goals from midfield’ box. The in between of midfield play, outside of big tackling, big shooting and big switching from left-to-right is traditionally under appreciated by us I think.

Yeah I agree with what you are saying. Btw when I said Scholes, that's why I mentioned when he was playing deeper role, like from 2006-07 when he rarely attacked box.

Anyways that's minor point, on the main point I agree. We are late to the party, I hope we see more of a team play, focused on getting best out of each other, player complimenting the player next to them, every move oriented towards team and very less focus on individual stats.

Also hopefully we stop the nonsense like 'carrying the team' 'build team around player x' 'player y can't win us the league'. It's like people forgot that football is a team game, you need good players, good squad and good coach who has right set of players to win the league.

Can't wait to see how we play in preseason, hopefully our fans can see we don't have shit players, it's just that good players had poor season.

 

[Rozay]

Yeah I agree with what you are saying. Btw when I said Scholes, that's why I mentioned when he was playing deeper role, like from 2006-07 when he rarely attacked box.

Anyways that's minor point, on the main point I agree. We are late to the party, I hope we see more of a team play, focused on getting best out of each other, player complimenting the player next to them, every move oriented towards team and very less focus on individual stats.

Also hopefully we stop the nonsense like 'carrying the team' 'build team around player x' 'player y can't win us the league'. It's like people forgot that football is a team game, you need good players, good squad and good coach who has right set of players to win the league.

Can't wait to see how we play in preseason, hopefully our fans can see we don't have shit players, it's just that good players had poor season.

Indeed. Especially regarding these common phrases. It just shows how we are outdated. I think we’ve always looked for a hero, a player who will ‘win us the league’. Cantona did it. Ronaldo did it. Van Persie ‘won us the league’. I think this was also part of an issue with Pogba. At his price tag, he was probably expected to be the man who comes and ‘carries us to a title’. I’ve read a lot of accusations about ‘how many big games has he won us’ etc. I agree that we need to go back to basics and build a team. We’ve been left behind the others, even teams like Arsenal seem to get the principles more than us. We have a coach that suggests that we prioritise the right things now at least so I am also looking forward to seeing it unfold.

 

[roonster09]

Indeed. Especially regarding these common phrases. It just shows how we are outdated. I think we’ve always looked for a hero, a player who will ‘win us the league’. Cantona did it. Ronaldo did it. Van Persie ‘won us the league’. I think this was also part of an issue with Pogba. At his price tag, he was probably expected to be the man who comes and ‘carries us to a title’. I’ve read a lot of accusations about ‘how many big games has he won us’ etc. I agree that we need to go back to basics and build a team. We’ve been left behind the others, even teams like Arsenal seem to get the principles more than us. We have a coach that suggests that we prioritise the right things now at least so I am also looking forward to seeing it unfold.

Yeah, it was annoying. "He didn't play well in big games" as if player plays in vacuum and not dependent on teammates and how the set up is.

Also what many forgot is, when Cantona, Ronaldo, Van Persie won us the league, we had players who were awesome in most positions and GOAT manager who won league with Cleverley in midfield.

Yeah finally looks like we have manager who identified CM as the most important position, not just to defend but to control the game. Hopefully we see basic things like controlling game using possession.

 

[shamans]

Yeah, it was annoying. "He didn't play well in big games" as if player plays in vacuum and not dependent on teammates and how the set up is.

Also what many forgot is, when Cantona, Ronaldo, Van Persie won us the league, we had players who were awesome in most positions and GOAT manager who won league with Cleverley in midfield.

Yeah finally looks like we have manager who identified CM as the most important position, not just to defend but to control the game. Hopefully we see basic things like controlling game using possession.

When Van Pesire "won us the league" I would say we definitely were not "awesome" in most positions. I wouldn't go as far as what opposition fans say that he singlehandedly won us the league, but without Van Persie I am not sure we would have.