Bruno Fernandes has already missed the target twice this season, but Ruben Amorim remains Manchester United’s penalty taker and insists he will continue to support him.
Bruno Fernandes remains Manchester United’s penalty taker despite missing twice this season already, with manager Ruben Amorim stressing his faith in the Portuguese star to put those mistakes behind him.
Fernandes has long been trusted to step up from 12 yards and score decisive penalties, but he has missed several opportunities this season. He avoided a penalty against Fulham and United ultimately needed a point in west London.
Just recently he missed out on the capital again – this time to Brentford. With the Red Devils leading 2-1, Fernandes’ shot was saved by Caoich Kelleher, resulting in the Manchester side losing 3-1 and putting more pressure on the head coach.
But Amorim insisted that if United were to win a penalty at Anfield against Liverpool on Sunday afternoon, the captain would be responsible for it.
He said: “He’s a key player. He’s scored a lot of goals. We can change if we need to. But I’m completely confident that Bruno will solve that.”
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Before his accident this season, Fernandes last missed a penalty in the Premier League against Chelsea in December 2023. United’s penalty problems also saw them sent off in the Carabao Cup against Grimsby in League Two, with Brian Mbeumo missing the crucial spot-kick.
But Amorim is keen to remind doubters of Fernandes’ impressive record. “I know it’s not easy for him,” he said. “But I think he’s taken 70 penalties. He’s missed about eight, me and two. So that’s really frustrating. But he’s really confident. He’s been practicing taking penalties. He’s trying to understand that people are watching him take penalties. He’ll be ready.”
Fernandes has already shown this season that he is more than capable of handling pressure situations. The Portuguese playmaker converted a late penalty in the 3-2 win over Burnley in August. At the time, Amorim turned a blind eye, convinced that the captain would convert.
“I like to see the fans and the reactions of the fans, but I felt really confident because Bruno missed that last one. I didn’t expect him to miss for the second game in a row. So I was trying to imagine what would happen in the last few minutes and I was really confident.”
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