Pranav Nair
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes hits back at his critics
Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has been one of the best players in the Premier League since his arrival at the club last year.
He has so far scored 34 goals and made 21 assists in just 62 appearances across all competitions. Currently the club’s top scorer this season, Fernandes only trails behind Mohamed Salah for the Premier League Golden Boot.
Usurping the Liverpool star will see Fernandes become the first midfielder to win the prestigious award. More so, he is also the bookies’ favourite to win this season’s PFA Player of the Year award.
However, despite his success, critics have often pointed out his lack of impact against the traditional top six in English football. Fernandes has scored just two goals scored across eight games against Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea in all competitions this season.
Speaking to Sky Sports (h/t Metro), Fernandes has hit back at his critics for their selective outrage at his performances.
“I don’t know what people mean by ‘top six’, because the teams are in top six in the table.”
Fernandes’s strikes against Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool have both come from setpieces. The former was a penalty while the latter an exquisite free-kick worthy of winning any game. Fernandes believes his performances do not get the respect they deserve.
“I score and assist against some of them. I score this season against Tottenham. But some people say penalties don’t count.”
No game is less important!
The player does not reserve special attention for the big six and has revealed that he takes all the games with the same urgency. After all, it makes little sense to beat the top teams while you struggle against the rest.
“I think the league is not a sprint, it’s a marathon. So you don’t have to score or win against the big six – you have to score and win against everyone.”
Fernandes also went on to add that selective focus on certain stats paints an incomplete picture. The midfielder has, is and will continue to give his best to ensure United wins the game.
“They don’t care about the performance of Bruno, they don’t care about ball recovery or how many chances I create, because I can create 10 chances but if I don’t score, people will say Bruno didn’t play very well.”
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Fernandes has been one of the best players in the league, even in Europe. While it is true that his numbers against the big teams can improve, bashing him for not having done so is just a case of sour grapes.
The player himself is committed to doing his best and there is nothing more a fan or a manager can ask of him.
