Having signed a new deal in August and entered his 30s in September, Bruno Fernandes committed himself to a Manchester United project to lead his adopted side to domestic and European honours.
Since his arrival in the North West during the January window of 2020, the Maia native catapulted himself amongst the finest attacking midfielders in the game.
A return of 79 goals and 70 assists in 240 appearances is a phenomenal return, particularly when you consider the United sides that he often dragged kicking and screaming.
However, despite three Manchester United Player of the Year awards, four Premier League Player of the Month and a PFA Team of the Year accolade, he is regularly maligned and discredited by supporters.
Furthermore, having endured a somewhat frustrating start to the 2024-25 campaign, naysayers have moved front and centre to enhance a sense of negativity towards the Portuguese.
But is it all really as bad as they would have you believe?
Form is temporary, but don’t let that get in the way of a good narrative
Dan Ashworth arrived in Manchester with the brief of spearheading a best-in-class setup to return the 20-time English champions to the head of the table.
One of his immediate clarifications was the necessity to focus on medium to long-term form – insisting that short-term results would not paint an accurate picture.
Whether you attribute this to Erik ten Hag or Bruno is irrelevant – the point stands for both.
Agreeing a deal to retain the services of the 30-year-old remained a fundamental requirement for the Sporting Director, with a vision to recruit younger players to mould alongside an experienced core of world-class performers.
Make no mistake: regardless of your opinion of Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes is one of the best players in the world in his position.
Now, does that mean he is exempt from criticism? Most certainly not. But, like so many of his teammates, is the criticism warranted? That, I am not so sure about.
Let’s begin with the 2023-24 Premier League campaign.
| Goals | 10 | 1st |
| Assists | 8 | 1st |
| Successful passes | 1517 | 1st |
| Chances created | 114 | 1st |
| Shots on target | 41 | 1st |
You don’t need to be a football fanatic to read those figures and appreciate his value to the team and outstanding contributions.
However, despite the playmaker retaining the title of the most creative player in the Premier League with 114 chances (Pascal Gross was second with 103), he was criticised for misplaced passes and losing possession.
As we know, social media is a dangerous beast, and narratives can grow overnight.
But when a man can supply such consistent output and still endure daily torment from individuals who would have you believe they know more than Kevin De Bruyne – what chance does he have when he encounters a slow start?
Football supporters, by and large, are fickle. I know this – I am one of them.
But, the lack of consideration for multiple variables is the cornerstone of daily Twitter debates. When we consider the present day, Manchester United have endured a backlash for a failure to put the ball in the opposition net.
There have been undeniable improvements throughout the side from last season, and many feel it is a case of when – not if – this group begins to start scoring freely. Several variables have contributed – new signings, players returning from injury, etc – but the only fact that matters is the result.
Factually, Ten Hag’s side have missed 17 big chances across five Premier League outings – five more than the teams in second place.
Bruno has created two of these and supplied one assist in his five outings – far below what we have come to expect.
Will Fernandes be happy with his contributions through this period? No, I would imagine not. He has been wasteful – particularly during a frustrating stalemate at Selhurst Park.
But does this mean he should be cast aside?
| Premier League averages per 90′ | 2023-24 | 2024-25 |
| Touches | 76.8 | 72.4 |
| Pass accuracy | 79% | 80% |
| Key passes | 3.3 | 1.2 |
| Possession lost | 19.9 | 18.8 |
When results don’t go to plan, any player can expect to bear the brunt of a disgruntled supporter base.
Cast your mind back two weeks, and Joshua Zirkzee was slow, cumbersome and a poor purchase by Ten Hag. Almost astonishingly, he is ready to replace Fernandes a little over a fortnight later.
But the captain is a problem for many even when he leads the league in his required metrics – so any struggles are naturally amplified.
The above figures highlight a drop in key passes from our Portuguese Magnificio and the burden of a forgettable outing which supplied 34 lost possessions against Crystal Palace remains.
However, everybody can endure a poor day at the office, and even at that, he still offered up two key passes during a disappointing day in London.
No player should be beyond benching – not even our captain. But I do not believe dropping Fernandes will solve Manchester United’s issues.
If anything, I would continue selecting him and encourage the player to reclaim his sparkling form, which will benefit his teammates.
It may be cliche, but form is temporary, and this man’s class is undeniable. As Ashworth has said, focus on medium to long-term results.
If, after another 3/4 weeks, we are witnessing a continuation of questionable performances, the conversation may shift.
But, when factoring a player of immeasurable value to the side, it’s probably best to ignore the knee-jerk reactions.
How do you feel about Bruno Fernandes this season?
Let us know in the comments or across our social channels.
Recent Posts
- Ruben Amorim bringing feel-good factor back to Manchester United
- Theatre of Red official podcast | Episode 30 | Brian Murphy
- Assessing the future of Joshua Zirkzee at Manchester United
