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Bruno Fernandes - Magnifico
- James Budgen
- Mar 10
- 8 min read
Updated: Mar 11
Bruno Fernandes has had doubters ever since his arrival in the Premier League in January 2020, and yet despite being the constant, consistent positive in a sub-par Manchester United era, he doesn't get the praise he deserves, despite proving almost every doubt about him wrong.
'He won't replicate those Sporting numbers'
To recognise Bruno's brilliance, you have to remember the situation he arrived at in January 2020, in which Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was on the brink of the sack, with the team 6 points off the top 4 (that was bad back then),14 points off Leicester City in 3rd, having lost 3 of their last 4 PL games, failing to score in those three losses.
His leadership was evident in his debut against Wolves, where a lot of players joining the situation would play it safe and try to fit in, Bruno came in and immediately showed he was a different breed, demanding the ball, but also demanding other players to move up the pitch.
Bruno's impact on that 2019/20 season was sensational, with United not losing a PL game after his arrival and actually picking up the most points in the PL after his debut, with the Portuguese contributing 8 goals and 7 assists in 14 PL appearances, 20 G+A in all competitions, which propelled United to a 3rd place finish and semi-finals of The FA Cup and Europa League.
'We are better without him'
Despite this tremendous start to his United career, he was still regularly doubted by pundits, with the old "he gives the ball away too much," "he whinges too much," "he doesn't have great footballing IQ."
Despite these doubts, Bruno carried on with his outrageous numbers in the 2020/21 season, scoring 18 goals and assisting 12 in The PL and produced 28 goals and 18 assists in all competitions, with United finishing 2nd (still their only back-to-back top 4 finish since Sir Alex Ferguson retired) and a Europa League final in which they lost on penalties.
Bruno did this despite United not strengthening in the transfer window compared to their rivals, with United's only first team signings being, Edison Cavani on a free, Alex Telles and Donny Van de Beek, which totalled a lower spend than Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea and Liverpool on first team players.
And again, despite producing these eye-watering numbers and magical moments of brilliance, he was still given the same criticism and people were actually clamouring for DONNY VAN DE BEEK over Bruno because Bruno 'gave the ball away too much' and 'the team will work better without Bruno.'
This is the type of nonsense Bruno has had thrown at him since joining Man Utd, with everybody claiming a player will do better than Bruno until its time for them to be better than Bruno and it doesn't happen.
Whilst Bruno's G+A have shrunk since the 2020/21 season, mostly due to being played deeper and reducing quality around him, he has still managed 10+ goals and 10+ assists in all competitions in each season.
This is even more impressive as since Sir Alex retired, only Marcus Rashford (2020/21), Paul Pogba (2018/19) and Wayne Rooney (2013/14) have managed 10+ goals and 10+ assists in a single season and Bruno has done it for a 5th season in a row.
What might be to Bruno's detriment is that he actually plays, and has been the only constant in United's worst ever PL side, making it hard to criticise the players that have washed away over the years or don't play at all, making Bruno the easy target for criticism rather than the deeper issues in the team.
Bruno has played 275 times for United in 5 years, starting 261 times, which is more than Paul Pogba in 7 seasons, 1 less than Luke Shaw in 11 seasons, more starts than Anthony Martial and Juan Mata in 9 seasons and in his 5 full seasons, he has the most minutes of outfield players in 3 of those seasons, and is 2nd placed in the two other.
'He's not a captain'
A lot of discourse around Bruno has been that his is not fit to captain Manchester United (cough cough Roy Keane cough cough) and yet in these conversations (or tantrums) they can't name a better fit captain at the club.
Seriously, name a player at the club more fitting of the captaincy:
Casemiro - Experienced but clearly past his best and doesn't start when everyone is fit.
Lisandro Martinez - Is a leader and has got character but has just 52 PL starts in 2.5 years.
Harry Maguire - Bruno replaced him as captain, clearly respected but 41 PL starts in 2.5 years.
That is seriously the only considerable list of potential captains at the club and they are all deeply flawed and levels below Bruno in terms of respect in the dressing room, performance at the club and future at the club.
He has also led United to trophies, captaining the side in the 2022/23 Carabao Cup final and the 2023/24 FA Cup final, so if you want to criticise his leadership, you can't say his leadership style doesn't win trophies, which is impressive considering the quality of the teams he led to trophies and the quality of other teams in which can't buy a trophy.
'Anyone can do it'
This season you could argue is Bruno's most impressive at the club, mostly due to the absolute lack of quality around him and yet he has stepped up like a captain should, with him totalling 25 G+A in all comps this season so far, despite being played as a deep midfielder under Ruben Amorim for a lot of the season.
Bruno has lived up to the Manchester United badge, dealing with the scrutiny that comes with it and took things into his own hands ever since he's joined, which definitely can't be said for United's signings over the years.
To show how special Bruno is, Antony, Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund cost United a combined €275 million, and have a combined total of 53 G+A for the club, which is less than what Bruno managed himself in the 1920 and 20/21 seasons.
Man Utd have signed a lot of players since Bruno joined to take the attacking load off of the Magnifico, and yet all the attacking signings of Edison Cavani, Donny Van de Beek, Facundo Pellistri, Amad Diallo, Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Christian Eriksen, Rasmus Hojlund, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee have less goal contributions combined (158) than Bruno Fernandes does for United (170).
Bruno has certainly been a victim of being in the wrong place at the wrong time at Man Utd, but despite that he has never wavered in his attitude, giving 100% in each game, which certainly can't be said for every United player, and yet when he cares too much sometimes, sometimes moaning at refs and players, it is seen as a negative thing and detrimental, yet if United were winning more often, this definitely would've been seen positively.
What is for sure, if United had 11 players of Bruno's mentality of wanting to play every game possible, play at 100% in every game and never give up, United would definitely not be in the situation they are now, which puts into question any criticism of his attitude.
Think of the other big name attacking midfielders that joined United post Sir Alex - Angel Di Maria and Paul Pogba, both also joined struggling United teams and both certainly flirted with other clubs rather than putting all their heart into United, with Di Maria leaving after a season and Pogba flirting with multiple clubs throughout his second spell at Old Trafford.
Since Bruno joined United, he has been 100% in at United and has not wavered since, as you never see articles about him being upset with the club, wanting to leave to win bigger trophies, something you couldn't blame him for doing, as if he asked for a transfer, top clubs all over Europe will be looking to sign him.
'INSERT NAME is better'
To recognise you can't take Bruno's success and for granted, since United signed him for around €60 million in January 2020, there has been an abundance of forwards and midfielders that have been signed for around the same price and more that have not anywhere near the success and impact Bruno has had at United.
Here's the list:
Kai Havertz - Chelsea (€80 million) - Scored in Champions League final but scored 31 goals and got 13 assists and was sold after 3 years.
Jack Grealish - Manchester City (€120 million) - Did well in the treble season, but has less goal contributions in his 4 years at City than Bruno in the 2020/21 season.
Jadon Sancho - Manchester United (€85 million) - Shows that the magnitude of Man Utd can swallow a player without the required mentality
Enzo Fernandez - Chelsea (€120 million) - Again shows that talent isn't always enough, and has the same amount of goals in 2.5 years than Bruno managed in the 19/20 season.
Antony - Manchester United (€95 million) - Again shows how the pressure at Man Utd can swallow a player, and he arrived under much less than Bruno.
Mkyhaylo Mudryk - Chelsea (€70 million) - Has less G+A than Bruno managed in 15 games for United.
Richarlison - Spurs (€60 million) - Spent similar on Richarlison than United did on Bruno and has managed just 32 PL starts in 2.5 seasons.
Kai Havertz - Arsenal (€75 million) - Second time on this list, has less G+A since joining Arsenal than Bruno despite being played as a striker for the 2nd best team in the PL.
Dominik Szoboszlai - Liverpool (€70 million) - Actually cost more than Bruno, and is never talked about, and has less goals than Bruno in 1.5 yeas in a title winning team than Bruno managed in 19/20.
Mason Mount - Manchester United - (€65 million) - Again shows why Bruno is way over-hated as Mount has less starts for United in 1.5 years than Bruno managed in the 19/20 season.
Matheus Nunes - Manchester City - (€62 million) - Joined the three-peating champions off the back of a treble for a similar fee to Bruno and is yet to score in the PL for City.
Christopher Nkunku - Chelsea (€60 million) - Played in a similar second striker role at RB Leipzig to Bruno under Solskjaer, but has less PL starts in 1.5 years than Bruno in 19/20.
Omar Marmoush - Manchester City (€75 million) - Had similar numbers at Frankfurt to Bruno at Sporting, also joined a struggling team, but has failed to record a G+A in 8 of 9 appearances.
In conclusion, Bruno Fernandes stands as a testament to resilience and excellence amidst adversity at Manchester United. Since his arrival in January 2020, he has defied doubters and sceptics with his consistent brilliance on the field. Despite being the driving force in a period of inconsistent performances for United, Bruno has often been unfairly criticized, whether for his playing style, leadership, or supposed shortcomings.
From transforming United's fortunes in his debut season to consistently delivering impressive stats season after season, Bruno has been a model of consistency and determination. His impact goes beyond mere numbers, it's about his unwavering commitment to the team, evident in every match he plays.
Even amidst challenging team dynamics and managerial changes, Bruno has remained steadfast, showcasing leadership qualities that many overlook. His ability to influence games and lead by example is unparalleled, making him a pivotal figure in the United squad.
While some may still question his style or effectiveness, Bruno's track record speaks volumes. He continues to be a beacon of hope and excellence for Manchester United, embodying the spirit and determination needed to succeed at the highest level.
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