Viral video shows Bruno Fernandes was let down badly by Man Utd's finishing in 22/23 | OneFootball

Manchester United midfield maestro Bruno Fernandes has been one of the club’s standout performers in recent times, and viral footage of his 2022/23 season has emerged showing just how creative he was.

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Unfortunately, all too often, his Red Devils' teammates failed to convert the chances he laid on for them.

His teammate Marcus Rashford carried the majority of the goalscoring responsibility at the club in 2022/23, but often the England international would be shunted infield to plug a gap, while Fernandes moved to the right-hand side of the front three to help the balance of the side.

But the pair were still responsible for the majority of United’s attacking success regardless of where they were deployed on the pitch - with Fernandes seemingly creating openings for fun at times.

While the former Sporting Lisbon ace still amassed a respectable 15 assists in all competitions, that return is just a fraction of what it could have been.

Watch: Two-minute compilation of Bruno Fernandes being let down by Man Utd's finishing during the 2022/23 season

Twitter user @TenHagEra took to Twitter to share footage of United players squandering opportunities carved out by Fernandes last season, together with a caption insisting that the player 'deserved 35+ assists alone last season’.

You can check out the two-minute clip of Fernandes feeding his colleagues pinpoint balls throughout last season below...

United fans might well be wondering how different their season could have looked had the club's attacking line been more clinical when it came to some of the chances provided by Fernandes.

Their local rivals Manchester City are blessed with a sublime partnership between Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland when it comes to chances being converted into goals.

Not every opportunity will end up in the back of the net, but if United want to challenge the Premier League's top sides moving forward, they simply can't afford to be wasting chances with the regularity seen in the above compilation.

How has Bruno Fernandes performed for Manchester United?

Fernandes has arguably been the club’s smartest addition in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

In 185 total games, he has racked up a highly impressive 64 goals and 54 assists considering he is usually deployed as a central attacking midfielder.

His best return came in 2020/21 when he scored 28 goals and notched a further 17 assists in 58 matches.

Goal involvements aside, it is the intangible aspects of his game which make him - at times - indispensable. His tenacious off-the-ball work rate married up with his inherent intelligence when in possession makes him such a valuable asset for his boss Erik ten Hag.

As well as this, in the absence of Harry Maguire, Fernandes has adopted armband duties and looks poised to be appointed club captain, regardless of whether Maguire stays put or not.

Another string to his ever-growing bow is that his availability record, especially in the season just gone, blew the majority of players out of the park as he missed just three games in his side’s 62-game campaign.

Is a centre-forward the missing piece of Manchester United’s puzzle?

The footage would suggest so, wouldn’t it?

According to the official Premier League website, United’s Portuguese midfielder created the most chances last season with 119, while he finished joint-ninth in the league’s assist rankings.

However, it seems evident that the remaining funds in United’s prospective kitty will be invested in a new goalkeeper following the departure of David de Gea. While securing a new shot-stopper is all well and good, last season’s frailties in front of goal - highlighted by the footage - should be an area of deep concern.

United's early interest in Tottenham Hotspur and England hitman Harry Kane would have pricked the ears of the Old Trafford faithful.

However, their limited budget, combined with Spurs chief Daniel Levy’s reluctance to sell to a side in the Premier League, meant Kane was never realistically going to find his way to the 'Theatre of Dreams'.

Atalanta’s 20-year-old Rasmus Hojlund - who has been likened to the goal-gobbling Haaland - is now United's primary target in terms of a new striker for the upcoming season, but the Serie A outfit won't be willing sellers.

Whether club chiefs can hammer out a deal remains to be seen, but Fernandes will surely hope that his employers can bring the talented youngster to Old Trafford.