We must talk about Bruno.
As Manchester United have lurched from one disaster to the next in recent turbulent times, the one beacon of hope has been Bruno Fernandes since the Portuguese arrived on our shores.
The light, however, has gone out. After one of his worst games in a United shirt in an unflattering 1-1 draw with Twente – the only pot four side United will face in the Europa League this season – Fernandes’ form is so concerning it is best, for all concerned, to bring the captain out of the firing line.
The locals, after hanging their hats on their leader for so long, are turning.
The 30-year-old has always been about moments, high risk/high reward passing. It is not uncommon for Fernandes to drift in games, consistent cede possession only to then turn a contest on its head with one pick out only playmakers of a certain ilk can see.
When it comes off, it is spectacularly effective. During his time at United, no player in Europe’s top five leagues has created more chances than Fernandes, despite all the ineptitude around him at Old Trafford in the past few years, helping him become club captain at one of the biggest clubs in the world, and paid like one.
When it doesn’t, however, the results can be very damaging indeed. The ideas have dried up.
A slow start to the season, which has seen him fail to get on the scoresheet yet and register only one league assist, can be forgiven. In a world where the demands of the modern game are rightly being called into question, few come close to the amount of minutes the United skipper has been put through.
But when the drop-off starts to affect his decision-making, there are few reasons left to keep thrusting him out there, like a gladiator waiting the thumbs down from a bloodthirsty emperor.
Take the dying moments of Wednesday’s humiliating stalemate against Erik ten Hag’s beloved former club.
No club possesses a penchant for a late winner like United. They have built their reputation on such. So when Fernandes lined up a free-kick 40 yards from goal, in a promising position, with six or seven red shirts to aim at, the scripts were being readied once more.
Instead, Fernandes hammered the ball high into the Stretford End, like he was kicking the ball out of touch to seal a rugby victory. What’s the opposite of guile and ingenuity? Well, this was it. Cue a social media meltdown, as supporters let their true feelings concerning their skipper be known.
Dropping him, to many, seems unthinkable. Do many coaches leave their captain out, let alone one who has carried his weary men from the battlefield single-handedly for years?
But with the conversation remaining fixed on growing fixture lists causing long-term injuries, Ten Hag has the perfect excuse. After all, Fernandes has played a remarkable 20,000 minutes in a red shirt, regardless of his physical condition.
Ten Hag has not really helped matters. 5-0 up in a Carabao Cup match against League One Barnsley, he brings Fernandes on to give him half an hour of action, which makes the likelihood of the Dutchman leaving his captain out from the start when faced with more challenging opposition slim.
The move, however, benefits all. United are overloaded in the playmaker position, with Mason Mount, Christian Eriksen or even Joshua Zirkzee all suited to playing there.
Everyone, at any stage of their lives, needs a regroup too. Gather your thoughts and start again. Right now, with games coming so thick and fast, Fernandes cannot see the wood from the trees. A couple of matches on the sidelines could help him see the errors of his ways.
Most pertinently, what Ten Hag is putting out there now is not working. United have played Fulham, Brighton, Southampton, Crystal Palace and Twente this season. They have won two of them.
Goals have become hard to come by, once again, as Fernandes’s ideas have deserted him. Time for some difficult decisions, for the greater good.
from Football - inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/VLHN9eB
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