As the Old Trafford crowd waited for this game to kick-off they let out a chant to welcome what they hope will be their next Portuguese hero. “Bruno, Bruno” was the cry from the Manchester United fans who were ready to see Bruno Fernandes land a knockout blow on his debut.
Unfortunately it was more of the same this season for United. Ninety minutes of football later and the final whistle to end a goalless draw against Wolves that did neither side any favors were greeted with a resigned silence.
In between Fernandes showed flashes of quality. The £ million man had five of United’s 47 shots, tried the most passes of any player on the pitch and had the second most touches, behind Aaron Wan-Bissaka. There was promise in this debut.
The former Sporting Lisbon midfielder was also asked to play two different roles, switching at half-time into a deeper role alongside Fred, having played the first half in the hole behind Anthony Martial .
From that position Fernandes stung the palms of international teammate Rui Patricio and looked a lively threat. Yet those around him in attack were again failing to fire. Neither Daniel James or Martial managed a shot in the game, while Martial’s 90 touches and James’ 49 were by far the lowest of United players .
So at the break Ole Gunnar Solskjaer mixed it up. Fernandes is a versatile midfielder, capable of playing deep as well as more advanced roles. In the second half it was the latter, with Andreas Pereira moved to the left wing and Juan Mata dropped in behind Martial. United built up a head of steam late on, but it would be difficult to say this switch made much difference to their attacking play.
The change may have been intended to get United’s most creative and aggressive passer, in Fernandes, on the ball more often, but little changed in the game until late on. United continued to look toothless for too long.
Fernandes is a player who will lose the ball on plenty of occasions, but that’s because he will look for the line-splitting passes, yet his options from deep against a disciplined Wolves side were limited.
All the alteration served to do was highlight the fact that United ideally need two Bruno Fernandes’. His versatility can be a weapon but here it exposed other holes in the squad.
United have done a fine bit of business in landing the Portuguese midfielder in this window and on this evidence he has plenty to offer, but the team, and especially the midfield, must now change around him. Pereira was again ineffectual, in whatever role he played, while Mata drifted in and out of the game without really threatening.
Fernandes is a promising piece of the jigsaw for United’s rebuild, but he needs more around him. In fairness to Solskjaer, injuries are not helping his cause at the moment, and Fernandes would no doubt look more at home in a midfield staffed by Paul Pogba and Scott McTominay, but Pogba is unlikely to be here next season, when the rebuild has to gather pace.
United will hope Fernandes can have an impact between now and May, while simultaneously becoming accustomed to the pace of the Premier League. They will expect to see the best of him next season, when the players lining up around him should look very different and United should be ready to take a significant step forward.
For now Solskjaer needs to decide where Fernandes is best suited to his United side, because as good as he may well turn out to be, he can’t play two roles.
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