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2022-23 Performances

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6.1 Season Average Rating
Appearances
59
Goals
14
Assists
14
Yellow cards
12
Status
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Lyng said:
I think he is quite good on the right where he can ping in crosses. On the left though it simply doesnt work.
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He's had some very good games on the right this season, but also quite a few where he's either been poor or barely been able to influence the game. From memory he's had some good games on the left in previous seasons, but again others where he didn't.

I guess you could say that he's the same at #10, but when there he rarely drifts out of the game. Overall I think playing him wide can be an interesting tactical move but I'd only want to see it rarely unless we sign somebody who is able to play well at #10 (or maybe Eriksen can move forward into that position). Moving him wide for Wout doesn't make sense at all and hopefully we won't see it again.
 
Tom Van Persie said:
He must be our most frustrated player right now.

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This graphic is not as damning as it looks or as bad as people are trying to interpret it.

All this says is Bruno to Rashford is an avenue we are heavily reliant on which is obvious from watching us since they've played together.

Both Son/Kane and Saka/Odegaard play very close together. For us Bruno is the creator and Rashford is the scorer its very simple just as it is with KDB and Haaland.
 
NZT-One said:
Also summarizes 80% of our attacking plan ^^
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Agreed.

What that graphic is showing us, is that the two attackers who thrive in transitional moments by playing direct or running in behind, benefit the most in the final third due to the problems that stem from the back. And that then means we're unable to stay compact due to the spaces between the defensive, midfield and forward lines being too big, hence we have to drop deeper to maintain defensive stability and compactness, especially against teams who defend high up the pitch.

Like I've said before, the key is to dominate/progress the ball against the opponent's high pressure from the back, which will unlock the potential of the other players going forward due to the volume of players that will then flood the opponent's final third and give us more variety in attack with the deeper midfielders and fullbacks also potentially carrying a bigger goal threat and chance creation threat due to playing the game in the opponent's half. Add a good CF to that system and I believe we'll score a lot of goals.
 
Good player. Potentially a great one for us.

BUT his inability to play in tight spaces (and his obsession with playing the ball quickly) hurts us more than most realize. I believe if he had more confidence in himself beating a man - say like odegaard - he'd be more careful with the ball and knit our play together better. Unfortunately, we have two other midfielders who play like 40 year olds and who themselves cannot bypass a press to save their lives and our play becomes static, predictable and easily neutralized.
 
Adnan said:
What that graphic is showing us, is that the two attackers who thrive in transitional moments by playing direct or running in behind, benefit the most in the final third due to the problems that stem from the back. And that then means we're unable to stay compact due to the spaces between the defensive, midfield and forward lines being too big, hence we have to drop deeper to maintain defensive stability and compactness, especially against teams who defend high up the pitch.
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Well said. Would you agree, that this characteristic is something, that we carry with us at least since the Ole days? That is my feeling, but it isn't the most fashionable thing to point out.

Adnan said:
Like I've said before, the key is to dominate/progress the ball against the opponent's high pressure from the back, which will unlock the potential of the other players going forward due to the volume of players that will then flood the opponent's final third and give us more variety in attack with the deeper midfielders and fullbacks also potentially carrying a bigger goal threat and chance creation threat due to playing the game in the opponent's half. Add a good CF to that system and I believe we'll score a lot of goals.
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That is my feeling as well. Once it clicks, our team will be a very different beast. We have seen the slightest glimpses of it in some games where we actually forced errors very high up the pitch. Could imagine, it might take the league a while to realize and then to adapt.

All this being said - and even if I am not the biggest fan of Bruno - I feel the need to point out that his contribution this season has been very good. To play such volume is impressive and his eagerness and courage to play those risky balls over and over again is really a great natural talent to have. Add the readiness to play in different starting positions and even adapting to a different role for a few games - credit where credit is due.
 
NZT-One said:
Well said. Would you agree, that this characteristic is something, that we carry with us at least since the Ole days? That is my feeling, but it isn't the most fashionable thing to point out.


That is my feeling as well. Once it clicks, our team will be a very different beast. We have seen the slightest glimpses of it in some games where we actually forced errors very high up the pitch. Could imagine, it might take the league a while to realize and then to adapt.

All this being said - and even if I am not the biggest fan of Bruno - I feel the need to point out that his contribution this season has been very good. To play such volume is impressive and his eagerness and courage to play those risky balls over and over again is really a great natural talent to have. Add the readiness to play in different starting positions and even adapting to a different role for a few games - credit where credit is due.
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It's definitely a characteristic that we've been unable to overcome with Solskjaer. Under Solskjaer we finished second and third by playing quick transitional football by defending in a block of 6 and attacking with four. And when you have players in the attack like Mason, Rashford, Bruno and Martial who carry a big goal threat, you'll score goals but you won't develop a dominant play style where you can play through the thirds and press high effectively with the players we had occupying positions in the first phase.

So finishing third and then second in the table was good but it was never going to be enough to topple Man City who have the most dominant first phase play in the league with their keeper, CBs, RBs and deeper midfielders being excellent on the ball. And that then connects the back 6 with the front 5, hence they create rondos (triangles) and overloads in the opponent's half due to the volume of players they commit in the final third in a high defensive line. And they've won the league without having a conventional #9 due to how elite they're in possession which is backed up by how good they're without the ball. They're a proactive attacking team with all 11 players expected to both attack and defend. It obviously helps that they've had the luxury of spending 200m on just fullbacks and wasting money on CBs, which was money that was absorbed by their owners.

I've said for a long time that we need to work towards being a proactive attacking team. And to be a proactive attacking team, we need to dominate the game with and without the ball straight from the goalkeeper. Because a striker will help us win a few more games and score more goals but he won't help us to play out from the back or raise the defensive line and we'll carry on playing reactive football as soon as we come up against a top quality team. And then the question will be repeated about why our passing is garbage.

Erik ten Hag's biggest test is to transition the team towards playing a dominant play style. And if he can do that, he will get United competing for the title. But along with a striker, we need a GK, CM, RB to raise the technical level in the build up phase. We probably won't have enough money to buy all four, so it'll be interesting to see what positions are prioritised.





Since
 
Back to his best this season. Great player. If only he could search for shooting boots from the first season and a half.
 
Brilliant. Such a work horse. I thought he took the right decisions most of the time today. When he does that you know he's going to have an excellent game because he's always involved.
 
I didn't watch the game full focused and maybe that's what I didn't find anything special from his performance unlike the rest around here. Good weighted passes for the goals but not much more. Many bad passes, many bad touches, many bad decisions.

The best of a bad bunch probably, I'd give him a 6,5/10 today.

I certainly expect much more from him
 
Yeah but he moans at players when they are playing shit...do not want! get rid of him asap!

Love you Bruno
 
One poster in the match day thread literally said he's been terrible for weeks. Genuinely don't know how you can come to that conclusion. He's been our best player.
 
BusbyMalone said:
One poster in the match day thread literally said he's been terrible for weeks. Genuinely don't know how you can come to that conclusion. He's been our best player.
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some posters were onto something about him not being up to the level required and not wanting him in the team all together. The experts we have here are sometimes irrational
 
Zoo said:
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Seeing this, then seeing the goals we have actually scored is pure pain.

Once again, magnificent decision making and execution for both our goals today. We have no attack without him.

Nobody else gets on the ball and gets us moving.

 
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Nicolarra90 said:
I didn't watch the game full focused and maybe that's what I didn't find anything special from his performance unlike the rest around here. Good weighted passes for the goals but not much more. Many bad passes, many bad touches, many bad decisions.

The best of a bad bunch probably, I'd give him a 6,5/10 today.

I certainly expect much more from him
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Pretty much what I thought....but that's Bruno for you. Two important clutch passes.
 
I thought he was as bad as Eriksen before the first goal. He played much better afterwards and was probably the best player on the pitch.
 
Brilliant performance. Really was the clear and obvious leader out there on the pitch today.
 
klayton88 said:
It's not an agenda. He often gives the ball away failing to make simple passes.
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He does but I think he has improved this over the last few months. With ETH there seems to be a conscious effort to cut out the ludicrous hero moments. Long may it continue.
 
klayton88 said:
It's not an agenda. He often gives the ball away failing to make simple passes.
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Usually happens when the tempo is raised and he rushes it. It's an agenda to focus on it and only look out for it even when he's playing well.
 
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