Bruno Fernandes: One of the few bright sparks of a dull team – Man United News And Transfer News

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Bruno Fernandes attracts criticism like honey pulls in flies. The Portugal international has his flaws like any player does, but it is far too often forgotten what an important player he is for the Red Devils.

SkySports pundit Jamie Carragher recently asserted that “I think Pogba was a great talent but I don’t think he was a great player. It’s the same with Bruno Fernandes. For the great players, it’s in their head, understanding where they need to be”.

Fellow pundit Roy Keane corroborated such views by claiming that Bruno has also been struggling to stay in position for Portugal by asserting, “if you watch him at international level, he does the same. It can’t all be the coaches and managers”.

Gary Neville has also commented on the chaotic nature of the player by stating “Bruno Fernandes is obviously the best player in terms of talent but he’s everywhere. He must be told to go and do what you want. I don’t see Ten Hag say to him, ‘get back in’. With Pep Guardiola, if a [Man City] player plays out of position for a minute or two minutes [Guardiola and his coaches are] on the sideline saying, ‘get back into your position’”.

Raj Dholakia also opined yesterday about the player’s inability to adapt to Ten Hag’s preferred style of football despite earlier success in a more frenetic, chaotic system under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

These are all fair points, but to suggest the player is anything like the biggest problem in the team is grossly unfair. With 70 goals and copious assists, no player has contributed more in an attacking sense than the much-maligned Portuguese. The United captain’s statistical production is all too often swept under the carpet. There is a reason goal and assist getters cost what they do.

It has also been commented on here recently that Fernandes’ statistics rival those of Kevin de Bruyne and his xA statistics actually outperformed the impressive Belgian last year.

In fact, the captain created 100 chances from open play last year in the league, considerably more than any other player. As a creative midfielder, he is doing his job better than most. His lack of positional discipline isn’t preventing the strikers from fluffing their lines.

Even the Manchester United-loathing pundit Graeme Souness admitted between gritted teeth that Bruno is “fantastic” and would cut a far less frustrated figure if he were playing on the blue side of the city.

Moreover, Fernandes is not the only agent of chaos in this team. The amount of times fellow midfielder Scott McTominay goes on a walkabout during matches or the defence leaves their man in oceans of space at set pieces is significantly worse.

Bruno is often the last player chasing back when the midfield or defensive shape has broken on the receiving end of a counter. Perhaps he shouldn’t be there, but without his interventions over and over again, the team would concede more. He is literally doing his teammates’ jobs and his own at times.

The skipper is also consistent. Marcus Rashford and Casemiro had a good 2022/23, but they are nowhere to be found this season. In good times and bad, Fernandes is always among the club’s top goalscorers and assist getters. Come to that, in a season dominated by one injury after another at the club, he has also been almost always available for selection, which is in itself an important asset.

Yes, the modern game requires more discipline, but that is ultimately the manager’s responsibility to instil in the players. United have always had mavericks whose principle role is to create. Which self-respecting Manchester United doesn’t love a Bruno-inspired counter with his trademark ball over the shoulder with Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund racing onto it?

So, while Bruno is far from perfect, there is a clown car full of candidates to point the blame at before him at Old Trafford. At the end of the day, Bruno is a rare bright spark in an otherwise largely dull team.

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