1 month ago
1 No two ways about, Bruno Fernandes is now the heartbeat of Manchester United.
The Portuguese midfielder followed a match-winning performance against West Brom in the Premier League with an inspired two-goal showing in the Champions League against Istanbul Basaksehir.
Fernandes was the star of the show again for United as they beat Istanbul BasaksehirAFP or licensorsFernandes caught they eye with his professionalism and leadership too, opting to relinquish the chance of a first-half hat-trick and instead choosing to hand teammate Marcus Rashford a penalty.
With the Red Devils looking comfortable and leading 2-0, he decided he’d rather keep the English forward’s confidence flowing and help him in his quest to be the Champions League’s top scorer in 2020/21.
Rashford repaid him with his fifth European strike, extending United’s lead to three goals and effectively putting the game beyond their Turkish opponents.
Asked if he was feeling charitable, Fernandes said: “No, that wasn’t the point.
“Every player wants to do a hat-trick, you know, but after the game in the Premier League [against West Brom] I told Rashy the next one he will take so I remembered that.
“And also because Rashy is one of the top scorers in the Champions League I think it will be important for him to keep going there and take on that confidence.
“As I said, it doesn’t matter who takes the penalty, the most important thing is scoring and the team scores. When the team scores, I score.”
Fernandes has been a class act for UnitedGetty ImagesIt was a calculated risk from Fernandes, Rashford misses and he takes the heat for handing it over. But with Rashford scoring they both earned plaudits and pumped the Red Devils with a little more confidence as they continue to turn their season around.
The 26-year-old is a natural gambler too. In the Premier League he has been shooting, on average, from 25.7 yards out this campaign, while it was 23 yards last season.
And while his playmaking skills are not in doubt, he’s played 11.4 inaccurate short passes per game, often tricky ones into the forwards as he looks for another assist to be chalked up against his name.
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand questioned his leadership skills prior to the win over Istanbul Basaksehir, citing some sloppy passing.
Ferdinand isn’t sure Fernandes is the leader United needHe told BT Sport: “We were there the other day watching this game [West Brom]. It’s not just about Ole [Gunnar Solskjaer] on the sidelines, or Mike Phelan or Michael Carrick talking on the sidelines, but sometimes you need a player.
“Bruno, who you don’t mind giving the ball away because he is the creative spark right, but he gave the ball away very cheaply probably about four times before half-time.
“I am sitting there looking around the team thinking who is going to be on to him? Who is going to be telling him? I would have been screaming.”
Fernandes got the winner from the spot against West BromAFP or LicensorsFerdinand made the caveat about his creativity but even so, it bears repeating, a player at the focal point of United’s side will give away the ball cheaply on occasion simply because of his role.
Take away his risk taking nature and you will blunt a team in serious need of his spark and invention.
It should be felt, rather than needing someone to pull him up on the odd errant pass, which will no doubt irk the player anyway given his high standards, Fernandes acts as a leader on the field thanks to his irrepressible front-foot play.
His fervent want of the ball, his progressive passing, not to mention his carries, set the wheels in motion for a side who prior to his arrival were positively pedestrian.
United players all seem to love FernandesgettyTeammate Diogo Dalot, currently on loan at AC Milan, knew exactly what United were getting and how much of an impact he would have.
He said of Fernandes back in March: “He’s a top guy, a top player. He is going to be legend. He’s unbelievable, he can be better of course as well. He’s going to learn a lot from this club.
“I think he is a massive player to have in this team and he’s going to be a very good player for this club. He’s going to be [a legend], no doubt about that.
“He was the captain at Sporting, of course he’s an experienced player as well, 25 years old, he’s played in Italy, he played in Portugal as well. He knows what he is doing. It’s going to be very good for him.”
Meanwhile, in contrast to Ferdinand, fellow Red Devils great Gary Neville believes in interviews Fernandes shows the characteristics needed.
“When he speaks, he speaks like a Manchester United player, he speaks like a Manchester United captain,” said the player-turned-pundit.
He’s been given the seal of approval by the Roy Keane, too – the notoriously hard to please former United skipper.
“He seems a very good personality,” he declared. “He’s got a little bit of arrogance about him.”
Fernandes is vital to everything Man United do on the pitchAFP or licensorsForget needing a leader to admonish his teammates, allowing Fernandes to play with the shackles off is the perfect way to inspire a Red Devils unit which, in the rare moment he hasn’t played, have looked stodgy.
United may have won 5-0 against RB Leipzig without him starting but it doesn’t take a genius to spot the link between his arrival on the pitch when the score was 1-0 as a substitute and the subsequent final.
He made three shot creating actions, one of the last two actions before a goal, and two results in goals, while one was an assist, and he also managed a shot on goal too.
All of that in just 10 completed passes.
Leaders aren’t just vocal, they inspire with their actions and if anyone can be tasked with doing that it’s Fernandes.
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