Bruno Fernandes has been one of Manchester United’s most important players since arriving at the Theatre of Dreams at the start of 2020.
The Portuguese magician has shouldered the team’s creative responsibilities from day one and soon became the Red Devils’ talisman.
Fernandes has been one of the best in his position in the league since his arrival and was given the armband by former manager Erik ten Hag.
The 31 year old has retained his importance in the team following Ruben Amorim’s arrival last November.
Adapting to a new position
After INEOS signed Matheus Cunha from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, Amorim opted to deploy his countryman deeper in the pitch in a pivot role.
Fernandes, of course, has adjusted very well to his new position. He has formed a partnership with Casemiro at the heart of United’s midfield and has also created the most chances (22) in the league.
Unfortunately, Fernandes’ change in position has directly affected Kobbie Mainoo. The highly rated Englishman is now a peripheral figure at the Theatre of Dreams and is yet to start a Premier League game this season.
Mainoo has clocked just 118 minutes of action in the Premier League and is reportedly eyeing a January loan move to secure regular football.
Amorim has already said that the 20 year old is competing with Fernandes for a place in the starting XI. The situation has been heavily dissected by the press and fans, and the Portuguese midfielder has now shared his thoughts on the matter.
Fernandes praises Mainoo
Speaking recently, as cited by The BBC, Fernandes insisted that Mainoo makes him a better player.
“In football nowadays, you have to be able to run. When I started, I had players with me that could run 6-7km a game and would be top. Nowadays, if you run less than 9-10km, you’re really down on your numbers,” said Fernandes.
“I want to have the best competition to play in my position. I don’t think Kobbie is competition because he is very capable of doing what I can do in a different way.
“If you look at the numbers, you might say Bruno is more capable of scoring goals and Kobbie is more capable of taking people on. We’re different as players, but we still can give very good things to the team. Kobbie is very capable of playing high-level football. He makes me a better player.”
Saturday’s game against Brighton & Hove Albion will be Fernandes’ 300th appearance for United. The Portuguese midfielder has registered 100 goals and 87 assists for the Premier League giants so far.
Mainoo, meanwhile, is regarded as one of the best talents to have emerged out of Carrington in recent years. The youngster has registered seven goals and three assists in 79 games for the senior side to date.
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Deepungsu Pandit
Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.
