Pranav Nair
Jose Mourinho questions Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes for his Euro 2020 failings
Speaking to TalkSport (h/t The Metro), former Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho has taken a swipe at Bruno Fernandes after he failed to turn up for Portugal at the Euros.
The Red Devils ace was arguably our best player last season and went into the summer, leading both our goals scored and assists made categories. However, he has failed to make much of a difference for Portugal at the Euros.
While he did have his moments against Hungary, the performance against Germany once again saw him fall short when the team needed him. The defending champions will now take on world champions France knowing full well that their participation in the competition is now at stake.
“He has a lot to give, but the reality is in these two matches he was not there.”
One man who is unimpressed with the player’s performances is Mourinho. A Portuguese national, he is sure to keep a close eye on the tournament ahead of his new challenge at AS Roma next season.
The 58-year-old is under no doubt that Portugal on their day can beat any team in the competition. However, for them to excel as a team, the individual parts have to turn up. He particularly pointed out the lack of impact Fernandes has had on proceedings so far.
“We need to play with eleven players, in these two matches Bruno Fernandes was on the pitch but not playing.”
Now that the stakes are high, Mourinho hopes that Fernandes will turn up the style against France. Didier Deschamps’ side have not yet hit top gear and it remains to be seen if Portugal can make life difficult for them.
“I hope he turns up against France, because he’s a player with incredible potential.”
The ugly truth
While Mourinho is a rather opinionated manager, he is a very fair pundit who often gets to the crux of the matter. While it may be uncomfortable for us to admit, there is evidence in the claim that Fernandes goes missing sometimes.
United as a club saw it in the final of the Europa League when the playmaker was largely invisible. In fact, apart from his penalty in the shootout, it is difficult to name a single notable incident in the game involving him.
The stage is now set for Fernandes to prove that he is no flat-track bully. Whether he will silence his doubters come Wednesday remains to be seen.
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The clash between France and Portugal isn’t just a rematch of the Euro 2016 final but also a confrontation between United’s two best midfielders. Speaking to the press, Fernandes sounded out a challenge to Paul Pogba following the latter’s man of the match performance against Germany.
