Bruno Fernandes named Manchester United’s Player of the Month | OneFootball

Manchester United have named Bruno Fernandes as the club’s player of the month for April.

“Fending off stiff competition from Harry Maguire and Alejandro Garnacho, Fernandes has stepped up when needed during a vital stage of our campaign,” a statement on the official Man United website read, justifying his victory.

Fernandes played every minute of United’s six fixtures in all competitions in April. While a challenging period for Erik ten Hag’s team, with only two wins in addition to four draws and a defeat, United’s skipper nonetheless proved his worth on several occasions.

The Portuguese playmaker scored in a 4-3 defeat to Chelsea while also drawing level in his team’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool in the Premier League.

He then grabbed a brace against Bournemouth, saving his side from embarrassment in a 2-2 draw. It was then off to Wembley, where United were set to face Coventry City for a spot in the FA Cup final. Fernandes was United’s lifeline, scoring a goal and bagging an assist as the match ended in a 3-3 draw after 120 minutes.

During the subsequent penalty shootout, Fernandes showed his complacency by scoring to secure a 7-5 win.

While Fernandes was clearly United’s standout player in April, it wasn’t just during this month that the club captain has proven crucial.

In 45 games in all competitions this season, Fernandes has found the back of the net 15 times while providing 11 assists. (Transfermarkt)

Completing 87% of all passes within his own half during his 33 Premier League games, Fernandes has shown his quality on the ball time and again. He has been particularly lethal on the attack, with an xG of 9.94 while successfully converting 11% of his shots into goals.

Still, he has also been effective at tracking back to support his team in defence, with 2 tackles per match and 5.8 ball recoveries per game on average. (Stats via Sofascore)

Although the United captain has been a revelation for his team, United’s, and more specifically, Ten Hag’s reliance on Fernandes to bail them out of trouble is a major concern.

Not only is it dangerous to rely on a single player for results, but it’s clear that Fernandes cannot deliver success to Old Trafford single-handedly, especially given the lack of wins that United have had as of late.

With only two wins in six in April and 16 wins in 34 Premier League matches across the course of the season, a summer transfer overhaul may be necessary in order to bolster the United squad and ensure that it has the necessary depth to improve over the course of the next campaign.

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