An interesting article on Sky. Bit of a long read but interesting to hear other perspectives of it.
Gary Neville says Bruno Fernandes' freedom on the pitch is negatively impacting Manchester United's attacking play.
United may have hit the net twice against Tottenham on Sunday but only three teams have scored fewer goals than them in the Premier League this season.
Speaking on The Overlap, Sky Sports pundit Neville suggested the positioning of Portugal international Fernandes could be a key reason for Erik ten Hag's side's struggles in attack.
"Any team that is anything at all you see repeated patterns," said Neville. "Bruno Fernandes is obviously the best player in terms of talent but he's everywhere.
"He must be told to go and do what you want. I don't see Ten Hag say to him, 'get back in'. With Pep Guardiola, if a [Man City] player plays out of position for a minute or two minutes [Guardiola and his coaches are] on the sideline saying, 'get back into your position'.
"And that means you can never have a combination or a pattern because you've got your main midfield player everywhere on the pitch.
"It's almost a bit like 20 years ago where your No 10, you gave them licence to play. That's gone now. You have to fit within a combination and a pattern and system of attacking shape."
Former England and Manchester City women's team midfielder Jill Scott underlined the difference in structure between the Manchester rivals, pointing to how Kevin De Bruyne plays in a more contained position for the defending champions.
"[Fernandes] must have been given the freedom to go and add a number. But if you're playing in that team, it's so difficult if someone is doing that," she said.
"At City, how many players could do that? De Bruyne, [Phil] Foden could do it but they'd never be allowed. We played the same system from the men to the women's team to the academy and I could still tell you all the patterns now.
"You get a little bit of freedom but De Bruyne will operate mainly on that right side of the pitch, he's not running over to the left. Everything works together."
But does the issue go beyond coaching? Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher argued Fernandes' roaming has been a feature of his game throughout his time at the club - and is preventing him from being a truly great player.
"I used to describe [former Man Utd midfielder Paul] Pogba a bit like this... I think there's a difference between being a great talent and a great player," said Carragher.
"I think Pogba was a great talent but I don't think he was a great player. It's the same with Bruno Fernandes. For the great players, it's in their head, understanding where they need to be.
"De Bruyne is better than Fernandes but in terms of creating chances, Fernandes isn't a million miles from him.
"I've seen [Fernades do this] under [former United boss Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer. It's not being lazy, he's running everywhere without the ball.
"He's emotional. He runs 30 yards to close the goalkeeper down. People sometimes get kidded by it and say, 'look at him working hard'. No, he's killing the team."
Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane agreed and said the team's poor form overall is adding to the issue.
"If you watch him at international level, he does the same. It can't all be the coaches and managers," said Keane.
"If he's producing magic you forgive him but if you're in a struggling team and he's doing that stuff, that's where it stands out and you go, 'you're costing us'.
"I think it's a trait. It's not as if he's an inexperienced player. You'd get away with it if Manchester United were winning more matches and he was producing his magic."
Bruno
posted on 19/1/24
Just read the article. The first thing that came into my head was, surely it's up to the manager to sort this out and say to Bruno, I want you to do this or that. We don't know what ETH is saying to Bruno - let's face it, we barely know what ETH is trying to do with the team as a whole, because it's certainly not performing how he wants it to do.
I appreciate the 'Bruno is playing without responsibility and too much freedom' criticism, although I guess when you are playing in a struggling team that's not creating much, keeping that discipline is tougher than playing in a co-ordinated team that know clearly what they are doing.
I think being captain doesn't help Bruno one bit - he's too petulant to be captain and I don't think he responds to it on the pitch in the right way.
Bruno is not perfect by any means, but he's also an easy target. Both he and Rashford are 2 of our most talented players. It is ultimately up to ETH to get the best out of them - do we have the quality to replace them within the squad now?
I don't think ETH can really risk not regularly starting with Bruno and Rashford between now and the end of the season. I don't need stats to tell me that Bruno and Rashford haven't been on it this season. But ETH needs to show he can get the best out of just not those 2, but the rest of the squad also.
I know this article is about Bruno, but the more I think about it, I just feel we need a manager who can give clear instruction to the players and get the best out of them, because this one clearly can't
posted on 19/1/24
I take it, from the lack of comments against the idea, that we're all happy with the idea of trying Antony at No10 then?
posted on 19/1/24
Man Utd have an xG difference of -6.38(xG).
Only five Premier League teams have worse.
posted on 19/1/24
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 1 minute ago
I take it, from the lack of comments against the idea, that we're all happy with the idea of trying Antony at No10 then?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My honest opinion is that there's nothing I have seen from Antony to make me think he can be a top player, whereas I have seen good levels from Bruno and Rashford previously, and enough glimpses from Garnacho and Mainoo, still have high hopes for Hojlund.
I just don't get that same feeling for Antony, wherever you play him. I assume he has always played as a wideman, but who knows, maybe he does need to play more centrally.
Given the money we have paid for him, i guess we should try anything, but does ETH feel that way
posted on 19/1/24
comment by Lucious Lyon (U11781)
posted 4 minutes ago
Man Utd have an xG difference of -6.38(xG).
Only five Premier League teams have worse.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It is bewildering this argument for him to be part of the starting 11 as he is this good creator. What exactly is he creating if not mess
posted on 19/1/24
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 1 minute ago
I take it, from the lack of comments against the idea, that we're all happy with the idea of trying Antony at No10 then?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My honest opinion is that there's nothing I have seen from Antony to make me think he can be a top player, whereas I have seen good levels from Bruno and Rashford previously, and enough glimpses from Garnacho and Mainoo, still have high hopes for Hojlund.
I just don't get that same feeling for Antony, wherever you play him. I assume he has always played as a wideman, but who knows, maybe he does need to play more centrally.
Given the money we have paid for him, i guess we should try anything, but does ETH feel that way
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm only joking really with Antony as I think he's too slow to be a wide man in this current United team. What I think he does do well is work hard and follow instruction, even if he is too safe at times.
I do feel for him a bit as the fee isn't his fault at all even if it was pretty crazy.
Like a lot of our squad though I think they're better than they're showing but it's all a bit of a mess at present isn't it. From memory from last season even if Antony wasn't spectacular I do think he was often part of our better performances.
posted on 19/1/24
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 1 minute ago
I take it, from the lack of comments against the idea, that we're all happy with the idea of trying Antony at No10 then?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My honest opinion is that there's nothing I have seen from Antony to make me think he can be a top player, whereas I have seen good levels from Bruno and Rashford previously, and enough glimpses from Garnacho and Mainoo, still have high hopes for Hojlund.
I just don't get that same feeling for Antony, wherever you play him. I assume he has always played as a wideman, but who knows, maybe he does need to play more centrally.
Given the money we have paid for him, i guess we should try anything, but does ETH feel that way
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm only joking really with Antony as I think he's too slow to be a wide man in this current United team. What I think he does do well is work hard and follow instruction, even if he is too safe at times.
I do feel for him a bit as the fee isn't his fault at all even if it was pretty crazy.
Like a lot of our squad though I think they're better than they're showing but it's all a bit of a mess at present isn't it. From memory from last season even if Antony wasn't spectacular I do think he was often part of our better performances.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Honestly, and I'm not having a go at you, but when you're saying the player works hard and follows instruction, rather than he's great at dribbling / crossing / shooting / creating space etc etc, i just know we haven't got a great player.
I agree the fee wasn't his fault, but he looks nowhere near capable of producing top quality performances. The occasional decent goal, and he wasn't too bad last season, but just like ETH doesn't give me a feel that he can do this job, so does Antony. Maybe they will be both back at Ajax next season.
But the buck rests with ETH ultimately, and it's not just good enough
posted on 19/1/24
comment by RB&W - One man down, One nil up (U21434)
posted 1 hour, 20 minutes ago
Let me give you 5 stars seeing as I am not part of the idiots that run to give articles 1 stars.
+++
There are quite a few articles posted on here that actually warrant just 1 star. Thats if you think receiving stars on here is important. Personally Ive never allocated any stars to any article on here.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bang on. I’ve written articles within 1 minute 1 star galore. Comedy to know that the harmless back and forth here gets to people 🤣🤣
posted on 19/1/24
comment by Lucious Lyon (U11781)
posted 37 minutes ago
Man Utd have an xG difference of -6.38(xG).
Only five Premier League teams have worse.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bruno’s contributed to 1.93 of that. And 3.68 of it is just from chances Bruno has created. We don’t create enough but our finishing is also shiiiiite. Bruno’s regression here has also been quite noticeable since his first year and a half.
posted on 19/1/24
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 43 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 7 minutes ago
comment by kinsang (U3346)
posted 2 minutes ago
comment by Diafol Coch 77 🏴 (U2462)
posted 1 minute ago
I take it, from the lack of comments against the idea, that we're all happy with the idea of trying Antony at No10 then?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
My honest opinion is that there's nothing I have seen from Antony to make me think he can be a top player, whereas I have seen good levels from Bruno and Rashford previously, and enough glimpses from Garnacho and Mainoo, still have high hopes for Hojlund.
I just don't get that same feeling for Antony, wherever you play him. I assume he has always played as a wideman, but who knows, maybe he does need to play more centrally.
Given the money we have paid for him, i guess we should try anything, but does ETH feel that way
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm only joking really with Antony as I think he's too slow to be a wide man in this current United team. What I think he does do well is work hard and follow instruction, even if he is too safe at times.
I do feel for him a bit as the fee isn't his fault at all even if it was pretty crazy.
Like a lot of our squad though I think they're better than they're showing but it's all a bit of a mess at present isn't it. From memory from last season even if Antony wasn't spectacular I do think he was often part of our better performances.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Honestly, and I'm not having a go at you, but when you're saying the player works hard and follows instruction, rather than he's great at dribbling / crossing / shooting / creating space etc etc, i just know we haven't got a great player.
I agree the fee wasn't his fault, but he looks nowhere near capable of producing top quality performances. The occasional decent goal, and he wasn't too bad last season, but just like ETH doesn't give me a feel that he can do this job, so does Antony. Maybe they will be both back at Ajax next season.
But the buck rests with ETH ultimately, and it's not just good enough
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It's ok. I realise the bar is low when the qualities I list include working hard and following instruction! It's just that doing that is better than what some produce!