Bruno Fernandes must address a key problem to succeed at Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes came to Manchester United in January 2020 oozing with an appeal that got the club faithful instantly fall in love in him. 

The moment he got his first goal involvement for the club, an assist for Harry Maguire in a 2-0 Premier League win at Chelsea, there was no turning back and the results afterwards saw the Red Devils finish in the top four in back to back seasons for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

In fact, many believe Fernandes was solely responsible for that feat when one considers his 75 goal involvements (40 goals, 25 assists) in 80 competitive games till date. Such astonishing numbers have already put him in the club legends debate alongside the likes of Paul Scholes and Eric Cantona. 

It’s truly a joy to behold with Fernandes on the pitch. His energy, drive and passion is something reminiscent of some of the legends of the game. He is never afraid to take risks, often making impossible passes and scoring out-of-this-world goals. He’s done it over and over again and it’s why he’s loved.

Fernandes is also a born leader as he is often seen charging his teammates to push when there’s need for a goal. He’s even sometimes at loggerheads if the coach is willing to take him off. He’s ready to play, he’s ready to die, he’s ready to give his all. 

You really can’t hate Bruno Fernandes. Or can you? 

As much as the 26-year-old Portuguese is an embodiment of greatness, he tends to have a negative attitude when things don’t go his way or for his team which is quite annoying. 

On occasions last season in moments when Man United were losing, Fernandes was found to have unnecessarily complained to the referee in looking for fouls when he was brought down, some which were dives and others exaggerated feelings of injustices.

He tends to bark aggressively at the referee which he is at the risk of getting a red card. Though he’s never been sent off since he arrived at Old Trafford, he might not be lucky next time if he continues with such attitude. 

The more things don’t go Fernandes’ way, he struggles to find any motivation and would see a lot of frustration boiling in him which makes him lose his cool and go into needless fouls, make awkward passes, lose possession multiple times and fire tame shots at goal.

This behaviour was partly responsible for his form tailing off in the later part of the season and it was evident in the Europa League final which United lost via penalties to Villarreal. It was the most important match of the campaign as Solskjaer needed a win to justify he has the credentials as a winning coach, but Fernandes was completely anonymous considering he’s the go to person for inspiration.

United have delved into the transfer market to sign Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane and this is good news because it will take the spotlight a little off Fernandes. He will not the saddled with the responsibility of being creator-in-chief all the time, with others expected to shine. 

Should Sancho or Cavani for instance outshine Fernandes, it will be a true test of his character and resilience.

It’s left for him to determine if he wants to continue to be in the good books of the fans as a legend-in-the-making or one that will quickly fade away because of attitude problems.

We’ve seen players lose their reckoning because of undesirable attitude. Hopefully, Fernandes won’t be caught in such web on the long run.

Kunle is an avid writer with interest in topics on sports, politics and health. His articles have featured in Goal.com, Opera News and Vanguard News. He holds a Bachelors and Masters degree in International Relations and is an advocate for people living with Hydrocephalus and other neurological conditions.

Follow him on Twitter: @kfayiga

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