Chapter 478: Pre-Season Skirmish
Bruno had no intention of disrespecting Mourinho; he genuinely felt that the team's tactics were too conservative, which severely restricted the attacking power and creativity of the midfield and forward lines.
Mourinho is inherently a defensive-minded coach, known for his expertise in organizing defenses. Coaching the attack has never been his strong suit. Last season, although Manchester United scored 174 goals across all competitions, setting a new club record for goals in a single season, and often won matches by large margins, it was mostly due to Bruno's individual brilliance.
To illustrate, Bruno contributed 58 goals and 32 assists last season, directly accounting for 90 goals, more than half of United's total. In the Premier League alone, United scored 96 goals, with Bruno scoring 38 and assisting 21, accounting for 61.4% of their goals.
While this was an impressive individual performance for Bruno, it was not a sustainable strategy for the team as a whole. Bruno couldn't consistently maintain such high performance and continue dominating in the Premier League.
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In fact, from the second half of last season, Premier League teams began figuring out ways to contain Bruno, evident from his drop in stats. In the first half of the season, Bruno set a record by scoring in 18 consecutive Premier League games. His first-half tally was 27 goals and 12 assists, with no games without either a goal or an assist.
However, starting in 2017, as teams became more familiar with Bruno's playstyle, they managed to limit his impact. His second-half stats fell to 11 goals and 9 assists in 19 games, nearly halving his previous tally.
During this period, Bruno experienced a five-game goal drought and another three-game goal drought, and he had nine matches with no goals or assists. As Bruno's performance declined, United's results also dipped in the latter half of the season. They ended the first half with a record 18 wins and 1 loss but managed only 12 wins, 5 draws, and 2 losses in the second half, 13 points fewer than in the first half.
Had it not been for their substantial first-half advantage, they might not have won the Premier League title.
In professional football, if you don't evolve, your opponents will, and you will fall behind. Thus, continuous improvement and adaptation are necessary.
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"Our three-man midfield places too much pressure on me. I have to organize the midfield, assist the attack, and often drop back to retrieve the ball. This is especially challenging as our opponents increasingly focus on us."
"N'Golo is a reliable defensive midfielder. His defensive range is vast, his tackling and intercepting success rates are high, and he is physically strong. Importantly, his passing ability is also rapidly improving."
Fans often see Kante as a pure defensive midfielder, but this underestimates him significantly.
When Kante first emerged, he relied on his defensive prowess. However, since his time at Udinese, Guidolin has been developing Kante's offensive skills. During his stint at Leicester under Ranieri, Kante's attacking abilities were further honed.
Last season at United, Kante's defensive stats were impressive, with a pass completion rate over 90%, showing he was a reliable deep-lying playmaker. Furthermore, Kante was only dribbled past an average of 0.7 times per match, meaning it took three games for opponents to bypass him twice. This is a rare statistic in European football.
Kante's impact on United's defense was immediate. Since the 2010s, United had never conceded fewer than 30 goals in a season, but with Kante's arrival, that number dropped to 27 last season.
Given Kante's characteristics and strengths, Bruno believed United should further unleash their midfield's potential instead of sticking to the previous double-pivot system.
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"Gundogan is versatile; whether placed forward or deeper, he offers strong defensive capabilities. Additionally, his technical skills and fine ball control can initiate attacks from deep. His forward drives with the ball are an underutilized asset."
"Moreover, his physicality complements his technical abilities. I have observed him handling the ball at the edge of the penalty area with remarkable composure and effectiveness."
Mourinho and Faria understood Bruno's point.
Faria, particularly inspired, exclaimed, "I think this is feasible."
Bruno suggested revitalizing the midfield's attacking potential.
Gundogan is not a defensive midfielder. Copying last season's tactics would pose issues, but deploying him as a box-to-box midfielder would enhance the attack.
Ibrahimović, as a high center-forward, could dominate the penalty area, freeing Rashford to exploit the flanks and half-spaces. Lingard could support him.
Bruno would organize and distribute, while Gundogan would push forward from deep, adding unpredictability to United's attacks. With Cancelo and Luke Shaw on the flanks, United's offensive problems could be effectively addressed.
Of course, if the club could finalize the transfers of Harry Kane and Mbappé, United's attacking prowess would be even more formidable.
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"But what about our defense?" Mourinho frowned.
He is, after all, a defense-oriented coach, which is his hallmark.
"Our strength lies in pressing high up the pitch. As long as the players maintain a high level of coordination and tactical discipline, our defense should hold," said new team captain Michael Carrick.
With a new approach, many issues could be resolved smoothly.
United's forwards, including Ibrahimović, Bruno, and Lingard, are highly disciplined and hardworking. If the team's tactics press higher up the pitch, United's counter-pressing ability in the midfield and attacking third would improve.
In the end, the coaching staff didn't make any concrete decisions but agreed to experiment with the new ideas. The next day, in team training, they implemented Bruno's suggestions in practice matches, allowing Gundogan to take on more offensive duties.
This change activated Gundogan's potential in midfield. The German midfielder played with increased threat, making several impressive runs from deep, validating Bruno's earlier observations.
Players also communicated and coordinated their on-field interactions, especially Gundogan and Bruno.
Everyone knew United's squad had the talent. Winning the title last season proved their strength, and this season they were even more experienced and mature.
The challenge now was to unlock the team's attacking potential.
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With only ten days between the International Champions Cup and the Community Shield, United conducted some tactical experiments but did not fully prepare. Therefore, Mourinho ultimately did not adopt Bruno's proposed new tactics.
The Community Shield, the traditional curtain-raiser for the Premier League season, was held at the new Wembley Stadium.
Since United won both the Premier League and FA Cup last season, they faced the league runners-up, Chelsea, in the Community Shield.
After narrowly missing out on the Premier League title last season, Chelsea, backed by owner Roman Abramovich, made significant investments, bringing in Lukaku, Bakayoko, Rüdiger, Zappacosta, and Caballero to mount a fresh challenge.
However, with many new signings, team cohesion could be an issue.
Chelsea manager Conte continued with his 3-4-3 formation. The defense featured Azpilicueta, David Luiz, and Gary Cahill. In midfield, Matic and Fabregas partnered on the wings with Moses and Marcos Alonso. Up front, Willian, Batshuayi, and Pedro formed the attacking trio. None of the new signings started the match.
For United, Mourinho also opted for a cautious lineup.
With a shortage of forwards, Mourinho deployed a front three of Lingard, Rashford, and Bruno. In midfield, Mata played behind the forwards, with Herrera and Kante as the double pivot. The defense consisted of Valencia, Smalling, Maguire, and Luke Shaw, with De Gea in goal.
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The match began with both sides playing intensely. In the first 20 minutes, Lingard and Alonso received yellow cards, indicating the competitive nature of the game.
United faced the familiar problem of Bruno not being fully in form, seeming unenergetic and tightly marked by the opposition, resulting in a lackluster attack.
With only Mata in midfield, it was challenging to control the game. While the Herrera-Kante partnership secured the defense, the attack struggled to break through.
This stalemate persisted throughout the first half, ending in a 0-0 draw, with neither side managing to score.
(End of Chapter)
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