“There will always be a problem” Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes hits back at goalscoring critics
Bruno Fernandes off the scoring pace
Since the arrival of fellow Portuguese star Cristiano Ronaldo, Bruno Fernandes has seen his goalscoring contributions drop off.
So far, he sits joint fifth in the Premier League with four goals, alongside the surprising names of Chelsea’s Reece James and Burnley’s Maxwel Cornet. It is not bad, but it is a far cry from the 18 that he notched last season.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – SEPTEMBER 25: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manager of Manchester United with Bruno Fernandes after the Premier League match between Manchester United and Aston Villa at Old Trafford on September 25, 2021 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Of course, part of this is due to the new sheriff in town, Cristiano Ronaldo, taking some of the goalscoring weight off of his compatriots shoulders, and Fernandes is still creating plenty, wiht three assists to his name.
For a man with such high standards, however, he seems off the pace.
Fernandes hits back at goalscoring critics
Now, ahead of the Manchester derby, Fernandes sat down with Sky to discuss his recent form, and hit back at his critics. The Manchester United star revealed that a change of system was contributing to his low tally, as well as a period of adaptation, saying:
“I’m not scoring goals because I’m missing the goal. It’s easy like that.
“The way we played in the last two games, I’ve played a little deeper, yes, but it’s because we changed system and you have to adapt.
“Everyone was adapting themselves. We have to do what is better for the team. I can still do my game wherever I play.
🗣 “I am performing and giving assists but people say ‘yeah but he’s not scoring goals'”
Bruno Fernandes says he has adapted to play in a more deeper role for Manchester United but accepts he will be criticised if his stats dry up. pic.twitter.com/Ki6MnecGIC
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) November 6, 2021
Fernandes continued:
“I know people are upset because the numbers are going a little bit low – goals are going low but assists are coming up. The importance for people of scoring goals is always better than doing assists or a great game.
“Last season everyone was like, ‘he’s scored a lot of goals but he also scores a lot of penalties and he doesn’t perform’.
“Now I perform and give a lot of assists and people say ‘he’s not scoring goals’. There will always be a problem.”
Will Fernandes be able to knit together his goalscoring form with his increasing off the ball work, or will Ronaldo’s shadow continue to loom large over him?
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