It's not long ago that Bruno Fernandes was the first name on the Manchester United team sheet, but right now, there is reason to suggest he doesn't even deserve to start anymore.
The 27-year-old's level of performance has dropped dramatically in the last couple of matches, including against Arsenal last weekend, where he reached arguably his lowest ebb in a United shirt with a disasterclass on a day when he captained the side and top-four failure was all but confirmed.
What makes Fernandes so frustrating at times also holds the key to his brilliance. He is a player who goes against the grain, ignoring percentage plays and safe options by taking risks, often uncalculated, in the hope of making something happen.
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It is this independent decision-making which United lacked so badly when they signed him in January 2020, identifying the Portuguese playmaker as the answer to a midfield which so often struggled to break down defensive opposition.
Even amid his torrid run of form, the stats speak for themselves. Fernandes has nine goals and 14 assists this season, taking his tally up to 49 goals and 39 assists for the club from just 122 appearances.
His impact since he joined from Sporting has certainly warranted a new contract, something which was first discussed within months of him joining the club, but United repeated past mistakes with the timing of it, seemingly rewarding a player when their current impact on the pitch didn't warrant it.
Since signing his new deal, Fernandes has played five matches, scoring no goals, registering no assists and missing a crucial penalty against Arsenal at the weekend. Though, it is important to note that Fernandes is not the only player struggling in this United side - Jadon Sancho and Paul Pogba have no direct goal contributions in their last five games, while Marcus Rashford has none in his last ten.
While there can be no sugar-coating the awful form of Fernandes, his recent demise instead perhaps proves just how integral he is to this United side. When he doesn't play well, neither does the team.
In the wake of the Arsenal defeat, there has been fresh criticism directed at the Portuguese and a misleading social media narrative that he has been a long-term issue for the club, masking problems with penalties.
The truth is that Fernandes was probably a little overhyped as United fans sought a new star man at a time of need, though the 27-year-old certainly has been a success since he joined the club.
He won four Premier League Player of the Month awards in his first calendar year at the club and was named in the PFA Team of the Year in 2021. In each of his two seasons at Old Trafford, he won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year award, and a little less than a month ago, he secured Portugal's passage to the World Cup with a starring role in their play-off victory over North Macedonia, stealing the show as part of a team which also had Ronaldo, Diogo Jota and Bernardo Silva on the pitch.
To hammer Fernandes for his last handful of appearances is rash revisionism, and although he has been out-of-form throughout the season, it is wrong to completely write off his entire time at the club as if it was all pure luck.
United can't ignore the role they've played in his recent demise either. Not only has the Portuguese been overplayed and overhyped, but the timing of his contract extension was misjudged and sent out a bad message by rewarding an underperforming player with an unwarranted reward.
If the club really is going to turn a corner when Erik ten Hag arrives this summer, then there needs to be a fresh approach to contract renewals and ensure there is an incentive to earn these new deals.
In his first 18 months at United, Fernandes might have deserved a new deal, but that didn't mean he deserved one this month.
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