Manchester United got back to winning ways and a comfortable one at that in Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first game in charge which also brought relief for Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese, suffering all season and having not scored a goal for United, finally broke his duck with a deflected free kick.
That bit of luck was all he needed to get the dam open from which another goal flew in, this time full of confidence and composure.
Van Nistelrooy reserved special praise for Fernandes after the game, looking at his time at Old Trafford holistically and those claims have now been backed unquestionably.
Bruno Fernandes above all midfielders
Since Bruno Fernandes made his debut, United have hardly been a pillar of consistency on or off the field but amidst the chaos, he has been a constant.
This season was becoming an anomaly because even when he had been struggling, he would usually pop up with goals or assists.
Bruno Fernandes’ impressive Manchester United debut season
- Fernandes averaged a goal contribution per game
Fernandes ended the season with 12 goals and 8 assists in 20 appearances.
- Fernandes enjoyed a 100 per cent record from the penalty spot
Eight of Fernandes’ goals were penalties, with a decisive strike on the final day of the season against Leicester, and another in the Europa League semi-final.
- Almost unbeatable
Fernandes did not lose any of the 14 Premier League matches he played for Manchester United. His only two defeats in 23 games came in cup competitions.
- Creative star: He was United’s second highest league assister
Fernandes’ average of 2.1 key passes played per game was the sixth best in the Premier League of players who started 10 games or more this season.
- Impressive United and Sporting combined numbers
In his 50 appearances this season for both clubs, Fernandes scored a total of 27 goals and provided 22 assists.
Fortunately, he got back on the scoresheet vs Leicester and with that made himself the first midfielder in world football to achieve a remarkable feat.
His first and second goals vs Leicester marked his 150th and 151st goal involvement for United since his debut in 2020.
Since his debut, only seven players, including him, have managed 150 goal involvements in all competitions across Europe’s top-five leagues.
Among those seven, Fernandes is the only midfielder, with strikers and wingers like Kylian Mbappe ruling the roost in those rankings.
To become the only midfielder in world football to cross that mark was extraordinary in itself but to do so for a struggling team in transition perenially is unbelievable and speaks to the player’s effort, quality, and most importantly, consistency.
Fernandes can kick on now
When Fernandes scored vs Leicester, it truly looked like a cloud hovering above his head had disappeared and he played the remaining game with a smile on his face.
The hope will be that he can take this performance and the impending arrival of his fellow countryman Ruben Amorim as manager to kick on in terms of performances, the results will follow.
So far in his career, Fernandes has mainly been asked to drag an underperforming side with him and that has impacted his performance levels often.
If the team can start humming and he can be a part of a successful outfit instead of the reason behind the success, then a new level in his game can be unlocked.
The first game after Ten Hag’s sacking represented a good microcosm of what a fit and firing Fernandes is capable of. It had been too long.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/lnWxIBj