By Graham Ruthven
As dangerous as Manchester United’s 2025/26 season was, it could have been even worse had it not been for Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese’s targets and assists have been price 12 factors to the Previous Trafford outfit, a complete that was the distinction between fifteenth place and a real battle towards relegation from the Premier League.
After all, Fernandes has lengthy been United’s lifeline. He’s the one slam dunk signing made by the membership within the post-Sir Alex Ferguson age, constantly acting at a stage that no one else at Previous Trafford has been in a position to match. It’s no marvel the 30-year-old thought of leaving for Saudi Arabia earlier in the summertime.
Even after deciding to remain at Manchester United, although, Fernandes might discover that the panorama has shifted beneath his toes. With Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo within the door, Ruben Amorim wants his finest participant to adapt. He wants Fernandes to be the quantity eight he wears on his again.
Final season made clear United’s determined want to enhance their assault. A complete of simply 44 targets in 38 league video games was reflective of a group missing concepts within the remaining third and so the Previous Trafford membership moved rapidly to handle this, spending £130m to usher in Cunha and Mbeumo after the pair mixed for 35 targets within the Premier League final time period.
In Amorim’s system, Cunha and Mbeumo shall be match for the 2 attacking positions behind the centre ahead. From there, the pair can have the liberty to search out house with Cunha most comfy attacking from the left and Mbeumo at his finest when he can function down the suitable aspect.
This, nonetheless, doesn’t do a lot to accommodate Fernandes as an attacker, that means the 30-year-old might be pushed deeper into midfield the place Manchester United want a quantity eight. Fernandes might be about to maneuver into a brand new section of his profession with Amorim offering some early indications of his totally different function.
In United’s first pre-season pleasant towards Leeds United, Fernandes was deployed in central midfield. The Portuguese was partnered with Casemiro within the centre of the pitch with Toby Collyer and Cunha performed in a extra superior function as twin notional 10s. Fernandes was the pace-setter in the midst of the pitch.
Fernandes might probably have the talent set to make his new function work. He accomplished extra passes per 90 minutes (49) than every other Manchester United midfielder final season. He additionally created extra probabilities (91) than any of his teammates along with his progressive passing among the many better of every other participant’s within the Premier League.
Defensively, Fernandes ranked sixth within the United squad for tackles per 90 minutes final season, however his positional consciousness has been questioned up to now. The Portuguese may not have the standard towards the ball to function as a real two-way quantity eight, making it all of the extra essential Amorim finds him the suitable midfield companion.
Casemiro began towards Leeds, however Manuel Ugarte is one other defensive-minded midfielder who might masks a few of Fernandes’ deficiencies though the Uruguayan endured a tough first season within the Premier League. Kobbie Mainoo is another choice out there to Amorim with the England worldwide certainly one of Manchester United’s most cell gamers.
United’s midfield has been a conundrum for years. Paul Pogba was meant to be the membership’s subsequent nice central operator after the likes of Roy Keane, Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick, however by no means lived as much as his billing. Donny van de Beek, Nemanja Matić, Fred, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Marouane Fellaini, Morgan Schneiderlin and Nick Powell all got here and went with out making a lot of an impression. Casemiro, Mason Mount and Ugarte stay, however have equally struggled.
Manchester United’s summer time window has been slower than Amorim absolutely would have preferred. Cunha was signed rapidly, however negotiations with Brentford over Mbeumo’s switch took over a month with the Cameroonian solely introduced as a United participant on Monday. The membership appears incapable of engaged on greater than a single deal at anyone time.
It’s not simply incoming transfers Manchester United should hurry alongside, however outgoing ones too. Marcus Rashford is on his approach to Barcelona on mortgage with Juventus desirous about Jadon Sancho, however an answer is required for the remainder of the so-called ‘Bomb Squad’ who’re coaching separate to the remainder of Amorim’s core group. They haven’t any future on the membership.
Fernandes, nonetheless, very a lot does have a future on the membership, it simply is likely to be in a distinct function to the one he has carried out so effectively for the final five-and-a-half years. The participant Manchester United have wanted him to be is likely to be totally different to the one they now want him to be shifting ahead.
(Cowl picture from IMAGO)
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