Fernandes 'is back' as main man as Amorim starts new era

A batch has changed astir Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes since helium took it upon himself to apologise straight to Erik 10 Hag successful the aftermath of his sacking and judge his stock of the blame.

He has scored 4 goals, created 2 much and had a assertion connected different that was fixed arsenic an ain extremity successful Sunday's 3-0 triumph implicit Leicester astatine Old Trafford.

It is an fantabulous instrumentality for 4 games and successful marked opposition to the zero goals and 4 assists – 2 of which came against League One Barnsley – successful the 12 games Ten Hag was successful complaint for this campaign.

When Fernandes spoke of his regret astatine Ten Hag’s exit, helium added that "people volition accidental we wanted him to beryllium sacked".

Fernandes said specified an assertion would beryllium untrue. However, specified is the transient quality of football, Fernandes’ instrumentality to signifier volition present payment idiosyncratic else.

“He is back,” United interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy told BBC Sport. “He is producing goals and assists. That is the Bruno that is helping the squad the most.”

On the time co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe presented Fernandes with a framed photograph earlier the crippled to people his 250th United appearance, the 30-year-old’s latest efforts mean helium has present scored 83 goals and has 72 assists for the nine successful each competitions.

Since Fernandes made his United debut successful February 2020, lone Liverpool’s Mo Salah – connected 198 – has been progressive successful much goals.

Fernandes has been straight progressive successful 100 Premier League goals successful 170 United appearances successful the competition. That is lone 1 much than Cristiano Ronaldo managed pursuing his accomplishment astatine Old Trafford.

He is not without his critics but a week ago, connected the BBC's Match of the Day 2, Fernandes’ erstwhile team-mate Phil Jones called the Portuguese "a leader’". On the aforesaid programme, erstwhile Liverpool and England midfielder Danny Murphy called Fernandes "United’s champion originative spark".

And that could crook retired to beryllium the cardinal contented facing caller caput manager Ruben Amorim erstwhile helium checks successful astatine Carrington this week to commencement his caller job.

Amorim’s preferred enactment is 3 astatine the back, 2 helping backs, 2 midfield players, 2 wrong forwards and a striker.

It is flexible successful the consciousness the helping backs tin beryllium much adventurous, oregon less, arsenic was the lawsuit against Manchester City past week erstwhile Maximiliano Araujo and Geovany Quenda efficaciously became portion of a backmost five.

Having won 2 titles successful 4 years with his chosen enactment and got the United occupation due to the fact that of it, it seems improbable Amorim volition change it.

So wherever does Fernandes acceptable in?

Fernandes’ presumption volition beryllium debated due to the fact that successful Amorim’s system, the fig 10 relation helium has operated successful for United doesn’t beryllium and the midfielder’s benignant of play is not that of an wrong forward.

So, does Amorim tweak his formation, usage Fernandes arsenic a mendacious 9 oregon an orthodox midfield subordinate oregon does helium play him arsenic an wrong guardant with licence to roam.

The atomic enactment would beryllium to permission him out, perchance sending a wide connection to the dressing country that no-one is safe. But it would beryllium exceptionally brave, oregon foolhardy, judging connected the statistic alone.

Against Leicester they were:

Fernandes mightiness frustrate sometimes with his indiscipline successful presumption of maintaining a position, but if Amorim did not prime him, wherever would United’s goals and chances travel from?

Finding an reply this conundrum is thing Amorim needs to resoluteness arsenic a priority.

A operation of the fig of players leaving for planetary work this week, and immoderate of those not called up being fixed clip off, means that it volition beryllium mostly those who are injured that Amorim archetypal gets to spot erstwhile helium reports for work astatine United’s Carrington grooming complex.

It means the information United request a mates of days to unafraid his enactment visa is not excessively overmuch of an inconvenience.

It besides allows the nine to necktie up each the escaped ends astir Amorim’s coaching team, with interim brag Ruud van Nistelrooy stating aft the Leicester crippled helium expects to perceive either connected Sunday oregon Monday whether helium and the remainder of Ten Hag’s squad who stayed connected pursuing the Dutchman’s dismissal past period are to stay.

When helium gets circular to assessing this latest performance, speech from Fernandes’ efforts, Amorim volition spot a mostly coagulated antiaircraft display, which secured a archetypal Premier League cleanable expanse for implicit a month, a decent first-half from Amad Diallo, and a goalscoring second-half from Alejandro Garnacho, adjacent if the Argentine was excessively fed up astatine being criticised for his caller displays to celebrate.

Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro were decent successful cardinal midfield without being spectacular against a Leicester broadside their manager Steve Cooper admitted had not been bully capable successful some boxes.

And United won. Depending connected however you take to measure the Premier League table, Amorim arrives with United either 13th, mode beneath expectations, oregon lone 4 points disconnected a Champions League place, for which 5th mightiness beryllium bully enough.

BBC Sport asked Van Nistelrooy aft the lucifer whether the existent United squad could excel successful Amorim's caller style.

His reply didn’t wholly capable anyone with confidence.

“That is simply a precise bully question,” helium said. “When I started astatine the opening of this 4 crippled play I decided to proceed by 85% playing what the players are utilized and conscionable enactment successful small tweaks by changing players oregon resting players to effort get the assurance back. We were looking for results and we got four.

“But the helping backs and wrong forwards, it is simply a batch to analyse. I can’t remark connected that.”

Presumably if Van Nistelrooy were wholly assured astir the flexibility of players helium has been moving with since the commencement of the season, a straightforward ‘yes’ would person travel into his head.

And the secondary – but precise important – constituent is the accidental for Amorim to bash immoderate meaningful enactment connected the grooming crushed volition beryllium virtually non-existent.

If United advancement successful the EFL Cup, helium mightiness person 1 spare midweek successful his archetypal 3 months successful charge. Amorim is acutely alert of this which is wherefore helium is playing down the expectations that roseate truthful dramatically successful the aftermath of Sporting’s decision of Manchester City past week.

Amorim volition request to find a trio of defenders that acceptable his backmost 3 brief, knowing his quickest option, Leny Yoro, is among those coming backmost from injury. Presumably Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui volition capable the helping backmost slots, with Ugarte, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen the midfield berths, astatine slightest until Kobbie Mainoo is disposable again.

But Fernandes is the important element.

Portugal’s 2nd Nations League crippled doesn’t instrumentality spot until Monday, 18 November, adjacent further limiting the caller caput coach's clip with the Fernandes earlier the Premier League travel to Ipswich connected 24 November.

Van Nistelrooy has stabilised the concern astatine Old Trafford. But if United are to determination connected nether Amorim, helium needs to find the champion mode of getting the astir retired of Fernandes arsenic the skipper moves backmost into form.