Bruno Fernandes has been a near-constant presence under Ruben Amorim since arriving at Manchester United, but the Portuguese midfielder has one ongoing problem.
Ruben Amorim is said to “not understand” the role Bruno Fernandes is being asked to play at Old Trafford. The Portuguese midfielder was a key player under Amorim during his time at the club.
Despite still being productive from an attacking point of view, the former Sporting Lisbon star has been assigned to a slightly deeper position on several occasions. However, Fernandes has struggled to make an impact when given more defensive responsibilities.
Former Chelsea star Craig Burley has now claimed that the midfielder does not know how to play the role. He told ESPN: “They don’t have legs in midfield. We’re talking about this with Casemiro and Ugarte. Bruno Fernandes is playing there, but it’s not his position.”
“He doesn’t understand the defensive and positional aspects of being a deeper midfielder. And that also negates his ability to have an impact another 30 yards up the field, as we’ve talked about at length.”
Varley is not the only one to highlight Fernandes’ issues with his new position. After last month’s Manchester derby defeat, Gary Neville said he could not play his part against the teams above the Premier League.
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“Midfield is a big problem and United fans know that today with (Manuel) Ugarte and Fernandes,” he told the Gary Neville Podcast.
“Ugarte isn’t good enough and Bruno isn’t the player to play deep in the middle of the top two, but he can do it. If United are at home and play against a team with a lot of possession, they might be able to bring him a little deeper and get away with it.”
“But against any team with good possession and good players, against most teams in the Premier League, Bruno will probably always struggle in the midfield two.
He added: “Bruno is United’s best player by a mile, but the system requires him to be one of the two midfield players or one of the front three, and he’s not in either of those two positions.”
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In fact, Fernandes was outspoken about Amorim’s demands, insisting he would play anywhere. He said during the international break: “I love playing soccer, no matter what position I play.
“They can put me at full-back, winger or goalkeeper. I will always do my best. Everyone has their preferences, but we have to adapt to the manager’s ideas.”
United will be back in action this weekend when they take on fierce rivals Liverpool at Anfield.
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