What woke up Bruno: ETH's departure, or did Ruud do something good?
Reading Time: 2min | Mon. 11.11.24. | 14:07
Under Ten Hag, the Portuguese was goalless in 25 attempts. Under Van Nistelrooy he netted four times in as many games. So, what's the real reason behind the change?
Bruno Fernandes' so-far season has been a wild ride, or a roller coaster if you wish. Only his train has just recently started going upwards. Until one particular point, the Portuguese has been going straight downhill, thinking he's going to crash.
The point? Erik ten Hag's departure. The relationship between the Dutch tactician and Man United's captain was never publicly characterized as bad or spoiled. Still, Fernandes' performances, and the team's results at the same time, clearly showed something was not all right.
Fifteen days ago against West Ham, Bruno marked a jubilee - 25 attempts without a goal this season. An obvious indicator of the skipper's crisis. The two red cards in as many consecutive games - the 30-year-old's first in his career - were only a confirmation. However, since Ten Hag left and Ruud van Nistelrooy temporarily took over the bench, Fernandes has become a different player - the old Bruno.
Bruno Fernandes joins Cristiano Ronaldo as the only two Portuguese players to reach 💯 goal contributions in Premier League history 🇵🇹👏 pic.twitter.com/dlGrLALmQf
— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) November 10, 2024
Namely, in four matches under the former Red Devils' forward, the midfielder has netted as many times, adding two assists to his tally. The team has also woken up, recording three triumphs and a draw against Chelsea. Again, an obvious indicator, but this time of Bruno's revival.
Despite their - at least for the public - good relationship, one cannot help but connect Fernandes' form improvement to Ten Hag's departure. After all, Bruno publicly supported Jadon Sancho after his move to Stamford Bridge, which many interpreted as "choosing sides" and standing against his then-manager.
Bruno Fernandes has scored 5 goals and assisted twice in five games since Ten Hag left
— T🕷️(fan) (@TheUnitedLad__) November 10, 2024
He's finally free 😭pic.twitter.com/V1mwdji61b
In the end, regardless of the reasons behind his waking up, United fans can rejoice that their captain is again on the right path to becoming the old one. Even more pleased will be Ruben Amorim who'll have a "real" Bruno at his disposal, whom he can rely on. But before that, they'll probably share a word or two about Sporting Lisbon, the club where both made names for themselves.
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