- Published
It is only seven weeks since Bruno Fernandes stood in the Manchester Opera House and spoke of his pride at being named PFA Player of the Year for 2025-26.
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Fernandes → publish → 2025
The Manchester United captain had already won the Premier League and Football Writers' versions, in recognition of the phenomenal contribution to his side's unexpected third-place finish.
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captain → win → finish
Fernandes scored nine goals and claimed 21 assists, breaking a Premier League record jointly held by Thierry Henry and Kevin de Bruyne that had stood for 23 years.
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that → score → years
Over the final 11 games of the season, of the 21 goals United scored, Fernandes either found the net himself or created 12 of them.
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Fernandes → score → them
In the seven-game run that swept United back into Europe's elite club competition after a two-year absence, the 31-year-old was a central figure in nine out of 12 goals.
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old → sweep → goals
Statistically, it was remarkable, reminiscent of Eric Cantona in the 1995-96 title-winning campaign when he scored in six successive games, five of them when United only scored once.
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United → win → them
"It was a special season for me," Fernandes told an appreciative audience.
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Fernandes → tell → audience
"But we don't play tennis.
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we → play → tennis
We don't play just for ourselves.
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We → play → ourselves
We play for a team, we play for a club, we play for the fans.
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we → play → fans
"
Those words have particular resonance now because, compared with those exceptional statistics, there are some far less impressive ones this season.
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words → have → statistics
Fernandes has played for every minute of Manchester United's six Premier League games.
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Fernandes → play → games
He has three goals and one assist, all of which came against Ipswich, the second game of the campaign and, so far, his side's only win.
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all → have → campaign
The numbers are actually better than last term, when he scored twice in the opening six games and failed to create any.
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he → score → any
However, at that point, Fernandes was playing in the deeper midfield role Ruben Amorim preferred.
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Amorim → play → role
Look a bit deeper, and issues emerge.
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issues → look → ?
His chance creation (2.5 per game on average) is also the second lowest of his time at Old Trafford and down significantly on the 4.0 he returned last season.
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he → return → 4.0
Even more startlingly, he has created just one 'big chance' so far this season, the lofted pass that sent Bryan Mbeumo running clear of the Ipswich defence on 30 August.
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that → create → August
A combination of Fernandes' numbers and his general involvement perhaps goes some way to explaining why United have collected just six points from their opening six games, their worst start to a league campaign in 40 years, when Ron Atkinson was eventually sacked to make way for Sir Alex Ferguson.
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Atkinson → go → Ferguson
Fernandes rarely misses a game but was left out of the recent Nations League encounter with Norway as national team boss Jorge Jesus said the former Sporting man was "playing through pain".
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man → miss → pain
However, Fernandes was fit enough to return for the final two internationals of the extended break.
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Fernandes → return → break
Prior to that, he completed the full 90 minutes in the 4-0 win against Azerbaijani champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
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he → complete → League
United manager Michael Carrick does not view it as an issue.
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Carrick → view → issue
"He was carrying something but that happens a lot," he said.
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he → carry → something
"Players play with issues.
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Players → play → issues
Bruno is able to play.
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Bruno → play → ?
That is the commitment he has got.
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he → get → ?
"He is pretty much over it, was really bright in training this morning and is looking forward to the game.
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He → look → game
Of the nine league goals Sesko has scored in 2026, Fernandes created four.
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Fernandes → score → four
Fernandes was responsible for four of the final five goals Casemiro scored as a Manchester United player from 1 February onwards.
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Casemiro → score → February
Quite aside from goals, it is also clear the presence of Sesko and Casemiro is being missed.
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presence → miss → Sesko
Even Casemiro's biggest admirers could not claim United's current low running stats are because the 34-year-old left for Inter Miami in the summer.
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old → claim → summer
However, his positioning and game knowledge remain of a high standard.
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positioning → remain → standard
Fernandes could take risks in the belief United would not be overrun on transition if he lost the ball.
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he → take → ball
As for Sesko, his fresh shin injury merely extends a lack of involvement which is being keenly felt and for which, as yet, there is no end date.
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which → extend → which
The club's power brokers ignored a clamour to bring in more striking support in the summer and instead reinforced Carrick's midfield.
But a plan to cover the Slovenian's initial absence by using Mbeumo as a number nine had to be scrapped when Amad Diallo suffered an ankle injury just before the opening game at Hull.
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Diallo → ignore → Hull
Matheus Cunha was given the job instead, but he repeatedly dropped deep, right into the space Fernandes was occupying, and the pair never really found an effective way of dealing with it.
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pair → give → it
For Fernandes, it feels restrictive, and while he is not a player who lacks confidence, it does seem his decision-making is being affected.
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making → feel → Fernandes
Against Tottenham at the weekend, it took Fernandes an incredible 23 minutes just to complete a pass.
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it → take → pass
Carrick said on Monday, as he looked ahead to a meeting with Atletico Madrid, that no-one was "guaranteed" a place in his team - but put enough caveats around it to indicate leaving out his captain is not in his thinking.
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leaving → say → thinking
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
