Cantona v Bruno

Of course. Because most of those players played in entirely different formations. And also, they had far higher competition for places than Bruno faces, so they couldn’t always play in their preferred position. But all of them played 10/AM/SS for United and their nationals teams at throughout their career. They are who Bruno would have to displace if we were to (unjustifiably in my opinion) select him in a great Ferguson team. And they’re all superior players to Bruno.

Unless you were thinking Bruno would play CM in one of the great Ferguson 4-4-2s? In which case the list would be even longer

So what you're saying is that you'd rather play those players in the positions they played in than Bruno in positions he doesn't? Well...yes, obviously.
 
Even being compared is annoying me :lol:

Leagues apart.
The comparison is an abomination. Bruno should watch old clips of Cantona and aspire to be 1/10th the player, personality , and teammate. I’m not a Bruno hater, he’s infuriating and brilliant but in the same breath as Eric, nooooo way.
 
So what you're saying is that you'd rather play those players in the positions they played in than Bruno in positions he doesn't? Well...yes, obviously.
No, I’m not saying that at all. I suspect you don’t even think that’s what I’m saying, but I’ll take what you say in good faith, just in case.

If Bruno were to play in one of Ferguson great sides, he would have to play in a 4-4-2 (the only world class front 3 Ferguson used was Ronaldo / Rooney / Tevez and Bruno was nowhere near their level and isn’t disciplined enough to play in midfield behind them). Or more accurately a 4-4-1-1 as Ferguson himself said he always played with split strikers. There’s not a great deal of difference between playing as a 10 in 4-4-1-1 and doing so in the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations United have mainly lined up with during Bruno’s time.

Arsenal have gone from a 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 this season, and it hasn’t really changed the position/role of our 10 at all.

You asked for a list of players that I’d play over Bruno from Ferguson’s great teams and I gave you several. They played in the positions closest to the ones Bruno plays in today, namely at 10. And 10 is the only position where Bruno would have a prayer of playing, as he is relatively poor when played deeper or on the wings.

It goes the other way, too. If I was Manager, had a Time Machine and could drop prime Scholes, Rooney, Cantona, Berbatov, Yorke or Tevez into today’s United team as a 10, I would swap Bruno out without hesitation.
 
Possibly the most unbalanced/ridiculous comparison in RedCafe history
Agree totally. There can be no real comparison between Cantona in the Utd teams he played in and Bruno in the cess pit team he is presently playing in now. Completely different players in different teams managed by totally different managers.
 
Comparing the incomparable. Please try Bruno with the likes of Carrick..Fletcher..Nikki butt..sheringham..etc
 
I never get these current player vs 90's player debates as it's practically a different sport and it's mostly speculative to imagine how a player would transition to a different time, however a handful of truly great players like Cantona could be imagined playing in any era, he was physically and mentally strong but also had subtle skill and football intelligence, some would say he wouldn't last long with modern refs, but he never did anyway. On the other side trying to imagine Bruno in another era of football would require vast quantities of psychedelic drugs.

I've never understood this argument. Quite a few players of the current era would have thrived during the 70s and 80s, and vice versa. Players like Thierry Henry, Luis Suarez and Paul Scholes, not a problem fitting right into a top club or national team. Iniesta or Xavi, no problem. Keane, without a doubt. Vidic would still be a colossus. And without a doubt Messi and Ronaldo.

How is football today "practically a different spot" from the 90s or even the 70s?
 
I’ve not been a big Bruno fan for a while now. Completely devoid of the basics a class player should have.
 
Comparing the incomparable. Please try Bruno with the likes of Carrick..Fletcher..Nikki butt..sheringham..etc
Agree, but I also think Carrick is a couple of steps above. Maybe we have to go back to the 80s or very early 90s to find comparable players.
 
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Cantona was supreme. (nostalgia caveat maybe but I'll make a case) An unfair comparison in more ways than one.

Cantona thrived in an age when individual ability really stood out. The age of Baggio, Romario, R9 et al

Bruno would have been excellent under Fergie. strangely given his directness I think Bruno's style would have suited 90s football. I'd stick Bruno on a par with a Le Tissier - not a Cantona or Bergkamp level

Then again, if Bruno was playing with Giggs, Keane, Beckham, Hughes, Ince it would be a different story

Talked myself out of it - who knows
 
Seems like a completely pointless thread. There's no comparison really.

I didn't think Bruno is in anyway similar and doesn't inspire his teammates to greater heights. He came into the team and got a lot of goals and assists but his influence has waned and I'd never consider him a talisman in the way Cantona was.

What's the point of this thread, OP?

I just wanted to check if my memories of Eric are completely rose tinted, did he ever go through lengthy phases of being as erratic or wasteful as Bruno but I've completely blanked it out. Did fans ever come out of OT saying "fkng hell, Eric was shit again today, Fergie needs to drop him!"

This is not a "who was better" thread (although I don't know why I titled it Bruno v Cantona, I must have been half asleep!) I used Bruno as a reference point because they're both club captains and both had/have similar-ish roles in the team, ie creator-in-chief with probably a license to try riskier passes and lose possession as a result. Did Eric ever lose possession at the same prolific rate that Bruno often does but it's been erased from our memory banks?!
 
I just wanted to check if my memories of Eric are completely rose tinted, did he ever go through lengthy phases of being as erratic or wasteful as Bruno but I've completely blanked it out. Did fans ever come out of OT saying "fkng hell, Eric was shit again today, Fergie needs to drop him!"

This is not a "who was better" thread (although I don't know why I titled it Bruno v Cantona, I must have been half asleep!) I used Bruno as a reference point because they're both club captains and both had/have similar-ish roles in the team, ie creator-in-chief with probably a license to try riskier passes and lose possession as a result. Did Eric ever lose possession at the same prolific rate that Bruno often does but it's been erased from our memory banks?!

Well in absolute hindsight, you probably should have stuck to whether or not you had the right idea about Cantona without the distraction of dragging Bruno into it, and yeah the title didn't help :lol:
 
Not fair to compare as Cantona was a different class the most impactful and influential of any foreign player that has played in the Premier league and lets not forget while he was viewed as the final piece in the jigsaw to win a first league title in 20 years he played alongside a team of leaders and some of the best players who have worn the United jersey over the last 50 years.
 
No, I’m not saying that at all. I suspect you don’t even think that’s what I’m saying, but I’ll take what you say in good faith, just in case.

If Bruno were to play in one of Ferguson great sides, he would have to play in a 4-4-2 (the only world class front 3 Ferguson used was Ronaldo / Rooney / Tevez and Bruno was nowhere near their level and isn’t disciplined enough to play in midfield behind them). Or more accurately a 4-4-1-1 as Ferguson himself said he always played with split strikers. There’s not a great deal of difference between playing as a 10 in 4-4-1-1 and doing so in the 4-2-3-1 and 4-3-3 formations United have mainly lined up with during Bruno’s time.

Arsenal have gone from a 4-3-3 to 4-4-2 this season, and it hasn’t really changed the position/role of our 10 at all.

You asked for a list of players that I’d play over Bruno from Ferguson’s great teams and I gave you several. They played in the positions closest to the ones Bruno plays in today, namely at 10. And 10 is the only position where Bruno would have a prayer of playing, as he is relatively poor when played deeper or on the wings.

It goes the other way, too. If I was Manager, had a Time Machine and could drop prime Scholes, Rooney, Cantona, Berbatov, Yorke or Tevez into today’s United team as a 10, I would swap Bruno out without hesitation.
Fair enough, I actually think I've misunderstood the point of this thread and your points, so apologies, mea culpa!
 
Cantona was supreme. (nostalgia caveat maybe but I'll make a case) An unfair comparison in more ways than one.

Cantona thrived in an age when individual ability really stood out. The age of Baggio, Romario, R9 et al

Bruno would have been excellent under Fergie. strangely given his directness I think Bruno's style would have suited 90s football. I'd stick Bruno on a par with a Le Tissier - not a Cantona or Bergkamp level

Then again, if Bruno was playing with Giggs, Keane, Beckham, Hughes, Ince it would be a different story

Talked myself out of it - who knows
A Cantona vs Messi thread would be interesting.
 
You gotta be kidding saying SAF would love Bruno. He's be hair dryed well done and be shipped unceremoniously.

He doesnt have the discipline, he sulks, he do stupid holywood shits non stop, he ruins press, he doesnt lead by example. Can you even entertain the thought of Fergie fielding him after losing the ball cheaply dozens of time? He'd play Park ahead of him. He sold Veron whose twice the player Bruno

Fergie was underrated tactically but every one of his players knows their role and as simple as it looks it clicks. You dont see his players taking potshots all game.

The situation where he's deemed our best player and made captain is a testament of how far we have fallen, not how great Bruno is.

Comparing him to Cantona is an insult. I cant wait to see him shipped off. He's one of the reason we're 8th
 
I'd love to see Cantona under Ole & Ten Hag's management :lol:

Bruno Fernando's getting shouted by SAF and thus causing him to retain the ball would have maybe bought out a more all rounded player under SAF.

History is history though and there's no time machine for players to play under different managers so Cantona was more important and better than Bruno Fernandes is.

However, some people saying Veron was twice the player Bruno Fernandes is its just pure hate. The headed assist yesterday when playing for Portugal was just beautiful & has been thrice the player Veron was for us.
 
there are very different types of players but I think their ability level is kinda similar, with Cantona having the edge in some areas

the main difference between the two in terms of what they provide United though is the leadership and inspiration Cantona gave us, it was second to none. Bruno isn't even a good captain in my opinion (on the pitch at least), but Cantona was brilliant at it. His personality and character lifted everyone.

their values to the club can't be compared really, Cantona is all time legend.
 
I didn't know this about Cantona but I was reading about his transfer from Leeds and apparently when he put his request in he said he wanted to join United, Liverpool or Arsenal. Liverpool and Arsenal had both recently won the title but we hadn't won it since 1967 (when he was one year old), so what was the attraction for him at the time? Fergie? Because he wanted to annoy the Leeds supporters? Or did he just somehow know the magic that was about to unfold?
 
I didn't know this about Cantona but I was reading about his transfer from Leeds and apparently when he put his request in he said he wanted to join United, Liverpool or Arsenal. Liverpool and Arsenal had both recently won the title but we hadn't won it since 1967 (when he was one year old), so what was the attraction for him at the time? Fergie? Because he wanted to annoy the Leeds supporters? Or did he just somehow know the magic that was about to unfold?
He guessed those 3 teams would pay him the most in England. As simple as that. At the end of the day football is still a job.
 
No doubt about it.
How can he be an all time great when he lacks genuine elite technique? I just don't understand this. And there is a lot of doubt, because there is nothing to indicate that he would be that. You could say that for any player, Rashford included, but it doesn't make it true.
 
People need to stop with these comparisons, Bruno is not worldclass, no point comparing him with people who were. A worldclass player has quiet games like cantona did, he doesn't drop stinker after stinker on a routine basis nor are his mediocre performances hidden away consistently by an assist or goal which is the case with bruno on fair chunk of his good days.
 
Bruno is a great player. Cantona was a genius who often changed/won games either by action or him mere presence. Like Keane he lifted all of those around him.
 
I'd love to see Cantona under Ole & Ten Hag's management :lol:

Bruno Fernando's getting shouted by SAF and thus causing him to retain the ball would have maybe bought out a more all rounded player under SAF.
We finished second under Ole and finished third / some cups under Ten Hag. Can only imagine we’d be much better with much better players.

Bruno would be ok the bench for most of Sir Alex’s teams and no amount of shouting would make Bruno less erratic just like it wouldn’t make Martial fit and Maguire fast. Bruno is what he is - a chaotic erratic and productive player who is a good player but not great one.
 
I find this thread offensive. One was a key figure in transforming the club, the other is currently our best player while we dwell in misery.

Cantona has changed the attitude, spirit, mentality and status of the club, Bruno has changed literally nothing so far.

Calling Cantona The King means calling Bruno the court jester.
 
Those guys weren't 10s.

Scholes and Rooney are the two closest and they're still different types. I don't think the post-2012 version of Rooney is better than Bruno tbh. He started heavily declining physically as early as Ferguson's last season, and I'd take 2020-2021 Bruno over that version of him easily.

Scholes was an #8 for me, and a controlling midfielder type, who played deeper. Bruno is a creative #10. Pointless comparison, even though Scholes could've done Bruno's job and overall he was the superior player.

I don't think Odegaard is on Bruno's level at all.

I've discussed this in other threads, not sure if it was with you or someone else, but Odegaard is not nearly as creative. He does the pre-planned pattern moves as an important cog in Arteta's system, which does get him assists and goals, but Bruno is actually creative, and spontaneous. I'd like my #10 to be like Bruno, instead of having much more "controlled" creativity like Odegaard. Other examples I listed are Özil and KDB from the Premier League. You give players like them the keys, and they'll run your attack and the creativity will be sufficient enough. Odegaard doesn't even run Arsenal's attack, it's Saka who does that.

Put Bruno at #10 into an elite side like Arsenal, and let him be the focal point of your attack, and his output will be insane compared to Odegaard's. All the players around him would be more comfortable too IMO.
This is just admitting you don't know why Arsenal are as good as they are in the first place. Look at the level they play now when Ødegaard is out compared to when he plays. The players are comfortable precisely because he takes his time, waits for openings and is able to execute it consistently. A proper playmaker. Arsenal with Bruno wouldn't be nearly as good as they are now, even if he would individually get better numbers.

What is that horseshit argument that Ødegaard isn't creative? That may be some of the worst takes I've read on this forum.
 
Cantona was the missing piece that lead the team into PL glory. As a player I remember Cantona being way more consistent than Bruno. His best moments also are way more iconic, in particular I remember the FA Cup winning goal Vs Liverpool and the nonchalant chip and celebration Vs Sunderland.

Bruno hasn't even come close to winning a PL with United. He started off on fire but has dropped off a cliff massively in terms of performance level during the past 18 months or so.
 
Only saving grace for Bruno in this thread is those fecking William Hill adverts are the absolute worst
 
I didn't know this about Cantona but I was reading about his transfer from Leeds and apparently when he put his request in he said he wanted to join United, Liverpool or Arsenal. Liverpool and Arsenal had both recently won the title but we hadn't won it since 1967 (when he was one year old), so what was the attraction for him at the time? Fergie? Because he wanted to annoy the Leeds supporters? Or did he just somehow know the magic that was about to unfold?
We handed Leeds the league when they won it, we wernt 8th in the league. The story is Fergie randomly mentioned Cantonas name in a phone call about Denis Irwin. Leeds were happy to get rid of him
 
Some of the comments on here, I doubt they ever watched Cantona play.
 
Cantona was supreme. (nostalgia caveat maybe but I'll make a case) An unfair comparison in more ways than one.

Cantona thrived in an age when individual ability really stood out. The age of Baggio, Romario, R9 et al

Bruno would have been excellent under Fergie. strangely given his directness I think Bruno's style would have suited 90s football. I'd stick Bruno on a par with a Le Tissier - not a Cantona or Bergkamp level

Then again, if Bruno was playing with Giggs, Keane, Beckham, Hughes, Ince it would be a different story

Talked myself out of it - who knows
Bruno would've been a Barclaysman
 
I forgot the reason. Why did Leeds sell Cantona to us back then?

It's like Barcelona selling Messi to Real Madrid and finishing 17th in the following season.

I didn't know this about Cantona but I was reading about his transfer from Leeds and apparently when he put his request in he said he wanted to join United, Liverpool or Arsenal. Liverpool and Arsenal had both recently won the title but we hadn't won it since 1967 (when he was one year old), so what was the attraction for him at the time? Fergie? Because he wanted to annoy the Leeds supporters? Or did he just somehow know the magic that was about to unfold?

I think the Leeds chairman rang Martin Edwards enquiring about signing a United player (can't remember who) but whoever it was wasn't for sale.

Fergie was in Edwards' office and said to Edwards "ask him about Cantona". Leeds weren't having a good season and there were rumours Howard Wilkinson wasn't get on with Cantona. Instead of telling Edwards to get stuffed, the Leeds chairman said "let me get back to you". So it was obvious Leeds were willing to listen to offers and get Cantona off their hands, his relationship with Wilkinson had broken down.

Leeds came back later and accepted an offer of just under a million, but Fergie said that Leeds asked that the fee be reported as 1.1m or something to make it more palatable to the Leeds fans who would be going mental!

A piece of opportunist genius from Fergie and absolute steal of the century!

That's my understanding of how Eric came to United. I don't recall him handing in a transfer request or any kind of battle for his signature between us and other clubs.

I remember hearing the news on the radio one morning and being absolutely shocked, I don't know if there was any inkling beforehand. Not like our transfers today where the club drag the arse out of the whole process for months, it's all played out in the media and you've lot the will to live by the end of it!
 
What a weird discussion. Cantona, with all he did to turn us in title winners, v Bruno. Statistically Bruno has good numbers, but he has done nothing to change the culture at the club. One will be forever a club legend, the other never will be and it's disingenuous to both players to compare them.
 
L
This is the correct answer.
It’s a shit answer because even Messi can’t drag us to titles. The simple answer is that Cantona was miles ahead. People say “Bruno would be much better in SAFs teams” when the truth is that on paper, this is the case most footballer but someone with his level of general play wouldn’t even get into those great teams except on a rotational / substitute basis. If he go back to that era, he’d be a Spurs / top 4 or 6 level player. He’s nowhere near the levels United fans hype him out to be albeit a good player in general.
 
I think the Leeds chairman rang Martin Edwards enquiring about signing a United player (can't remember who) but whoever it was wasn't for sale.

Fergie was in Edwards' office and said to Edwards "ask him about Cantona". Leeds weren't having a good season and there were rumours Howard Wilkinson wasn't get on with Cantona. Instead of telling Edwards to get stuffed, the Leeds chairman said "let me get back to you". So it was obvious Leeds were willing to listen to offers and get Cantona off their hands, his relationship with Wilkinson had broken down.

Leeds came back later and accepted an offer of just under a million, but Fergie said that Leeds asked that the fee be reported as 1.1m or something to make it more palatable to the Leeds fans who would be going mental!

A piece of opportunist genius from Fergie and absolute steal of the century!

Think it was Dennis Irwin? Anyway, Cantona was a steal at the time, whatever the price.

What a player he was, different eras and all that, but even now if he was around, if you had to choose between him and Bruno.

You'd take Cantona every day, physically he was on another level to Bruno, technically probably not much in it, but I'd say Cantona just shades it. Mentally, Cantona had a short fuse, like Bruno, but he was less petulant and when times were tough he let his football do the talking. His awareness and game intelligence were also much better than Bruno's.
 
This is just admitting you don't know why Arsenal are as good as they are in the first place. Look at the level they play now when Ødegaard is out compared to when he plays. The players are comfortable precisely because he takes his time, waits for openings and is able to execute it consistently. A proper playmaker. Arsenal with Bruno wouldn't be nearly as good as they are now, even if he would individually get better numbers.

What is that horseshit argument that Ødegaard isn't creative? That may be some of the worst takes I've read on this forum.

There's something incorrect in every sentence you wrote. Watch more of both players, and think about what I wrote about them. Probably best to watch older games of Bruno when he actually played in something that resembles a football team, though. And hopefully you'll see what I meant. Unless creativity means something else to you.
 
People just wildly overrate Bruno. He was great when the entire team catered to him and he basically had a free role but then after that setup went, he’s generally been average. He’s simply not consistent enough to be compared to top players
 
I did used to feel that Cantona was disappointing for us in Europe. Not quite stinkers and being wasteful, but he didn’t step up for us like he would in big games at domestic level.

With regards to the Bruno comparison, Bruno is a quality player but he would not have transformed the 90s team like Eric. Eric, on the other hand would be disastrous in this current team because he would have gotten into fights with half of the spineless gits in the dressing room.
Whilst not entirely wrong the team as a whole were hugely restricted in Europe with the 3 foreigner + 2 assimilated players rule

He couldn’t play the likes of Cantona, Kanchelskis, Schmeichel together.

I think even the Welsh and Irish players were considered foreign (but could be wrong)

V Barca in 94 for example. He dropped schmeichel to play Gary Walsh in goal because he wanted his chosen foreigners outfield (Irwin, Kanchelskis, Keane, Giggs and Hughes)