Bruno

[Jammy89]

Obviously played great and love seeing him on the score sheet again.

However, what it highlighted is his obvious skill at playing further forward.

We need to get a proper defensive midfielder to stick behind him and let him shine.

Is that meant to be Tonali? Or is he the like for like with Bruno for rotational purposes.

[toptoon]

Tonali doesn’t look like a DM to me. Bruno can do it all but, I agree, he’s best for us further forward. I guess this is the thinking hence the link to Phillips.
Still no sign of Schar at DM with BDB filling in at CB……!

[toonozandy]

Tonali is a defensive midfielder for Italy, so Bruno could push forward more if Tonali had not been banned. Bring on the FA CUP and next season.

[HughieG]

Still no sign of Schar at DM with BDB filling in at CB……!

Would love to see this.

[HughieG]

Tonali is a defensive midfielder for Italy, so Bruno could push forward more if Tonali had not been banned. Bring on the FA CUP and next season.

It’s fair to say that Tonali can do it all as well. Most knowers describe him as a mix between Pirlo and Gattuso as he is just as skilled going forward as he is in the defensive part of the game. So it would be a shame to look at him purely as a holding/ball-winning midfielder, but I agree that he should be positioned at 6/DM as a point of departure.

[Nufcian]

It’s fair to say that Tonali can do it all as well. Most knowers describe him as a mix between Pirlo and Gattuso as he is just as skilled going forward as he is in the defensive part of the game. So it would be a shame to look at him purely as a holding/ball-winning midfielder, but I agree that he should be positioned at 6/DM as a point of departure.

Agreed, he looks like another Bruno (or did in the little time we got to see him), but his play against Villa first game of the season was box to box.

I think that might be why midfield balance looked off for most of the time he did play… with Bruno / Tonali / Big Jo all looking to go forward and all looking to defend it was never clear who should do what… a bigger Gerrard/Lampard problem?… so it never looked like Howe has a clear No 6 role for Tonali while he played.

[Nufcian]

Also, just to add, as long as the players in the middle know who is gonna play the role at the time and the communication is good, we could use that really well and confuse opponents with who moves more forward and who keeps having to get back more in mind when we have the ball… but will take time to develop that understanding and all the players being available.

[Zippity]

Also, just to add, as long as the players in the middle know who is gonna play the role at the time and the communication is good, we could use that really well and confuse opponents with who moves more forward and who keeps having to get back more in mind when we have the ball… but will take time to develop that understanding and all the players being available.

Aye, I got the impression that Tonali had been bouught so that we could have two Brunos, in a way. When Bruno doesn't play, we don't win and I think Tonali was brought in, in part, to remedy that but also so that he could swap positions with Bruno during games, making it harder to work out what we were doing.

As Ian says, thiis will take time and it was us who looked more confused at the outset but, with the quality of the two players, you'd think it will work in time. Plus, with what must have been going on in his head at the time, other than the adrenalin-fuelled debut, it's no wonder we didn't see the best of him.

[Sclox]

Aye, both are complete midfielders which means both can create and roll their sleeves up depending on circumstance, communication and gameplan.

[Guybrush]

The other obvious about Bruno pushing further up the field is that it’s taken the yellow cards out of his game… and it stops him losing the back so deep in our half!

I know he scored 2 yesterday, but his finishing for me is still suspect… but maybe he needs that more advanced role giving him less time to think before he takes a shot.