Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was involved in a “half-time bust-up” with an Everton legend before the midfielder went on to inspire a second-half revival for the Red Devils at Goodison Park.
Ruben Amorim’s side were thoroughly outplayed in the first forty-five minutes by Everton with the Blues taking a well-deserved 2-0 lead heading into the interval, courtesy of goals by Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure with assists from a shambolic United defence.
The only bright spot amidst a sea of poor performances for United was 20-year-old wing-back Patrick Dorgu, who offered a constant outlet down the left-hand side and was defensively robust in the other direction.
Frustrated Fernandes
Fernandes was poor by his own standards after Amorim chose to deploy the Portuguese international further forward, having often played in central midfield in recent matches.
He struggled to get on the ball in dangerous areas and was ineffective when in possession, outside of neat link-up play with Dorgu.
And United’s captain was evidently a frustrated figure as he headed towards the changing rooms at half-time, with The Telegraph revealing Fernandes exchanged a war of words with Everton legend Derek Mountfield.
The report states the 30-year-old midfielder was “involved in a touchline bust-up” with the former defender, who has just been inducted as an ‘Everton Giant’, as the United players were emerging from their dressing room.
“Mountfield playfully mimed elbowing United players as they walked on to the pitch, with Fernandes taking exception to the joke and having words with the former centre-back”.
Evidently, with both the words of Amorim ringing in his ears and the anger at Mountfield fuelling him, Fernandes produced a brilliant second-half performance to help rescue a point for United with a 2-2 draw.
Captain Fantastic
The captain scored a fantastic free-kick in the 72nd minute, leaving Jordan Pickford for dead, before Manuel Ugarte drew the teams level with an equally impressive volley from a similar position just eight minutes later.
If United had played the first-half in the same manner they did the second, Amorim would be reflecting on a valuable three points from a much-needed win. Instead, the Jekyll and Hyde issue, which has plagued the Red Devils in recent years, reared its ugly head again and a wildly inconsistent performance ended in only a draw.
United welcome Ipswich Town to Old Trafford next week with the Portuguese head coach desperate to end his side’s unrelenting poor form. Perhaps if an Ipswich legend could throw an elbow at each of Amorim’s players before they enter the pitch on Wednesday evening, the 40-year-old will get his wish.
Feature image Jan Kruger via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
