Manchester United season has become a nightmare and all the euphoria of going somewhere with Erik ten Hag has dissipated now.
The manager is under pressure for leading an underperforming team but this time, the players are not getting away scot-free either.
The culture and mentality of the club have been questioned repeatedly this season as they have collapsed in games and off-field incidents have hampered progress at various points.
However, amid the chaos, there has been one constant, and that is Bruno Fernandes turning up for every game, running his socks off and trying to influence the result for United.
Now, his former teammate Juan Mata, in an interview with ESPN, says that the Portuguese is the example around which United need to build their next great team.
Mata says United have a “great leader right now” in Fernandes and asked all the young players at the club to look up to him.
He said Fernandes’ importance to the team cannot be understated for his sheer consistency, right attitude, and the levels he maintains for United.
Mata said: “I can tell you that for me, there is a great leader in there right now, which is the captain, Bruno.
“I should tell to all young players to look up to him. I cannot tell you how important he is for the club and not only because of what he’s done in the last games, scoring two goals and winning the game [against Sheffield United], but his consistency within the years that he’s been playing for the club is just incredible.
“He’s a top, top player, but he’s even better as a person. So for me, the culture of the club should be built around him. He’s a great example for all the new generation, the players that are playing now for the team, [Alejandro] Garnacho, [Kobbie] Mainoo, [Rasmus] Højlund, to look up to him the way he trains, the way he behaves.
“For me, he’s the one that is always there for the team. He can play better or worse, but he’s always there with the right attitude. And for me, that’s what being a Manchester United player is.”
One would presume that Mata’s thoughts are echoed by the majority of the fanbase. Despite coming under hot water for some of his antics on the pitch, it is undeniable that Fernandes has been the one constant in a sea of change and deteriorating performances.
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