Amad is the toast of Manchester United currently as he’s in the midst of a generational breakout season, emerging as the club’s most important player.
It is a far cry from the start of the season for Amad, where he couldn’t get a game once Alejandro Garnacho returned from international duty.
Even Antony was preferred ahead of him by Erik ten Hag, a decision that was questionable then, and is borderline unbelievable with the benefit of hindsight.
However, amidst all the plaudits coming Amad’s way, and deservedly so, Bruno Fernandes has shared a brutally honest assessment of the Ivorian.
Bruno Fernandes on Amad this season
After a hattrick against Southampton saved Man Utd’s blushes at home again, Amad is going through his best run of form at Old Trafford.
He’s become important to the extent that the team looks to find him every time they have the ball, and the player is delivering in kind too.
It has led to a school of thought that Amad has improved massively this season but that’s something Bruno Fernandes doesn’t agree with, urging the player to not let his guard down even for a moment.
In an interview with SuperSport, Fernandes shared that his main concern with Amad is that he gets carried away by the sudden success and plaudits.
Fernandes said: “[Amad] hasn’t grown, he’s been always the same. The thing is he’s getting chances now. He’s always been doing the same thing so he’s getting his flowers now.
“My concern with Amad, and this is why I’m always on top of him, is that if he gets carried away now like, ‘Oh, I’ve done it and now I don’t need to push myself a little bit more’.
“He’s not been that kind of player since he arrived and I don’t want him to turn into that player. I want him to push himself even more now because expectations on him now are much higher.
“We want him to shine because he has qualities. The main thing I want is for Amad to keep his focus on improving every day. He has to understand that because he’s done that, that’s why he’s got his chances.”
Fernandes showing captain’s mentality at Man Utd
Keeping a thriving young player’s feet on the ground amidst a breakout is one of the hardest things to do for a player or the manager so Fernandes’ words are the perfect ones for Amad to latch onto.
That is something Ruben Amorim has also stressed with Amad since arriving and Fernandes’ statement shows the captain’s mentality.
As one of the senior players in the squad and the club captain, Fernandes plays a crucial role in setting the culture at the club and keeping players accountable.
That accountability is now more important than ever for Amad because he’s become a marked man in the opposition scouting reports.
This is the moment to take his game to the next level instead of resting on his laurels and revelling in his breakout moment. Fortunately, in Fernandes, he’s got the perfect teammate to help make that happen.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
