Kolkata: “I believe a captain can make a difference and influence the course of a match,” Bryan Robson had stated. The longest serving captain within the historical past of Manchester United, Robson led for 12 years and was a key participant within the marketing campaign that helped the membership regain the league in 1992-93 after 26 years.
In Sunday’s FA Cup match in opposition to Arsenal, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was booked for dissent. (Reuters)
For Gary Neville, Robson was a hero. “He epitomised everything I thought a United player should be,” the United proper again has written in “Red”, his autobiography. “He flogged himself to the end of every game…He was a true leader. When he burst into the box, it was like his life depended on it.”
Robson has additionally spoken of the significance of the captain controlling his mood. United’s present captain Bruno Fernandes has a ways to cowl when it comes to internalising the advice on anger administration. In Sunday’s FA Cup match in opposition to Arsenal, Fernandes was booked for dissent.
Robson noticed one purple card in his time as Manchester United captain. Fernandes has seen three this time period however one was rescinded.
However about the remainder of what Robson has stated on captaincy, or Neville in regards to the former midfielder, Fernandes has sufficient of. Fernandes’s warmth map reveals him in each space of the Emirates pitch barring a strip on the proper in Arsenal’s half. Fernandes was concerned in 13 defensive actions and 11 that led to build-ups. Individually, his numbers don’t stand out. He was ninth on the record of passes, fifth in defensive motion, sixth in attacking sequence involvements and fourth in progressive passes. However taken collectively, they present a participant main from the entrance.
Fernandes transformed his penalty within the tie-breaker and had scored from his solely entry within the Arsenal penalty space. With United a participant gentle following Diogo Dalot’s 61st minute purple card, Fernandes walked away from taking a throw to maintain the ball in Arsenal’s half and kill a second. When Altay Bayindir was injured, Fernandes went and spoke to the United goalkeeper and given Alejandro Garnacho’s latest troubles with new supervisor Ruben Amorim, Fernandes’s public acknowledgement for the help was an enormous present of religion.
With the caveat that this was third spherical match in FA Cup and that they’re nonetheless thirteenth within the league desk, there have been a variety of positives for United. Other than out-of-the-world clearances, as soon as from nearly on the goalline, United’s centre-backs are pushing up within the midfield. There was redemption for Bayindir and Joshua Zirkzee changing the final penalty was proof of his confidence and head coach Ruben Amorim’s belief within the participant hooked after 33 minutes in opposition to Newcastle.
However the match was additionally about Fernandes and you should look no additional than in opposition to Newcastle to see how in his absence, due to suspension, United went pear-shaped.
Towards Liverpool one week in the past, Fernandes had teamed with Dalot to assault proper again Trent Alexander Arnold. And it was with three opponents round him that Fernandes threaded a move for Lisandro Martinez to attain at Anfield. In two successive away matches in several competitors and in opposition to the highest two groups within the Premier League, Manchester United have scored first in opposition to. Fernandes was concerned in each.
With seven objectives and 11 assists in 29 matches this season, Fernandes has essentially the most aim contributions at United. He’s the participant they depend on for corner-kicks, the defence-splitting move, arriving late within the penalty space to attain, for penalties (he has missed six of the 62 penalties he has taken in his profession) and to defend the close to put up throughout corner-kicks.
Since becoming a member of 5 years in the past from Sporting Lisbon on a £68m deal when Paul Pogba was injured, Fernandes, 30, has been shouldering United’s artistic burden. There is a component of threat in his sport in that Fernandes can provide the ball away. However as a result of Mason Mount has been battling harm and Christian Eriksen not being as efficient defending in midfield, in Fernandes each coach at United has trusted. Even when he was not in type, like in the beginning of this season.
Tempo and power are usually not his strengths which may clarify why Fernandes has not had a serious harm. He began 35 Premier League matches final season and 19 of the 20 United have performed within the league this time period. He has received the Sir Matt Busby Participant of the Yr award thrice. Solely Cristiano Ronaldo and David de Gea have extra.
Fernandes will keep at United until 2027, possibly even 2028. Amorim has stated the membership wants leaders and in Fernandes they’ve one who could be an instance to younger gamers comparable to Kobbie Mainoo, Rasmus Højlund, Zirkzee, Lenny Yoro and Garnacho.