- Bruno Fernandes has not scored a Premier League objective since again in November
- United have picked up of late however the Portuguese is not firing on all cylinders
- Mikel Arteta ‘does NOT belief everyone’ in his Arsenal squad as he refuses to rotate like Man City and Liverpool – Listen to the It’s All Kicking Off podcast
There is a powerful argument to be made that, on paper, Bruno Fernandes is clearly essentially the most proficient participant in Manchester United’s squad.
The United captain and skilled Portuguese worldwide is technically elegant, can rating in a fashion of the way, takes set-pieces and possesses loads of management qualities.
But there is additionally the shortage of tactical self-discipline which will get introduced up in conversations round Fernandes and now, struggling for kind and heading towards his worst scoring season in a United shirt, any deficiencies in his recreation are being magnified tenfold.
‘He’s emotional. He runs 30 yards to shut the goalkeeper down. People typically get kidded by it and say, “look at him working hard”. No, he is killing the workforce,’ Jamie Carragher mentioned earlier this yr.
That’s the criticism levelled towards Fernandes. In a bid to be Captain Fantastic he can develop into extra of a hindrance than a assist for United.
Now, with Rasmus Hojlund dealing with as much as three weeks out, United are going to want Fernandes to emerge from his malaise – he hasn’t scored within the league since November – and assist hold their prime 4 bid on observe.
‘Bruno Fernandes is clearly the perfect participant when it comes to expertise however he is in every single place,’ Gary Neville mentioned on the Overlap final month.
‘He have to be informed to go and do what you need. I do not see Ten Hag say to him, “get back in”. With Pep Guardiola, if a [Man City] participant performs out of place for a minute or two minutes [Guardiola and his coaches are] on the sideline saying, “get back into your position”.
‘Ten Hag is giving him the liberty to go there, there, there.
‘And meaning you can by no means have a mix or a sample since you’ve received your essential midfield participant in every single place on the pitch.’
Neville is not incorrect in his evaluation.
Fernandes does have a stage of freedom that is not afforded to No 10s at rival groups.
And that freedom, whereas it permits Fernandes to drift out to the left, his extra favoured aspect, or the appropriate, it typically opens a gaping gap that leaves Kobbie Mainoo and Casemiro behind him with an excessive amount of to do. That was a very obtrusive problem away at Luton.
‘For the nice gamers, it is of their head, understanding the place they should be,’ Carragher added.
‘[Kevin] De Bruyne is higher than Fernandes however when it comes to creating probabilities, Fernandes is not 1,000,000 miles from him.
‘I’ve seen [Fernades do this] beneath [former United boss Ole Gunnar] Solskjaer. It’s not being lazy, he is working in every single place with out the ball.’
One of the most important frustrations in current months with Fernandes has been his passing accuracy, with critics accusing him of forcing balls to attackers after they merely aren’t on.
At Luton it was his carelessness in possession that angered a few of the travelling help.
And of midfielders to have offered 5 or extra assists this season, solely Wolves’ Pablo Sarabia, West Ham’s Lucas Paqueta and Luton’s Alfie Doughty have a decrease passing accuracy than Fernandes this season.
Phil Foden (Man City), Martin Odegaard (Arsenal) and James Maddison (Tottenham) are all considerably outperforming him when it comes to taking care of the ball.
‘I do know since I arrived at the membership my numbers made myself a goal,’ Fernandes mentioned in November.
‘So not preserving the identical numbers on targets and assists is typically an issue for me within the criticism as a result of they’re going to take from there.’
When Fernandes arrived from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020 his numbers made him a revelation.
Inside his first 14 league video games he produced eight targets and seven assists. Now he is struggling and with out a objective in 13 matches.
With Hojlund sidelined towards Fulham, Manchester City, Everton and doubtlessly Sheffield United, there is now a better onus on Fernandes to contribute within the targets column.
His objective away to Fulham on November 4 was his final objective contribution within the Premier League, making it 13 video games and counting with out one because the Cottagers come to Old Trafford at the moment.
Scott McTominay has stepped up and been a objective menace, with his 4 targets in Fernandes’ drought together with the essential winner away to Aston Villa.
Alejandro Garnacho has additionally stepped up and been counted with 5 targets and three assists, however extra is going to be wanted from Fernandes each in assault and defence for United to navigate the subsequent month.
‘If you watch him [Bruno Fernandes] at worldwide stage, he does the identical [with floating around]. It can’t all be the coaches and managers,’ Roy Keane not too long ago informed the Stick to Football podcast.
‘There is a participant on the market and if he is doing all that stuff and producing magic, you virtually forgive him however for those who’re in a struggling workforce and you are doing all that stuff, that is the place it stands out and you go “you’re killing us, you’re costing us”.’
One factor that can be utilized in Fernandes’ defence is that his numbers may look loads totally different had United not began the season with such an anaemic assault.
The entire entrance line was struggling to muster a objective or an help for months and it was all whereas Fernandes created a collection of ‘Big Chances’.
In the Premier League this season no midfielder has created extra ‘Big Chances’ than the Portuguese playmaker’s 12. Odegaard additionally has 12 for Arsenal.
As for Expected Assists, Fernandes ranks second, solely behind Odegaard, who has been the shining instance within the No 10 place this season.
But now that United’s assault have discovered their taking pictures boots, United’s upturn has been regardless of Fernandes searching of types within the league.
‘First, he is our captain and I feel he typically provides the appropriate instance, by his perspective in coaching and in video games,’ Ten Hag mentioned in defence of his captain earlier this month.
‘He all the time brings the vitality for the workforce and, yeah, he is crucial for us, by creating probabilities. So it’s a pleasure to work with him. I hope he’ll play many extra years for Manchester United.’
One of the perfect issues Fernandes may do for United between now and the top of the season is assist deliver extra management to their play.
Too typically there was a franticness to his and the workforce’s play, and a lot of it is centred on a ragged midfield. That was actually the case away to Wolves and to Luton.
Missing Hojlund is a significant blow for the steadiness of the workforce however with Mainoo in kind Fernandes must attempt to fear much less about his personal stats and use his affect by being the midfield metronome that can assist see United navigate this striker-less storm.
Having simply 41 per cent of the ball at Luton is not a blueprint for achievement, even with United ultimately squeaking by it with a 2-1 win.
An various is to push Fernandes extensive to the appropriate, the place the place from he scored a shocking volley within the 1-0 win at Burnley earlier within the marketing campaign.
That would permit Scott McTominay to come back in and begin and add one other midfielder to the combination, one which has proven a better pure capability on the defensive aspect.
‘We have to manage our video games,’ he mentioned after the 3-3 draw at Galatasaray.
‘You need to be sensible sufficient and handle the sport higher. Everyone has to step up and take accountability for their very own errors.’
So he is aware of that it is an issue that has develop into a sample moderately than an anomaly and Fernandes is one of many gamers most accountable for bringing about change.
Shooting within the last phases at Luton gave new life to the Captain Fantastic criticism and the best factor he may do now is, moderately than put the complete workforce on his again, deliver a few calm and assist these round him flourish.
Do that and he’ll have his lick again.