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Bruno Fernandes Portugal flag

2022-23 Performances


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6.1 Season Average Rating
Appearances
59
Goals
14
Assists
14
Yellow cards
12
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He did what is more important and what made us win the game, and people still complain. It's him who ruins the team's dynamics and bla bla bla.
 
You just named a bunch of midfielders from a past era before Pep and Klopp changed the game with how teams have to play both with and without the ball though. Having Bruno sit up near the striker while we are trying to build up play, essentially putting us in a 4-2-4, is a fecking terrible recipe for elevating us back to the top. Sure 10-15 years ago you could give him a free license to do whatever and he’d pop up with enough contributions to be a real asset, but nowadays controlling the first two phases of the game is just as important as the final third. It’s exactly what ETH is trying to impart on this team, that you don’t have to be some creative wizard to fashion chances if you can methodically move the ball around as a team to exploit spaces and win the ball high up the pitch when defending.

Excusing a midfielder for consistent general poor play (going on almost 2 years btw) because he pops up with a nice finish is a sure fire way to watch us continue to struggle against any decent team with a good structural press and quality midfielders.

Fernandes has not been poor for two years. He had a bad season last year. However, he was our key man the season before.

It's also untrue to say Fernandes plays like he has free license. He's one of our hardest working players with and without the ball. The stats show this. Misplacing passes is not the same as just doing what he wants. Fernandes is a hard working player and very much conforms to the needs of the system. Ten Hag would not continue to pick him if he thought Fernandes was not willing to carry out his instructions.

As for Pep and Klopp, noticeably they've both moved away from their false #9 systems and brought in big goal poachers. That should be a reminder that football is cyclical. Fernandes goalscoring from midfield may be less common today than it was 10 years ago. However, goals are never outdated. Without Fernandes we don't win today. A statement you could make on any given weekend for much of the past few years and not be mistaken.
 
Of course he needs to score but that’s sort of peoples issue isn’t it? He’s not a fecking forward, he’s a midfielder so people that are complaining are those that would prefer him to improve and help the cohesion of the side with his passing and movement buzzing around the middle of the park instead of adding to the disjointed play of the team by making stupid decisions with the ball and being disconnected from the rest of the midfield. Bagging a goal is nice but at this point he’s going to HAVE to continue scoring to warrant a place in the team because otherwise he’s a detriment.

It’s not some contrarian take to want Bruno to play better in the other parts of his game. Goals and assists come and go but the other parts are what you actually build a side around.
Absobloodylutely spot on.
 
He is everywhere but yet he is nowhere when we are building up.

Another shitty performance but this time masked with a goal.
It reminds of Rooney a bit. Rooney had to mature out of the excited puppy phase when he would just tear all over the pitch. Bruno is still doing that. Everywhere yet nowhere.
 
Good goal, did feck all apart from that. So so inconsistent in possession. It's very annoying watching him not being able to make the simplest passes so often.
If you're inconsistent in possession you're shit in possession
 
It reminds of Rooney a bit. Rooney had to mature out of the excited puppy phase when he would just tear all over the pitch. Bruno is still doing that. Everywhere yet nowhere.

Rooney was a far better more mature player in his application than Bruno ever was.

I get the excited puppy phase bit off the ball, but Rooney wasn't like that with the ball. Bruno treats it like a hot potato.
 
Rooney was a far better more mature player in his application than Bruno ever was.

I get the excited puppy phase bit off the ball, but Rooney wasn't like that with the ball. Bruno treats it like a hot potato.

Hoping ETH can make him more productive on the ball… certainly has the credentials to improve him as a player
 
I thought he was something of a continuation of what we saw against Liverpool, only this time he scored which is nice.

A lot of effort, huff and puff, but really frustrating play at times.
 
no?… inconsistent - Meaning sometimes good, sometimes shit.

unless you understand a different meaning of the word?
I know what the word means as I'm sure you can assume. But in a footballing context. For example if say, a midfielder has a 50% pass completion rate it isn't inconsistent its shit.
(Not sure if I'm explaining myself correctly)
 
I know what the word means as I'm sure you can assume. But in a footballing context. For example if say, a midfielder has a 50% pass completion rate it isn't inconsistent its shit.
(Not sure if I'm explaining myself correctly)
No you’ve explained it well, I just disagree

he has an 80% pass completion rate this year so far… de bruyne has 84%
 
No you’ve explained it well, I just disagree

he has an 80% pass completion rate this year so far… de bruyne has 84%
Ok cool. Its just that for me to say inconsistent in possession, which is more than pass completion, means not good in possession. Its not one of his strengths is it to be fair. I wasn't trying to be pedantic but just the logical way I process things. Not a fan of his in general however so maybe it's that.
 
We'll never play consistently well with this guy in the team. Too erratic and undisciplined. Seems like our scouting department was spot on about him and yet we bought him anyway.

I've felt this way for a long time and unfortunately he seems to keep proving me right. And now he's on massive money, so we cannot offload.
 
We'll never play consistently well with this guy in the team. Too erratic and undisciplined. Seems like our scouting department was spot on about him and yet we bought him anyway.

I've felt this way for a long time and unfortunately he seems to keep proving me right. And now he's on massive money, so we cannot offload.
What did the scouting department say
 
I am sure people have already mentioned this but Bruno should be taken off the pitch as soon as Ronaldo is brought on it. He just tries unrealistic balls to Ronaldo as soon as he is on the pitch even if it is last minute. Could have cost us in both matches.
 
I get the excited puppy phase bit off the ball, but Rooney wasn't like that with the ball. Bruno treats it like a hot potato.
Rooney was kind of wasteful in his later years but never as much as Fernandes. Some of the things he does, like that "shot" aka pass to the goalkeeper in this match, are utterly baffling.
 
Bruno seems to have above average vision and the belief in that he can make it happen. Just doesn't seem to have consistency to do so. I don't know what is worse. Never having the balls for trying, or not not understanding your limits.

If he calms down a bit, there is still a half decent player in there.
 
Bruno needs to focus on keeping it simple. Stop the Hollywood balls, stop the attempts at crosses with a 1% chance of making it to the intended recipient. He can be the heart and soul of this team. He wears his passion on his sleeve. And as we saw with his finish against Southampton, he’s capable of great heights. He just needs to tone it down.
 
Fabulous finish but I don't know how well ever dominate teams with the likes of Bruno, Elanga and Rashford (usually Mctominay too) unable to retain the ball. We need players who have the control and precision to maintain possession otherwise we'll always be a counter attack or failed possesion team.
 
Sometimes you just have to accept and adapt to a players weaknesses. Like Trent for example. Suspect defensively, dispossessed I think the most, not great passing stats but his goals and assists are crazy. Liverpool can accommodate him and cover for his weaknesses and we can do the same with Bruno. Yeah it means we might not become the best passing/control machine but that might be a weakness as well.

For instance if we only played one of them and the stats for arguments sake are like below -

Eriksen 4 goals and 3 assists good defensive positioning but low work rate
Bruno might get 10 goals and 6 assists, bad positioning but high work rate

So would that translate to more points with Eriksen or with Bruno? Who knows. In a certain team with 20 plus forwards we might be better off with Eriksen. But with our team we need goals and assists so Bruno is a necessity and we need to adapt to his erratic passing to get the goals and assists.
 
Sometimes you just have to accept and adapt to a players weaknesses. Like Trent for example. Suspect defensively, dispossessed I think the most, not great passing stats but his goals and assists are crazy. Liverpool can accommodate him and cover for his weaknesses and we can do the same with Bruno. Yeah it means we might not become the best passing/control machine but that might be a weakness as well.

For instance if we only played one of them and the stats for arguments sake are like below -

Eriksen 4 goals and 3 assists good defensive positioning but low work rate
Bruno might get 10 goals and 6 assists, bad positioning but high work rate

So would that translate to more points with Eriksen or with Bruno? Who knows. In a certain team with 20 plus forwards we might be better off with Eriksen. But with our team we need goals and assists so Bruno is a necessity and we need to adapt to his erratic passing to get the goals and assists.

Think what we're doing which is smart is not having him and Fred much together, if both are playing we will lose the ball every time we get possession.
 
His passing is terrible. He had a great first season but we could still see that he was making lots of mistakes and losing the ball.
 
Contrary to Caf's belief I think Ten Hag likes players like him. Yeah he has been erratic in posession but I believe Ten Hag can work on it.
 
I am sure people have already mentioned this but Bruno should be taken off the pitch as soon as Ronaldo is brought on it. He just tries unrealistic balls to Ronaldo as soon as he is on the pitch even if it is last minute. Could have cost us in both matches.

There’s a much better, permanent solution to that problem.
 
Contrary to Caf's belief I think Ten Hag likes players like him. Yeah he has been erratic in posession but I believe Ten Hag can work on it.

He also brings some attitude to what has been a bit of a lightweight team. Yes he's a whinger but he also shows leadership and an ability to dig in under pressure. Need some of that personality on the pitch in my opinion.
 
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