Bruno Fernandes has been central to Manchester United’s best moments in recent years, but it allowed Ange Postecoglou to make a simple assessment on the star
The significance of Bruno Fernandes to Manchester United in recent years cannot be overstated. As Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou aptly put it, “Shut down Bruno, United won’t score!” – a sentiment that summed up his team’s strategy in the Europa League final.
Since joining Old Trafford, the Portuguese midfielder has been instrumental in most of United’s attacking threats. Whilst his efforts haven’t been enough to propel the club back to the Premier League summit, opposition coaches cannot afford to underestimate the importance of containing him.
Postecoglou echoed this sentiment, saying, “I knew if we shut down Bruno [Fernandes], they weren’t going to score. I just felt with United, the way they set up with Ruben [Amorim] and the kind of ways they would try to break us down if we were really solid defensively, as long as we scored, we had to get a goal.”
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However, since that crushing defeat, Fernandes’ future has been shrouded in uncertainty. Despite the club bringing in fresh faces like Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha to share the load, the talismanic midfielder still boasts an impressive 18 goal contributions this term – six more than his nearest teammate.
Interestingly, Fernandes has revealed that he considered a move to Saudi Arabia, even engaging in talks with Al-Hilal about a potential transfer last year, after feeling that United weren’t keen on retaining his services. The star eventually opted to stay put, turning down a reported £100million bid and weekly wages of up to £700,000 from the Saudi club.
Fernandes has since confessed that he was disheartened by United’s attitude. “From the club I felt it was, ‘If you go it’s not so bad for us.’ It hurts me a bit,” he admitted.
“More than hurting me, it makes me sad. I’m a player that no-one can criticise, I’m always available, I always give my best. I could have left in this transfer window, I would have earned much more money. I would have won many trophies this season but I decided not to go, not only for family reasons but because I genuinely love the club.”
However, Fernandes has now been advised to reconsider his future. Former United forward Louis Saha believes it’s crucial for the midfielder to put himself first.
Speaking to CasinoHawks, Saha said: “I think for the respect that we all have for Bruno Fernandes, I think he’s a terrific player, he has to consider his future because, looking at the strategy of INEOS, the way they think is very uncertain. It’s really difficult to anticipate.
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“I can imagine a player of his stature, who has delivered as much as he has over the years, has to think about himself at some point. Those people at the top think about the club, and they think about their own position. The reality is, you can love the club as much as you want, it doesn’t matter. At some point, you have to make your own decision.
“This isn’t to say, ‘Bruno, you have to go.’ No, he has to think about his own career. It’s not only about trophies because we know 100%, I have no doubt about that, that Bruno wants to win a major trophy with Manchester United.”
“It would be his proudest moment because he really loves the club and he’s shown that with his dedication. He was disappointed because he has seen, he has heard some behaviour around his future that he didn’t like, so it’s up to him to make the decision.
“But he also has to consider staying as well if he feels that the club and the staff are really behind him, because he needs the support to go out there and be the captain we need.”