Do you think we would've done better or worse with Bruno in the side v lpool?

It's honestly the flip of the coin with Bruno as to how he will play

However, if it forced Ten Hag into playing an actual midfield then yes it contributed to our clean sheet

Swings and roundabouts

Bruno takes possession - gives the ball away

Scotty doesn’t take possession because he can’t control it

Both about equally capable/or not, of scoring

Originally Posted by Denis Irwell

Swings and roundabouts

Bruno takes possession - gives the ball away

Scotty doesn’t take possession because he can’t control it

Both about equally capable/or not, of scoring

Think Bruno might be a bit better at scoring and assisting than The Scottish Player.

It’s a weird one. We’d probably have been both more likely to lose and more likely to win.

Chances are the beardy dick would’ve given away stupid passes under no pressure and make it harder for the defence to remain organised.

At the same time, he’d have been far more likely than The Scottish Player to produce a piece of magic to pinch us the points.

Only thing I’m sure of is that it wouldn’t have been 0-0.

Ole got the best out of Bruno because he freed him. It's a sin playing Bruno in midfield and expecting him to do work. The guy is one of the most creative players ever but because he'll do any job he's made fill in at stuff he shouldn't be doing.

Originally Posted by armchair

Ole got the best out of Bruno because he freed him. It's a sin playing Bruno in midfield and expecting him to do work. The guy is one of the most creative players ever but because he'll do any job he's made fill in at stuff he shouldn't be doing.

That’s not unfair.

He thrived on chaos. But while he’s a tantrum waiting to happen, he’s also one of the few you know will put his heart into any job he’s asked to do.

Originally Posted by Dacter

That’s not unfair.

He thrived on chaos. But while he’s a tantrum waiting to happen, he’s also one of the few you know will put his heart into any job he’s asked to do.

Schrodinger's captain.

Originally Posted by atticusgrinch

Think Bruno might be a bit better at scoring and assisting than The Scottish Player.

Oh, probably but the way everyone moans about him (they moan more than he does) Suppose I’m getting sidetracked with the possession obsession. McT has had a decent scoring run but he was largely invisible the other day. Bruno can be frustrating even if he is, and has been our most effective player since he arrived but still frustrating. I suppose he is more visible and involved whereas the other £#%&!er isn’t.

You’ve changed my mind for me.

Originally Posted by pedr0

Bruno instead of mainoo, we'd have lost

sadly, this is the truth. no way 10h drops The Scottish Player, the crazy dutch bastard.

Depends whether you think that game needed creativity or discipline.

Bruno needs a free role to really hurt teams. He's intelligent enough to drop deep when needed, push on when there's space etc... But playing him as a standard CM is killing him. It's not him and it isn't helping us.

If we can't give him a free role, there's no point in him playing. EtH has to try him with Mainoo and Amrabat and see what happens. There's no point in seeing him alongside The Scottish Player again with Amrabat or Mainoo, we know what happens.

If he played instead of The Scottish Player we'd have been at least as good as we were on Sunday. Perhaps he would have done something special and won the match for us. If he was instead of Mainoo or Amrabat we would have probably lost.

To get the best out of Bruno the whole side needs to be built around him with him as a no10 with licence to roam. If we’re not doing that then we should move him on.

Originally Posted by Lok

Bruno needs a free role to really hurt teams. He's intelligent enough to drop deep when needed, push on when there's space etc... But playing him as a standard CM is killing him. It's not him and it isn't helping us.

If we can't give him a free role, there's no point in him playing. EtH has to try him with Mainoo and Amrabat and see what happens. There's no point in seeing him alongside The Scottish Player again with Amrabat or Mainoo, we know what happens.

If he played instead of The Scottish Player we'd have been at least as good as we were on Sunday. Perhaps he would have done something special and won the match for us. If he was instead of Mainoo or Amrabat we would have probably lost.

Switch him for The Scottish Player and tell him to play as a supporting striker role.

Get the ball to him in the final third and he’s dangerous. If he loses the ball there no biggie. I want players to take risks in the final third .

It’s when he decides to come deep or stupidly plays the wrong ball when we have just recovered the ball is when he’s most frustrating. He is a much better player than he has shown this season. One of the few in the team who actually has the ability to put in a good cross or through ball.

For him to have that role though he does need two midfielders in much more of a strict position . Our CM roam and move around too much which leave big gaps for when the ball is lost. Too many times this season he’s had to make a 50 yard run back to recover the ball.

Probably need to be a bit more pragmatic, lose the man marking in the center of the pitch and get two CMs developing a partnership. Mainoo seems to have taken one spot. Right now Amrabat has the second spot but when (if) Casemiro comes back soon if you can get Mainoo and Casemiro play a more rigid central game it will unlock Bruno.

Playing risky balls when you’ve just recovered the ball is exactly how Ten Hag wants us to play though, it’s when you can do the most damage, before the opposition has time to set back into their defensive system.

So of course you’re going to give the ball away some times in those circumstances. We’re actually pretty good at it as a team, and Bruno certainly is, it’s the later phases that let us down more than anything. Our decision making in the final quarter of the pitch is horrific.

Originally Posted by Ethers

Playing risky balls when you’ve just recovered the ball is exactly how Ten Hag wants us to play though, it’s when you can do the most damage, before the opposition has time to set back into their defensive system.

So of course you’re going to give the ball away some times in those circumstances. We’re actually pretty good at it as a team, and Bruno certainly is, it’s the later phases that let us down more than anything. Our decision making in the final quarter of the pitch is horrific.

This makes sense high up the pitch but how in your own defensive third.

It’s all well and good when you have the players with the ability. We give the ball away way too often .obviously it will happen, I’m not expecting them to cut it out where they never give the ball away after a recovery. But most games this season we have been under a lot pressure.

When you’re in those games under pressure ,where the opposition look like they will score any minute, you need to take the sting out sometimes. Hold the ball a bit better.

Too many times we have conceded quickly from our own players giving the ball away.

Originally Posted by Ethers

Playing risky balls when you’ve just recovered the ball is exactly how Ten Hag wants us to play though.

I’m sure it’s more nuanced than that though. When under sustained pressure it’s not always wise to keep doing this. It absolutely knackers the midfield.

Yep I guess it depends on the team you’ve got around you and also the % of times the risky pass is gonna hit the mark.

Eric was similar but had Keane/Ince//Butty et al behind him.

We’ve got Scotty McScotMcScottinay and Rashers watching the shop when Bruno goes awol. Basically he’s a luxury we can’t afford right now.

Originally Posted by Stickman

I’m sure it’s more nuanced than that though. When under sustained pressure it’s not always wise to keep doing this. It absolutely knackers the midfield.

Yeah obviously that’s an over-simplification, and you’d hope that they’re able to learn the best moments to try it, and when it’s better to slow things down and keep the ball.

Just don’t think it’s fair to single him out for doing that and losing the ball when it’s definitely a feature of our system.

Originally Posted by Ethers

Yeah obviously that’s an over-simplification, and you’d hope that they’re able to learn the best moments to try it, and when it’s better to slow things down and keep the ball.

Just don’t think it’s fair to single him out for doing that and losing the ball when it’s definitely a feature of our system.

The whole team does it. There’s no singling out, it’s a thread about Bruno Fernandes.

I was just making the point in the current climate I much prefer him to be as higher up the pitch as he can.

Ridiculous to say we wouldn't have done better with better players.

However, The Scottish Player was extremely useful for defensive corners, and they had alot of them