It is fair to say that Bruno Fernandes sometimes does not help himself.
A misplaced pass from a teammate of Manchester United and the poor up and a sigh comes out. An unfavorable decision and he gets into the face of the referee, close enough to smell the egg of his breakfast. A firmer than average tackle, he goes down and, to be honest, will he ever walk again?
The Fernandes critics claim that this is not a way in which a captain must behave. Even his manager Ruben Amorim suggested that his endless arm swing was sometimes “not good to see” and said he would help him keep it under control.
That would be nice. Because these Histrionics are so often removed from what Fernandes is behind it: a top class player who performs when his team needs him. Isn't that what leaders do?
It was Fernandes who appeared at the back post on Thursday evening to score the winner against Glasgow and to save the ever -rosier blushes from United.
“If you are under pressure, he is always the man who wants the ball, he is always available and that is so important, especially in the Premier League,” Amorim told Fulham on Sunday prior to the game of United.
So the question we have to ask ourselves is: Where would United be without him?
A real Talisman
Fernandes is, and since his arrival at Old Trafford in January 2020, the Talisman of United.
Since his debut he scored 59 Premier League goals for United, 13 more than anyone; Gave 47 assists, 25 more than anyone, and created seven fewer than 500 opportunities – only 362 more than any other teammate.
Add his 501 shots to the opportunities he has created and he is seven from the 1,000 – with some distance most of all players in the Premier League. For the matches of this weekend, Mo Salah was in second place in 33 places behind him, while Kevin De Bruyne became third, almost 250 away from him.
Fernandes is one of only three players who have ahead of the bow this weekend with at least five goals and five assists in every Premier League season since his first in 2019/20 alongside Salah and Heung-Min Son.
It is not just about the weight of the figures, but also about the fact that he delivers them when it matters. Of his 106 goals and assists, 66 were meant to make United equal or to give them the lead.
Only Salah has scored or set up more goals to give his team on the same level or to give Liverpool the lead, but they form a much smaller part of his total contributions.
United does not insist on opponents as Liverpool does, so the chance is smaller that Fernandes can add a third, fourth or fifth. When he uses a chip, the game is often at stake and he is the one who takes the step.
He does dirty work
What is also undervalued is the defensive work of Fernandes. He is a master in the creative arts, but he is often criticized because he does not set a change if United does not have the ball or if it becomes difficult.
That is something else that masks his pantomime act. He is the only player in the competition before this weekend who recovered the ball more than 100 times and at the same time created at least 45 opportunities.
Since the beginning of last season, no midfielder has put more pressure on his opponents than Fernandes, while Bruno Guimaraes and Declan Rice are the only other central midfielders who have continued.
It is also worth noting that he almost always plays. He is almost never injured. He missed two games at the end of last season due to a knee problem, the first games he had ever missed because of an injury for United.
There is no crying with bumps and problems. He played 265 games for United in all competitions, almost twenty more than any other player from the top team.
Big players?
During his entire career at United, Fernandes was criticized because he was missing in the big competitions. Roy Keane said it already in 2021. Graeme Souness said it again last year. The perception was that he bullyed the little boys, but flopped against the other large weapons. It was a perception that was initially not without merit.
Fernandes scored once in his first five league matches against Man City. None of his first six against Chelsea. Once in his first six against Liverpool. He scored once in all his eight games against Arsenal.
That has improved in recent seasons. He stepped up and scored the late penalty in the turn against City. Three goals in his last four against Chelsea. A goal and assist in his last three against Liverpool.
Of the players at Big Six clubs, only Salah, Erling Haaland, Buyako Saka and Son have given more goals and assists since the beginning of 2022-2023 than Fernandes against Bix Six-Rivalen.
He also plays for United. Don't forget that. That's enough to stop someone.
Time for discipline
Amorim wants to work with him on his irritability. He would do well to work with him on his discipline.
Since his debut he has received 50 cards, 47 of which are yellow and three red. Nobody has received more cards in all competitions since his debut.
This season he was already sent off the field twice, although his outright red against Tottenham was later destroyed.
When Fernandes United leaves, where in the dynasty of great leaders will he be? Will he ever be kept in the same breath as Roy Keane, Bryan Robson or Steve Bruce?
Probably not, and many of them will unfortunately depend on how Fernandes behaves.
What is clear, however, is that United, a club that is already in disorder, would be in a much worse position without him.
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