Manchester United were defeated by Newcastle United yesterday in one of the most frustrating Premier League defeats of the season. What made the dominant performance even more frustrating was that they were outfought rather than outclassed.
“I don’t think they won the game on quality today, I think they won it on passion, desire, hunger, attitude, and they had higher motivation than us, and that can’t be possible,” Luke Shaw said in a post-match interview.
“Every time we lose, I feel like I say the same things.” This is not acceptable. That is not possible at Manchester United.” Although admitting such a problem is commendable, it is something that must be addressed; the Red Devils cannot afford to become involved in a battle for the top four, especially with the FA Cup and Europa League still occupying their schedule.
Erik ten Hag must find a solution to this slump in league form, and one shocking conclusion could be to finally drop Bruno Fernandes. How did Bruno Fernandes perform against Newcastle United? Since that humiliating loss to Liverpool, it appears that the Portuguese midfielder has come under increasing scrutiny for his declining level of performance.
After being chastised at Anfield for his poor attitude, and struggling to make an impact at St James’, many sections of the media sought to highlight their frustrations, with journalist Thomas Alencar writing: “Bruno Fernandes was very out of touch and missed a lot of passes on the counterattacks.
” This was supported by his statistics, in which he lost possession 16 times and won only one of the six duels he competed in, resulting in his abysmal 6.4 rating on Sofascore. Fellow writer Thomas Hammond even suggested that the Magpies’ style of play had rendered the 28-year-old completely “ineffective.”
The most scathing criticism, however, came from producer Elliot Hawkins, who said he was “embarrassed to have Fernandes and Antony on my team.” Despite 59 touches, the £240k-per-week playmaker’s influence on the pitch was limited to attempting the impossible and failing miserably.
This was his second Sofascore rating of 6.4 or lower in his last three games, and with high-flying Brentford and survival-seeking Everton on the horizon, things aren’t looking good.
Dropping him in favor of the resurgent Scott McTominay in the more offensive role that has seen him thrive for Scotland could give the Portuguese star some perspective on the kind of levels he needs to maintain to keep his place in the team.
