How many times have we reported on Manchester United players switching off and failing to fulfil basic defensive duties?
It took 18 minutes for Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City side to find the opener at the Etihad, with Phil Foden heading in from close range.
We can debate about how good a goalkeeper Altay Bayindir is and whether his positioning was correct. Regardless, the fact of the matter is that the goal could have been quite easily prevented.
One man who has to take at least some responsibility here is, sadly, skipper Bruno Fernandes.
Bruno Fernandes at fault for Man City goal
It feels painful to highlight the Portuguese international’s shortcomings when he continues to be the most integral player on the pitch for United.
However, Henry Winter spotted the playmaker (on X) failing to mark Foden ahead of the host’s first-half goal.
Bruno Fernandes is a very good player creatively but not defensively. Fernandes is a 10 not an 8. He failed to track his runner. Again. It’s not his strength or in his mind. So Phil Foden was unmarked for his headed goal. United overrun by City in midfield #MCIMUN #MCFC #MUFC
— Henry Winter (@henrywinter) September 14, 2025
A quick look back at the footage for the City star’s opener confirms this, with the midfielder failing to glance even once over his left shoulder to keep track of the Englishman’s movement.
Ever a thorn for the Red Devils in the Manchester derby, the 25-year-old took advantage of Fernandes’ daydreaming to march unmarked toward the penalty spot and power a header home.
Phil Foden lights up the Etihad in the derby! 💥 pic.twitter.com/L1zRMuATsp
— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) September 14, 2025
Man Utd light in midfield?
Theoretically, the three at the back formation, with supporting wingbacks, should yield desirable results for United going forward.
However, in the immediate short term, it continues to raise questions about whether Ruben Amorim is leaving himself a little light in the middle of the park.
A double pivot of Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte is far from a terrible pairing. That said, we firmly agree with Winter’s point on the former Sporting CP midfielder not being suited to a number 8 role.
Put simply, we look far too easy to play through in the middle of the park. Coupled with how invisible our backline can look at times, that makes for a potentially devastating combination.
Manchester United need to sign an enforcer?
On that basis, United need to find a way to better unlock Fernandes’ talents without compromising on the defensive side of the equation.
Perhaps that means pairing the 31-year-old up with a more all-action, physically domineering operator like Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. Either way, it has to be someone capable of covering large swathes of space and accounting for Bruno’s defensive deficiencies.
Of course, we might have an even bigger problem on our hands anyway if Bruno Fernandes is set to depart in 2026, as has been recently reported.
