The Portuguese playmaker continues to lead by example at Old Trafford, and deserves far more respect for his influence
"I see fans at matches and they're singing for Bruno [Fernandes]. I see these boys, I think you're f*cking imposters!" Roy Keane angrily declared in an explosive debate with Ian Wright about the current Manchester United captain last month on the podcast, brought to you by . "Talent is not enough! You keep going back to talent – Bruno's a talented player, but it's not enough! Leadership to me is about action."
As Keane got more and more animated, Wright refused to back down, and pointed out an undeniable fact: "If Bruno's not there, United are in the relegation battle." Fernandes is certainly a divisive character, and a frustrating player to watch at the best of times, but Keane was completely wrong to question his application levels.
Fernandes is driven by the same unrelenting passion that made Keane an icon during his 12-year stay at Old Trafford; he gives everything for the badge and demands the highest standards from himself and all those around him. That's why the fans sing for Fernandes.
The last five years have been utterly miserable for United, and they are destined to hit a new low this season, but the situation would have been even more bleak were it not for the constant presence of Fernandes. He has carried the club on his back through the darkest period in its entire history, displaying unconditional loyalty and remarkable courage in the face of adversity.
The Red Devils owe a debt of gratitude to Fernandes, and Keane owes him an apology. It makes absolutely no sense to target Fernandes when all the evidence points to him being the only United player worthy of legendary status in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.
Getty Images Sport'Captain Fantastic'
Fernandes' latest inspirational performance came against Arsenal, as United battled to a 1-1 draw on an emotionally charged afternoon at Old Trafford. Thousands of fans took part in an organised protest against the Glazer ownership regime before the game, with minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe also feeling the wrath of the United faithful after his controversial cost-cutting measures, and it seemed to inject the players with an extra dose of motivation.
United had to hold on in a one-sided first half as Arsenal dominated possession, but in the second minute of stoppage time, Alejandro Garnacho won a free-kick 25 yards from goal, and Fernandes stepped up. Referee Anthony Taylor sent Arsenal's wall back 11.2 yards instead of the customary 10 as David Raya bizarrely left the whole left side of his net gaping, and Fernandes capitalised ruthlessly with a brilliant whipped effort that was goal-bound the moment it left his boot.
Even Mikel Arteta praised Fernandes for the "street smart" move after the game, and the Arsenal boss must have been relieved he didn't do more damage in the second half. Despite playing in a deep-lying role alongside Casemiro in the absence of Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo, Fernandes drove United forward at every opportunity and came agonisingly close to stealing all three points right at the death, only for Raya to redeem himself with an outstanding save.
Coincidentally, Keane was back in the studio on Sunday, but he refused to perform a full U-turn on his criticism of Fernandes, jokingly calling him "Captain Fantastic" before stating: "I’ve never doubted Fernandes’ quality, but thought he could do more for the team." Keane is starting to sound like an out-of-touch cartoon villain; no player is doing more for United than Fernandes, which has been the case for some time now.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesAmorim's most trusted
Thankfully, Ruben Amorim does recognise just how important Fernandes is. “What I can say is we need more Brunos, that is clear,” the United head coach said. “Not just the quality and the character, but in this league the availability is so important. He makes some mistakes but he is so decisive with and without the ball. He steps up all the time.
"Sometimes he can show some frustration in some moments that can hurt him more than anyone, but he is always available, he can always play in different positions and when we need a goal and an assist, he is always there. He is a very good example for the other players.”
Fernandes gets a bad rap because he's not afraid to call out his team-mates for mistakes or throw his arms up in the air in frustration when a promising attack breaks down. The Portugal international is a bit of hypocrite in that regard because a lot of the time he is the one who gives the ball away cheaply by picking the riskier passes over the simple ones.
But everything good about United stems from Fernandes. He's the only one in the squad who is not afraid to take games by the scruff of the neck, and he boasts the technical quality to match his exceptional work rate.
Amorim is right to single out Fernandes as the model of what a United player should be. How many times has he come to their rescue, even just this season alone? Fernandes sparked comebacks against Everton and Manchester City, scored a vital winner against Rangers in the Europa League, and masterminded Arsenal's downfall in the third round of the FA Cup. He may not be a perfect captain, but Fernandes is pretty much the only reason that United are still keeping their heads above water.
GettyNumbers don't lie
Even if you think Fernandes fails the eye test too often, there is no arguing with his numbers. The £47 million ($61m) fee United paid Sporting CP for Fernandes in January 2020 can't be viewed as anything other than a bargain given his haul of 91 goals and 79 assists in 275 appearances for United.
Fernandes became only the third Premier League player to reach 25 goal involvements across all competitions in each of the last three seasons alongside Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland after his stunning free-kick against Arsenal, which is a remarkable feat considering how poor United have been in comparison to Liverpool and Manchester City. Indeed, United would be 10 points worse off in the Premier League without Fernandes, and hovering just above the drop zone.
The 30-year-old is the Red Devils' top scorer this term with 12 goals, three more than injured winger Amad Diallo and seven ahead of third-placed Marcus Rashford, who joined Aston Villa in January. With Rasmus Hojlund enduring a 20-game scoring drought and summer signing Joshua Zirkzee struggling for consistency, Amorim has had to rely way too much on Fernandes, but the all-action midfielder has not shirked from the extra responsibility.
United may have drawn their last three games, but there have been signs of improvement, and the season is not unsalvageable yet. The Europa League is still up for grabs, which comes with the extra reward of Champions League qualification, and United may just be able to scrape their way to the trophy if Fernandes continues to perform at such a high level.
Getty/GOAL'Handing out bibs' in Fergie's day?
Fernandes has only tasted FA Cup and League Cup success with United so far, which must be a tough pill to swallow. He was also strongly linked with City before he left Sporting, and would now have a lot more silverware in his personal cabinet had he ended up at the Etihad Stadium instead of Old Trafford.
United's malaise as a collective has skewed the public perception of Fernandes. He unfairly gets tarred with the same brush as the misfits and underperformers, with even ex-Tottenham manager Harry Redknapp jumping on the bandwagon last week.
"You’d look at the United of Fergie’s day and see superstars everywhere," Redknapp wrote in his column for . "Amorim would love just one. Bruno Fernandes is the closest and even then no more than a place in the squad. He wouldn’t have a prayer of making the team. Who would you drop? [Ryan] Giggs, [Paul] Scholes, [David] Beckham, Roy Keane, Paul Ince, even Nicky Butt or Darren Fletcher? Not a chance. If Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer struggled to get a game, Fernandes wouldn’t get beyond putting the cones down and handing out bibs."
It would have been difficult for Fernandes to be a nailed-on starter under Ferguson, that's true enough, but he possesses three key traits that the Scottish taskmaster always valued highly: flair, aggression, and a relentless will to win. With a slight formation tweak, Fernandes could easily have slotted into the midfield just ahead of Keane and Scholes, or formed part of the frontline as he has done frequently since Amorim's appointment.
Fernandes would have been a superstar in United team. The only reason he's not one right now is because he doesn't have the luxury of working with other world-class players.