Bruno Fernandes has had a season of two halves this year, but he has confirmed the Ruben Amorim theory about his position.
Widespread criticism has been thrown Ruben Amorim’s way for his (mis)use of Bruno Fernandes, who was stationed as a defensive midfielder.
Fernandes’ performances since Michael Carrick restored him to the No. 10 spot have only served to heighten those calls.
Now, Fernandes has confirmed a theory about his defensive midfield position and how it changed him.
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Bruno Fernandes on playing in defensive midfield
Fernandes is United’s best creator, so common sense dictates that he should be playing closer to the goal.
However, Amorim clearly thought differently, and he has been made to look misguided by Carrick, who has built the team around Fernandes’ creative talents.
Still, Fernandes did well as a defensive midfielder, at least in possession, and he has now said that playing that position made him a better player as well.
Speaking on the Inside Carrington podcast, Fernandes said playing deeper allowed him to see the game better and complete his game.
He said: “I think playing deeper on the pitch gave me an overall view of the game or how I should play in certain moments, when to speed up the game, when to slow it down, understanding also the feeling of the players that normally play deeper than me, make you understand how much space they have to cover, how they react, how you have to react in certain situations, and I think that helped me a lot.”
Fernandes has confirmed Ruben Amorim theory
Amorim has caught a lot of flak for shackling Fernandes, but the player has now confirmed what’s been felt by Man Utd fans since Carrick made the change.
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Inadvertently, Amorim has made Fernandes a better player due to the deeper role, and Carrick is benefiting from it.
Carrick inherited a player who has combined his creative excellence with ball retention, balancing risk and reward perfectly.
It has made him lethal in the final third and secure anywhere before that phase, which was the only criticism of Fernandes.
Gone are the impossible Hollywood passes to cede possession, and their place has been taken by laser-guided passes and ball circulation.
It isn’t what Amorim was going for when he played Fernandes deeper, so credit goes to the player for coming out of a difficult situation with his reputation and skill set enhanced.
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