It has been four months since Bruno Fernandes made history, scoring and assisting on the final day of the season vs. Brighton & Hove Albion and surpassing Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne for the most assists (21) in a single Premier League season. It was enough to see him win a cluster of individual trophies such as the PFA Players’ Player of the Year, FWA Footballer of the Year, Premier League Player of the Season, and the Premier League Playmaker of the Season, as well as make it to the PFA Team
of the Year for the second time. After leading Manchester United to a third-place finish, it seemed that Fernandes might very well be in with a shout for the Ballon d’Or if he mustered a successful World Cup.
Instead, he struggled to convince in North America, registering just one goal contribution in Uzbekistan and failing to cover himself in glory as Portugal lost to eventual champions Spain in the Round of 16. After a dismal display in United’s opening-day defeat to newly promoted Hull City, Fernandes bounced back in stellar fashion against fellow promoted outfit Ipswich Town. The Portuguese playmaker grabbed a hat-trick and an assist in a 5-2 thrashing of the Tractor Boys, but he was kept under wraps in the following match, a 2-2 draw at Everton.
Two days after celebrating his 32nd birthday, Fernandes bagged a goal as United kicked off their UEFA Champions League campaign with a 4-0 thrashing of Azerbaijani newcomers Sabah FC. However, he failed to build on that momentum in his domestic showings. He should have seen yellow for his clash with Phil Foden, but only Foden was given a red card. Still, even with a man advantage, he was unable to lead United to victory as their crosstown rivals Manchester City prevailed 1-0. And after replacing Mason Mount in the 73rd minute, he was unable to conjure up an equalizer as United lost 3-2 to Brighton in the EFL Cup. It was more of the same against Fulham, as the Cottagers held United to a 1-1 draw in London.
It simply hasn’t been good enough for the Red Devils, who sit 12th in the Premier League after five games, and as the captain as well as the only world-class player in the team, Fernandes must take accountability. He’s been unable to find the same openings and break the lines with the same regularity as before, and he’s struggling to generate the same high-quality chances as last season. Whereas last season, he was the best attacking player in the Premier League, that simply hasn’t been the case this season, with the likes of Rayan Cherki, Morgan Rogers and Martin Ødegaard closing the gap. It’s no surprise that the likes of Thomas Hitzlsperger have started to cast doubts on United’s Champions League credentials – it’s hard to take them seriously when their best player isn’t performing.
United will now enter autumn in a familiarly precarious position, and just a few months after saving them from a nightmare finish, Michael Carrick finds himself on the hot seat. If United fail to rebound after the international break – they will face bottom dwellers Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid immediately after returning – then Carrick could find himself out of a job. And just like that, another once-promising project will have gone up in flames. In order for that to not materialize, then Fernandes needs to start delivering his top-class form and start carrying United out of their ongoing malaise.
