Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has emphasized the importance of Bruno Fernandes to his side, after his performance in the 2-1 preseason win over West Ham United on Sunday morning.
Fernandes scored twice in the Red Devils’ Premier League Summer Series opener, to begin their tour of the United States with a morale-boosting win.
The club captain was subject of a mega-money deal to join Saudi Premier League side Al-Hilal in June, opting to stay at Old Trafford rather than make the switch to the Middle East.
Read this: Bruno rejects Saudi approach to remain at Man United
“It was so clear last season,” said Amorim. “You can see it in the assists, the goals. Not just that.
I think now he has more players, I felt that on the tour. I felt that now there are more players to help them to lead the group. That is a good thing. But he’s our leader, so it’s really important. Not just on the field, but also off the field.”
The Red Devils, hoping to put a dismal league campaign behind them, were off to a quick start with Rasmus Hojlund hitting the post inside the opening minute.
Fernandes then opened the scoring in the fifth minute from the penalty spot after a foul by Alphonse Areola.
The 30-year-old doubled United’s advantage with a stunning strike minutes after the restart.
Jarrod Bowen pulled one back for West Ham United, as United closed out the game for a first preseason win this summer.
“It’s impossible to play all the positions,” Amorim continued.
“Last year I felt that sometimes I pushed him back to have more possession in the build-up and then we missed Bruno near the box.
He lives by example. He works really hard. Always available. Sometimes he plays with pain. The problem is sometimes he gets frustrated and sometimes he loses a little bit the focus of his job”, the former Sporting Lisbon manager added.
“Sometimes he wants to help so much his teammates that sometimes it’s not the best thing to do. Bruno has to wait for the ball in different situations. This kind of thing is a leader, but he needs help. And he’s going to have help.”
Manchester United are up against Bournemouth in their next match, before concluding their tour of the United States with a game against Everton.
Olakitan is a young writer with a strong passion for sports, having gained experience with IndyPress and Nimelssa Press. His enthusiasm for sports inspired him to cover events both within his school and beyond. With a deep understanding of the game and a refined skillset, he brings sports coverage to a broad, global audience in a way that’s engaging and accessible.
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