Bonucci's long balls were Godlike, it was the one aspect of his game that made him unique as a defender and made him a world beater. His finishing skills come a close second.
I hate it that he's left but I'm not biased enough to not respect his ability now that he plays for a rival.
I completely agree. On the defensive side i think we will be just fine. And the importance of having a defender as great as Bonucci on the ball is of less magnitude in our "new" formation, especially when we have a midfielder like Pjanic and now several offensive outlets + a fullback (maybe two at the end of the mercato?) who can bring the ball forward. The way we distribute when initiating attacks will be different from seasons ago, but that is not a problem - as long as the quality is there, you can achieve succes in more than one way. I don't see our other defenders being a new Bonucci, but i think they are all fine at playing the ball, just keeping it more simple. Also, Benatia and Rugani seem to be real threats on set pieces, while we all know Chiellini will occasionally find the net aswell.
Bonucci was great, but life goes on. Hold nothing against him, but won't be cheering for him. Will rather spend my energy being excited about our new team.