Bruno Fernandes Struggles at Manchester United: Can He Turn His Season Around?

2024-04-03 21:57:00

The image has made the rounds on social networks and alone sums up the difficulty Bruno Fernandes has found himself in since the start of the season. Ridiculed by Fulham’s TikTok account for a crude simulation during his team’s defeat against the Cottagers at the end of February (1-2), the captain of the Red Devils is going through a complicated period. So much so that Erik ten Hag had no choice but to step up to defend his playing master, praising “a passionate and creative player who creates the most chances in the Premier League”.

Even if he plays lower than usual since McTominay’s repositioning, Bruno Fernandes creates a lot of chances. But the attacking midfielder is finding it more and more difficult to achieve them. Since his arrival from Sporting Portugal for 60 million euros in 2020, his statistics have been in free fall. 18 goals and 11 assists during his first Premier League season, then decisive 16 times in the following two, the Portuguese sees his numbers decrease this year, with only 4 goals and 6 assists since the start of the Premier League season. .

A more than disappointing season

A performance well below the standards to which Red Devils fans were accustomed, which does not help United perform. Sixth in the Premier League, 11 points behind fourth, Aston Villa, in the shoes of the provisional last qualified for the next Champions League, Manchester United also experienced a European ordeal, finishing in last place in a Group A of Champions League yet within reach alongside Bayern Munich, Copenhagen and Galatasaray. Result of the races: only four points taken and elimination from all continental competitions.

The captain, author of two goals and two assists during the six matches of this European campaign (90 minutes each time), was not enough to carry his team. Unlike previous seasons, during which the Red Devils reached the C3 final in 2021, the round of 16 of C1 in 2022 then the quarterfinals of C3 last year. A poor performance which weighs on the shoulders of the Portuguese, regularly singled out by the press across the Channel.

The Euro as a carrot to get back on track?

“I will definitely take the captaincy away from him, 100%. I know it would be a big decision, but Fernandes is not a captain. He’s a talented player but he complains, moans, constantly throws his arms in the air… it’s not acceptable. He is the opposite of what a captain should be,” declared Roy Keane following the Red Devils’ fiasco against their neighbors Manchester City at the end of the year (0-3).

However, at 29 years old, the latter seems to be completely free in the national team. Spearhead of the Seleção, who has just achieved a solid success in qualifying for Euro 2024 with ten victories in ten matches, Bruno Fernandes (6 goals, 8 assists over the period) is very far from having lost his ambitions : “We have taken important steps towards our ultimate goal, which is to go as far as possible at the Euro. We dream of winning the competition. This dream is in our heads. We want to recapture the joy that this group gave us in 2016. There is nothing better than that”.

Two months to get things back on track

A goal in sight which will certainly not be achieved without a great Bruno Fernandes. To be sure to arrive with full confidence, the latter must rely on a successful end to the club season. And that’s good because Manchester United can still dream of it, with nine league matches to try to secure qualification in C1 in addition to an FA Cup semi-final against Coventry (April 20), which would bring the club with the only trophy still playable at the end of the season.

Courted this winter by several clubs in the Middle East, including Al-Hilal who would have made him an astronomical offer similar to that accepted by Neymar (90 million euros), there is no question yet for Bruno Fernandes of leaving the scene European. It’s up to him to prove that there is still plenty of room for him. And what could be better than a comeback operation, which begins this Thursday on the Chelsea pitch, to achieve this?

Bruno Fernandes

Credit: Getty Images

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