22 Sep 2024 19:03:57
Is Bruno our solution or our problem?
There is no doubting he is a very good player and his personal stats are good.
Yesterday he had a real stinker which is unusual to be fair.
Our lack of control in midfield has been a concern for a long time.
Midfield provides the shield in front of defence and is the base from which most attacks are built.
Our midfield has done neither job well for too long.
I'd really like to see a 3 of cas ugarte and mainoo in order to solidify the middle of the pitch and give us a solid base to build from.
The manager picks the players for their roles in his midfield set up I just don't understand and can't see what their roles and positions are . It's very rare to see such an ineffective midfield with decent players.

{Ed077's Note - I think he was good (not great or brilliant, good) in the first half but as the game went on, still at 0-0, he was trying too hard to force it instead of just letting things happen naturally. Mind you he wasn't the only one guilty of that.

But also, could it have something to do with the Palace subs and them improving more in the 2nd half?

1.) 22 Sep 2024
22 Sep 2024 22:36:35
One stat says he lost possession 34 times yesterday. Has he had a good game this season? 1 assist?

He was okay in the first half perhaps, but then the whole team was excellent. Agreed, CP made adjustments and stifled us in the 2nd half, but solving that problem is what great footballers do. They don't just give the ball away every time they get it.

2.) 22 Sep 2024
22 Sep 2024 23:44:30
The conundrum, imo is how do you have a solid midfield with him as one of the 3?
Is there another way of getting him in the side?
I agree with Ed he is trying to make something happen too often too quickly, then we are all out of position when he does lose it. Perhaps we need to sacrifice his creativity and look to control the tempo of the game a bit more. I don't have the answer can only comment on what I see. Our attack is compromised until we have a solid midfield that can build off.

3.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 13:29:37
He is a big problem for Utd. He just gives the ball away too many times.

Shappy called it a while ago saying he would be better out wide, but then who do you drop?

4.) 23 Sep 2024
22 Sep 2024 21:11:19
ed077

I agree. I missed the games and watched the replay after reading how bad a game he had.
I did not see anything out of the ordinary bad from Bruno in the first half but as you said second half when we were chasing goal late he had a bit of stinker and was giving the ball away a lot.

That's Bruno though and he will try passes that are not there besides the really difficult stuff and ball retention and backing it out has never been his thing. Also nothing new in terms of his form being of this year, said that weeks ago.

I think the miss from Zirksee's pass was a big miss.

5.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 16:20:13
Not that they always show the true story but Brunos stats for creating chances and goals show he is by far and away our most effective creative force. Yes he can be wasteful and lose possession or misplace a pass or six but overall without him we would be very much worse off.

6.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 16:23:27
Mancman

Portugal play him deeper and he is not the guy who pulls the strings and its Vitinho and Bruno is not as wasteful in possession with them.

7.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 16:31:19
Salford the team can function better as a whole without him is the argument.

8.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 17:06:00
Exactly Tw. Rather than personal stat padding. The full midfield should be stat padding. He should have been phased out when Eriksen came 3 years ago.

9.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 18:40:46
Said we should have sold Bruno in summer. We can’t create or keep to a structure pattern when he is in the team. He gives the ball away all the time and puts us at serious risk too often. Yes there are the spectacular moments but we are unbalanced by him.

10.) 23 Sep 2024
23 Sep 2024 19:18:30
He is the best we have and not a prefect footballer by any means but then again far and few come that way. Until we get someone else that is as creative, we need him to turn his form around.

The team is clearly changing and Bruno does not need to try some of the stuff he does. Need him, rash, garna, hoiland, zirksee, amad all in decent form. It's long season and everyone will have a stinker here or there.

11.) 24 Sep 2024
24 Sep 2024 09:42:50
He is our most creative player that's for sure but that does not mean he is our best player. Far from it imo.
He has given the ball away this season more than any other midfield player in the epl and more than any other midfielder in the top 5 leagues in Europe.
This season so far his goals and assist tally is not making up for those mistakes.
At 30 he won't improve much if any, I was surprised we have him the new contract.

12.) 24 Sep 2024
24 Sep 2024 12:31:53
I have no idea who our best player actually is. We don't have a midfield general or a star striker, positions that tend to earn this tag. I'd have to say it is probably still Fernandes for me, but only really as no-one's quite risen to their peak in this young team. He does give the ball away an awful lot, but you need to allow the creative players the opportunity to try theses things. Sometimes they work, sometimes they don't. When more defensive players do this it tends to lead to conceding (re: Casemiro), thankfully it doesn't happen as much higher up the pitch.