Is Bruno Fernandes the Man To Solve Manchester United’s Problems?
Short Answer: not exactly.
Well at least not all of them, but that’s more down to the fact that there are a plethora of problems at the club and putting them all on the rather slender shoulders of Sporting’s former number 8 is unreasonable.
He will solve arguably the biggest on-field problem United have at the moment though, that being the inability to link the play between the lines and progress the ball in the final third.
United’s lack of midfield has been well documented of late, especially with the prolonged absence of both Scott McTominay and Paul Pogba. The quality of what’s remaining is what’s keeping the majority of Red Devil’s up at night (and if not that, then it’s the Glazers).
Ole has had to play a 4–2–3–1 in the majority of matches this season really due to a lack of options, when I believe the long-term plan is probably a shape more similar to a 4–3–3. In the current formation, that CAM role is fought over by 4 players: Lingard, Mata, Pereira and Gomes. Each have their own assets they can bring to the table.
Lingard, although under large amounts scrutiny right now, (rightly so, whether the JLingz super fans like it or not) works hard for the shirt and is a good presser of the ball, bringing lots of energy. Good for games against the best teams in the league where United often have to concede possession and break at pace.
Mata has the most quality of the four men mentioned above but is looking older than his age at 31 and is now suited to breaking down lesser teams. Of course a player of his quality can turn back the clock from time to time. The recent league game against Norwich and the third round replay against Wolves can attest to this(2 assists and a goal respectively).
Pereira’s game is an enigma which I’ve touched on in a prior article. The quality is somewhere in his boots, one just needs to trek past all the bad decisions being made and speculative shots being taken. An eternal frustration to say the least.
Angel Gomes should have been a guy who fans could look forward to seeing in a red shirt for years to come. Upon making his debut at just 16 on the final day of the 2016/2017 season under Jose Mourinho, he seemed destined for Stratford End stardom. He lit up the U18’s from midfield, registering a combined 21 goals and assists in just 22 appearances in the U18 premier league. This did not quite translate as seamlessly to “Premier League 2” level with the U23’s and in his 10 appearances for the first team, he’s for the most part been in the shadow of other youngsters such as Mason Greenwood and Brandon Williams. His future at Manchester United seems to be in doubt as a contract dispute has seen him linked to both Barcelona and Benfica. This may be the reason for lack of game time under Ole this season.
Bruno is an immediate upgrade on all of these four, with the added bonus that he can play in the six role as a deep-lying playmaker (think compatriot Ruben Neves at Wolves). At the end of the day the stats tell the story. Bruno Fernandes had a ridiculous record at Sporting. Last season he set the goal scoring record for a midfielder with 32 goals, whilst also registering 18 assists. He hasn’t slowed down this season either. When comparing his stats with Manchester United’s squad, here’s what happens:
3.7 chances created, 1st
2.6 fouls won, 1st
0.4 assists, 1st
0.5 goals, 2nd
0.4 through balls, 2nd
Like I said before, instant improvement. He can be that player that penetrates oppositions defensive lines at will, and if they sit back he can shoot from range instead (since 2017/18 no player has scored more goals from outside the box in LigaNos with 9). This is of course if he plays at the ten in both a 4–2–3–1 or 4–3–3.
If Ole chooses to rotate and Fernandes slots back a little further, the stats suggest he wouldn’t shirk his defensive duties as he has 2.5 tackles per game, 2nd highest when compared with United’s squad again. He has shown leadership at Sporting, often adorning the captains armband, something a young Manchester United squad could do with more of.
There are two claims that could be made against me in which I would then not be able to use any of these stats.
One is the fact that all of this was whilst playing in LigaNos. Although not one of Europe’s top five leagues, it is widely regarded as the 6th best in Europe (6th, a position United are unfortunately familiar with) and he has been involved in European competition in both of his last two seasons. Of course he has been tearing that up also, averaging a goal contribution every 56 minutes in the Europa League this season.
The other is one that Bleacher Report’s Sam Tighe has touched upon. This is the fact that Sporting are not actually that strong of a squad and they fully gave Bruno Fernandes keys to the green and white car. In a (marginally) better team this may not work. He plays a lot of high risk passes and takes a lot of shots, of course not everything is going to come off. In a system where he is encouraged to play this way, he can get away with it. At Manchester United, a different role may spell different results. Time will tell, it always does. We cannot forget when Macheda was going to be United’s premier forward, or when Januzaj was stepping into Gigg’s boots.
Currently at Manchester United , the personnel taking those shots are not scoring, and don’t even dare attempt high risk passes anyway, so for Manchester United at least, their new man’s weaknesses may just be his strengths. Even if his shots and passes are not coming, the minimum Manchester United are getting is an extremely hard worker who works off the ball with a good spirit. Hardly ever gets injured also which United’s medical staff will definitely be relieved to here.
Of course we cannot forget the potential for fireworks.
Overall it is an incredibly exciting signing, and although he’ll need this half a season to settle in, it’s hard not to get excited for this weekends match against the Portugal B team (Wolves).
