There are many reasons why you could have forgiven Bruno Fernandes to accept the possibility of leaving Manchester United for Saudi Arabia this summer and not only because Al-Hilal offered him a total of £ 200 million for a three-year contract.
While Fernandes was supposed to be interested in a move to Riyadh, his wife Ana Pinho was not. The deal collapsed and the Portugal star remained as United Captain.
Despite the conversations with Al-Hilal, Fernandes looks just as committed to United as always judgments in the way he led his team to the victory over West Ham in New Jersey, both goals scored in a 2-1 win in the Metlife Stadium. It followed a miserable season that would have been considerably worse if he had not worn United with 19 goals and 18 assists.
Head coach Ruben Amorim acknowledged the importance of Fernandes who stayed in the club after he saw him convert an early penalty and scored an excellent second goal against West Ham.
“It was so clear last season,” he said. 'You can see it in the assists, the goals. He is our leader, so it's really important. Not only on the field, but also outside the field. '
Perhaps Fernandes' biggest mistake is that he sometimes gives too much; It is frustrated by his teammates and, by his own recognition, under their skin is moaning on the field and throwing his arms in the air.
But Amorim believes that he is starting to build a team that will help lift the burden on Fernandes instead of bringing him to distraction after spending more than £ 130 million to Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
“I think he has more players now,” he added. “I feel that in the Tour. I felt that there are now more players to help him lead the group, and that is a good thing.
“He lives an example. It works very hard and is always available. Sometimes he plays with pain. The problem is sometimes that he gets frustrated and he loses the focus of his work. Sometimes he wants to help his teammates so that this is not the best to do.
“They have to learn. They have to do their job. Bruno has to wait for the ball in different situations. Things like this are a leader, but he needs help – and he will get help. '
Fernandes played a large part of last season in a more advanced role, closer to the opposition goal where he can cause more damage. But with Mbeumo and Cunha who probably fill the two Nr. 10 positions in Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system, it seems likely that the 30-year-old will fall deeper into midfield more often.
“He has a function or a position for every game,” Amorim added. 'It is impossible to play all positions. Last year I felt that I sometimes pushed him back to have more possession in the structure, and then we missed Bruno by the box. I think with different characteristics – with Cunha and with Bryan, I really love Kobbie (Mainoo's) game – I think he will get more help this season.
'Bruno runs a lot. Maybe he is another player in the sprint, but he walks a lot. He has a lot of endurance. He is smart. So that's not the point. Bruno's physicality is not the care. He is ready for physicality, plays deep or as a midfielder. '
Amorim replaced Fernandes and his other nine outfield players before the 70-minute marking against West Ham. With United opposite Arsenal in their Premier League opener in Old Trafford on August 17, the Portuguese coach is aware of the need to run the ground by pushing his players in the preseason.
“It was a strong team because we had to prepare all players,” he said. “We had to take this game seriously. We don't have many weeks, many games to prepare the entire team, but that can change.
'You saw in the last 20 minutes, there are players who can play the first game. It is not a decision I have already made. It is rare for the team to play for more than an hour during their first tour match. '
One of Amorim's greatest worries was the state of the field in the Metlife Stadium that the World Cup Final will organize in a year.
He added: 'It was okay. We had a game and it could be better. I think everyone is talking about that, even for the World Cup. The area is really good. Of course there are always things that can improve.
'The field is really important to have very good games. I know they will improve in the future. My concern is more with the injuries. You can't play well, but it's okay. The injuries are my concern. They are safe. '