Manchester United vs. Manchester City
How Bruno Fernandes has Improved United
With Manchester United set to face Manchester City in the Premier League this weekend, both teams come into the match in good form. While City have just recently won the Carabao Cup, Manchester United have put on impressive displays in both the Europa League and the Premier League.
Much of this solid form for United has come of the result of their January acquisition, Bruno Fernandes. Having written an article on the Portuguese a few weeks ago on how he might fit into this United side, it’s fair to say he’s settled in nicely since then.
And as he prepares for his first English derby, let’s look into his performances thus far, and what they mean for this crucial upcoming match.
Since his arrival in late January, Fernandes has made 5 starts for United, including all 4 matches that they’ve played in the Premier League. Although this is a very limited timeframe, his impact has been immense over this period, and it looks as if there could be more to come.
While his move from Liga Nos was risky at 55 million euros, he’s been everything that United fans could have dreamt of up to this point. Slotting in as the attacking midfielder in Solskjaer’s 4-2-3-1, he looks as if he might have been the missing piece in United’s puzzle. This is a move that United have clearly planned carefully. Not only is the player’s quality immense, but he seems to fit his assigned role perfectly as well.
In the four Premier League matches that he’s played up to this point, it’s quite clear how Solskjaer prefers to use him. Although he is stationed as United’s attacking midfielder, he offers so much more than a typical player in that position.
At times, he’s dropped in almost a central midfielder. This has given United a progressive option from deep, as well as a deep-lying playmaker in the absence of Paul Pogba. His ability to roam around the pitch makes him a constant threat to United’s opponents, while also making him difficult to mark. What’s perhaps most striking is his constant desire to get on the ball. In United’s last match against Everton, Fernandes attempted the most passes on the field, with 58. Only Luke Shaw completed more passes than his 42.
This has been a trend since his arrival, as he is consistently involved in United’s buildup play. Solskjaer has recognized his technical abilities, and clearly wants his star man in possession at every possible moment.
In the Premier League, Fernandes has already managed 2 goals and 2 assists. This is really no surprise, when considering the frequency of his involvement. After scoring his first goal from the penalty spot, he popped up with a crucial goal against Everton just last weekend. This was his first goal from open play for United, and it’s no surprise that it came off of a long range effort.
During his time in Portugal, he was infamous for his many long range goals. And in the Premier League this year, he is now off the mark from distance. It’s clear to see why he’s such a prolific long range finisher. Out of players who have played more than 300 Premier League minutes, Fernandes ranks first for shots per 90 in the United squad. His 3.75 shots per 90 ranks 2nd in the entire league, and is only bettered by Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.
However, his record of only 1 shot per 90 from within the penalty area proves that he prefers an effort from distance. Although this isn’t a bad thing given his shooting abilities, it does raise concerns over his shooting efficiency. No doubt Solskjaer will be looking to improve these figures, and hoping that Fernandes becomes more effective in terms of his shot locations.
Fernandes’ main job though, is to provide progression and creativity in the side. While his finishing is an added bonus, United have been in far greater need of a creative engine. From what he showed in Portugal, and from what we’ve seen in his brief spell at United so far, it looks as if he’ll be able to perform well in that role.
Fernandes’ 2 key passes per 90 in the Premier League is bettered by only Juan Mata and Paul Pogba in the United squad (players with more than 300 Premier League minutes). Although he might not have the same passing range as someone like Paul Pogba, he is clearly a very tidy passer in the final third.
In terms of progression, he ranks 5th in the squad for passes into the final third per 90, and 8th for passes into the penalty area. Although this isn’t brilliant, many of the players who have performed better than him are peripheral figures in the squad. The likes of Mata, Matic, Williams and Lingard all have major gaps in their game, and therefore are liabilities when started consistently. With Paul Pogba out injured, this is another impressive passer who is not currently playing in the first team.
In fact, since his arrival, Fernandes has accumulated more expected assists than any other player in the United squad. This proves his effectiveness as a creative outlet, but also the drastic need for a creator within Solskjaer’s system.
By now, it’s obvious that Fernandes has been a well-rounded attacking player at his new club. However; what’s perhaps even more impressive is that he is also contributing from a defensive standpoint.
His 2.5 tackles per game incredibly ranks 2nd in the squad, behind only Aaron Wan-Bissaka. This not only shows his defensive workrate from an attacking position, but also highlights the pressing role that he’s been playing. In reality, he’s playing a far deeper role than many anticipated. Playing somewhere between a traditional 8 and 10, he acts as a roaming playmaker when on the attack. Defensively though, he is required to sit in front of United’s double-pivot, while also pressing the opposition.
His tackle numbers show that he is clearly involved when United lose the ball, which could be a deciding factor as they come up against City. It’s important that United do put City under pressure when they’re in possession, in order for the Red Devils to stay competitive in the match.
Overall, Fernandes could be a key component in this upcoming fixture. Both offensively and defensively, Fernandes provides something that United didn’t have the last time they faced their city rivals. Although United performed well in the earlier league meeting between the two sides, they struggled in a 3-2 aggregate loss in the Carabao Cup.
In the first leg of this cup tie, United were comfortably beaten 3-1, after City went three goals up in the first half. Their somewhat unusual tactical setup dumbfounded Solskjaer and his men, and led to what was a dominant Manchester City performance.
In this match, Guardiola opted for a 4-2-3-1/4-2-4 formation. What was more surprising, however, was the use of Bernardo Silva as a false nine, with De Bruyne playing in and around him. De Bruyne was offered a floating role, which allowed him to play as a striker but maintain his usual attacking freedom. United’s midfield struggled to cope with the dynamic movement of Bernardo Silva and De Bruyne up front. As a result, they were caught out a number of times on the break, and Silva and De Bruyne were allowed to run the game from midfield.
Although it’s likely that City will switch back to their favoured 4-3-3 for this upcoming game, United will need to improve their midfield security. De Bruyne will always pose a threat from midfield, and will probably play in a similar roaming playmaker role this time round.
However; United are now better equipped to deal with City’s midfield dominance. Solskjaer has recently been employing Nemanja Matic as a defensive midfielder, and to great effect. Somewhat surprisingly, the Serbian has impressed over United’s last few games, and has actually stabilized United’s midfield. This has been a big reason for the upturn in United’s defensive performances. And at the base of midfield, he’s a massive improvement on Andreas Pereira who was used in their earlier 3-1 defeat.
The addition of Bruno Fernandes at the tip of midfield will also boost United’s chances in the match.
Although Fernandes typically performs best when his side are in possession, he can still be a useful asset in this fixture. His pressing ability and defensive awareness should be crucial against such a possession-dominant side. Also, his passing prowess should give United an extra edge on the break.
With Pogba out injured for so much of this season, this is the first time in a while that United have had a real creative player on their hands. His passing abilities can be used to split City open on the counter-attack, rather than give them an edge in spells of possession. While we haven’t necessarily seen Fernandes’ counter-attacking gameplay as of yet, you’d imagine he’d be a useful player to have when looking for a quick break.
Given the threat that he adds to Solskjaer’s team, I believe that United will avenge their Carabao Cup performance against the Citizens. While it’s quite unlikely that they win, I believe the final outcome will be a 2-2 draw; a classic in the Manchester Derby.
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