Bruno Fernandes | Match Discussion Thread 2023/24

[justintime]

Its infuriating we start a counter attack, someone passes the ball to Rashford and he thinks he`s mint by putting his foot on the ball and stands still which allows the oppositions defence to re organise and we lose all momentum.

Exactly and it happens all the time. Look at how many times he tries to make a shot with his right foot and they close everything down and our players in the box gets marked out and the space goes away. ETH does not seem to see it or care about it. Once or twice I would understand what it happens all the time.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

Fantastic strike for the goal. Top performance.

 

[Justin Cider]

And to think a significant % of our fans want him gone, deary me, 142 goal involvements(G/A), and counting, since he joined the club .....

 

[Mr C]

And to think a significant % of our fans want him gone, deary me, 142 goal involvements(G/A), and counting, since he joined the club .....

good on him for turning up against botton of the league Sheffield United

but yes, he did play really well last night

 

[jsp]

His form dipped during the season and he was playing poorly but in the last few months we've seen more of the good Bruno than the bad Bruno.

Cracking strike on his weaker foot, you can see his confidence in his long range shooting returning and it's good to see.

 

[SuperRash]

He’s a brilliant player on his day but over the last season or two we haven’t seen the very best of him. The last few weeks though he has pulled us through like a captain should when the chips are down.

He will always have that moany streak to him and in the bad times that looks really bad on him personally. I think he does get frustrated with the players around him and rightly so.

Put him in a better functioning team and he will be dynamite again.

 

[justintime]

That was a worldie. And so was his hook for the Rasmus goal. Not many of our players would do that. I get angry when I saw other teams work their socks off for their team mates while some of our players are too selfish.

 

[Justin Cider]

Put Bruno in that Liverpool team when Salah, Firmino and Mane were doing their thing a few years back and he would've smashed all Premier League records for G/A in a season for a midfielder ...

Still got a staggering record though.

 

[Mr C]

Bruno needs a decent CM and back 4 to let him get away with what he does.

 

[jsp]

It’s a bit of a chicken and egg argument.

If he had better players around him in more of a structure would he play a more disciplined role or is he just always going to try and do everything? We may never know.

When he plays for Portugal he seems to play more of a team role as he probably doesn’t feel the need to do everything.

 

[justintime]

It’s a bit of a chicken and egg argument.

If he had better players around him in more of a structure would he play a more disciplined role or is he just always going to try and do everything? We may never know.

When he plays for Portugal he seems to play more of a team role as he probably doesn’t feel the need to do everything.

I do not think most of our players have a footballing brain. Obviously a few like Casemiro, Eriksen do but a lot of them do not seem to think about the game while it is going on. ETH was screaming at the end at Garnacho to come into the middle against Liverpool as so much space was there and it was the last minute of ET. But it also to the manager to teach them. I remember a Cruijff interview where he said that you teach players what they do not know.

He told you that you were playing badly because you were running too much. You had to send the ball where you wanted it to go and not to run after it. Lionel Messi is the player who runs the least and in that he was Cruyff's best pupil. He told you completely the opposite to what you had always learned.”

This is where I think Bruno has a major problem.

 

[IDFD]

Two games without Bruno and we've failed to score in both of them. Not really created a chance. As I said people will notice his importance to the team when he's not around.

We hadn't failed to score in any of the previous 21 games with Bruno playing.

 

[justintime]

Two games without Bruno and we've failed to score in both of them. Not really created a chance. As I said people will notice his importance to the team when he's not around.

We hadn't failed to score in any of the previous 21 games with Bruno playing.

He is a very good individual player and he works very hard but his roaming was creating a lot of issues that United face. Of course his replacements right now at United are not as good as him but his lack of discipline causes too many problems.

 

[jsp]

I don't think these two thing are exact sciences but we are obviously a better team with him than we are without him.

Bruno not being on the pitch didn't cause Hojlund to slip over and miss the 1 good chance we managed to create against the best defence in the league this season in the last game.

For what it's worth I reckon that Palace horror show happens with Bruno on the pitch what went wrong on that day wouldn't have been solved by Bruno.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

It’s like comparing apples and bananas when McTominay is Fernandes’ replacement.

 

[justintime]

This is where ETH's inflexibility comes into play. For the life of me I do not know why he gets Bruno to go on to the wings to shut down players with the midfield wide open in spaces he vacates.

 

[Mr C]

We've had more possession without Bruno in the team.

I think we looked a much better TEAM on Sunday.

 

[jsp]

It's such a small sample size that it's pointless jumping to conclusions either way based on any numbers.

 

[IDFD]

Goal draught over. Just a coincidence.

 

[IDFD]

We've had more possession without Bruno in the team.

I think we looked a much better TEAM on Sunday.

We really didn't look a much better team we didn't create a single chance. You think we looked better on Monday or Sunday than today?

We also didn't have a lot more possession. We average 53% and we had 55% whilst being 4-0 down. Losing 1-0 and having no teams come at us.

We are without a doubt a better team with Bruno in the side. He's the only player we have that can pick that pass.

 

[jsp]

He played well in the false 9 role tonight I think he will start in that position in the cup final.

 

[IDFD]

He played well in the false 9 role tonight I think he will start in that position in the cup final.

Can't see that. He'll play as a proper 10 though. Hojlund definitely starts the final.

Think you can name the starting FA Cup side now.

Onana

AWB Evans Martinez Dalot

Casemiro Mainoo

Garnacho Bruno Rashford

Hojlund

Unfortunately. I would have a different side but think that's 100% what we will go with.

 

[jsp]

Can't see that. He'll play as a proper 10 though. Hojlund definitely starts the final.

Think you can name the starting FA Cup side now.

Onana

AWB Evans Martinez Dalot

Casemiro Mainoo

Garnacho Bruno Rashford

Hojlund

Unfortunately. I would have a different side but think that's 100% what we will go with.

I think he might hold Hojlund back as his impact sub bit like he did with Garnacho last season, his back to goal game isn’t good enough to play that lone role against City yet in my opinion.

Doesnt look like Shaw will make it back so back 4 will be that I think it’ll be Casemiro and Amrabat in midfield with Mainoo as an 3 and Bruno as a false 9. A big job for him will be stopping the passes into Rodri.

 

[Sideshow Bob]

He was class and a joy to watch.

 

[Justin Cider]

Played so well, obviously playing to get away!

 

[IDFD]

Sky Sports put up our stats without Bruno since the start of the 22/23 season yesterday.

We've played 8 without Bruno. Won 2. (Both in the league cup) Lost 5. Scored 4.

 

[RichH2016]

He was superb yesterday. Created openings and chances. Was involved in all attacks and probably deserved a goal.