There are many reasons you could have forgiven Bruno Fernandes for accepting the opportunity to quit Manchester United for Saudi Arabia this summer – and not just because Al-Hilal were offering him a total of £200million for a three-year contract.
While Fernandes was believed to be interested in a move to Riyadh, his wife Ana Pinho was not. The deal collapsed and the Portugal star stayed on as United captain.
Despite the talks with Al-Hilal, Fernandes looks as committed to United as ever judging by the way he led his team to victory over West Ham in New Jersey, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win at the MetLife Stadium. It followed a wretched season which would have been considerably worse had he not carried United with 19 goals and 18 assists.
Head coach Ruben Amorim acknowledged the importance of Fernandes staying at the club after seeing him convert an early penalty and score a superb second goal against West Ham.
‘It was so clear last season,’ he said. ‘You can see it in the assists, the goals. He’s our leader, so it’s really important. Not just on the field, but also off the field.’
Perhaps Fernandes’ biggest flaw is that he sometimes cares too much; grows frustrated with his teammates and, by his own admission, gets under their skin by moaning on the pitch and throwing his arms in the air.
Bruno Fernandes scored both goals in Man United’s 2-1 win over West Ham in New Jersey
Head coach Ruben Amorim acknowledged the importance of Fernandes staying at the club
Amorim believes he is beginning to build a team that will help lift the burden on Fernandes
But Amorim believes he is beginning to build a team that will help lift the burden on Fernandes rather than drive him to distraction after spending more than £130million on Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.
‘I think now he has more players,’ he added. ‘I feel that in the tour. I felt that now there are more players to help him to lead the group, and that is a good thing.
‘He lives by example. He works really hard and is always available. Sometimes he plays with pain. The problem is sometimes he gets frustrated and he loses a little bit the focus of his job. Sometimes he wants to help his teammates so much that it’s not the best thing to do.
‘They have to learn. They have to do their job. Bruno has to wait for the ball in different situations. This kind of thing is a leader, but he needs help – and he’s going to have help.’
Fernandes played in a more advanced role for much of last season, closer to the opposition goal where he can do more damage. But with Mbeumo and Cunha likely to fill the two No.10 positions in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system, it seems likely that the 30-year-old will drop deeper into midfield more often.
‘He has a function or a position for every game,’ added Amorim. ‘It’s impossible to play all the positions. Last year I felt that sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up, and then we missed Bruno near the box. I think with different characteristics – with Cunha and with Bryan, I really like Kobbie (Mainoo’s) game – I think he will have more help this season.
‘Bruno runs a lot. Maybe in the sprint he’s a different player, but he runs a lot. He has a lot of endurance. He’s smart. So it’s not about that. The physicality of Bruno is not the concern. He’s ready for the physicality, playing deep or as a midfielder.’
Amorim substituted Fernandes and his other nine outfield players before the 70-minute mark against West Ham. With United facing Arsenal in their Premier League opener at Old Trafford on August 17, the Portuguese coach is aware of the need to hit the ground running by pushing his players in pre-season.
Matheus Cunha is one of two new signings for the Old Trafford club for a combined £130m fee
Man United’s captain Fernandes appears set to play in a deeper role in the team this season
‘It was a strong team because we need to prepare all the players,’ he said. ‘We needed to take this game seriously. We don’t have a lot of weeks, a lot of games to prepare all the team, but that can change.
‘You saw in the last 20 minutes, there are players that can play the first game. It’s not a decision that I made already. It’s rare that the team play more than an hour on their first tour game.’
One of Amorim’s biggest concerns was the state of the pitch at the MetLife Stadium which will host the World Cup final in a year’s time.
He added: ‘It was okay. We had a game and it can be better. I think everybody is talking about that, even for the World Cup. The environment is really good. Of course, there are always things that can improve.
‘The pitch is really important to have very good games. I know that they are going to improve in the future. My concern is more with the injuries. You cannot play well, but it’s okay. The injuries are my concern. They are safe.’