Bruno Fernandes was the Manchester United hero as he book-ended a week of 27 penalty kicks with a matchwinner from the spot, deep into injury time, against Burnley.
United led Scott Parker’s side 1-0 at half-time but should have been further ahead, at Old Trafford, after spurning plenty of goalscoring chances. The continued prolifigacy of United’s players was duly punished, after the break, as Burnley twice equalised to leave it 2-2 going into time added on.
Ruben Amorim, and many of his United players, looked deflated as three points were slipping away. However, they were saved when Amad Diallo was fouled running into the Burnley box and, after a VAR review, a penalty was awarded to the home side.
Having missed a penalty in last weekend’s 1-1 draw, away to Fulham, Bruno Fernandes stepped up with a world of pressure weighing on his Portuguese shoulders. After a delay of over two minutes, Fernandes slotted past Martin Dubravka to make it 3-2.
Over on Premier Sports, though, two former Ireland internationals were left stunned by the actions of the United captain in the final minutes AFTER he scored the winning goal.
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Bruno Fernandes criticised by Breen and Delaney
Ruben Amorim has sought to drop Bruno Fernandes deeper into midfield, this season, and wants the likes of Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha in the playmaking roles.
Placing Fernandes beside Casemiro is a disaster waiting to happen, and so it proved in the second half. Burnley started to take control of the game as United’s sharp start fell away. They scored two second-half goals and were desperately unlucky not to have a third, when it was ruled out for a marginal offside.
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When Amorim replaced Casemiro with Benjamin Sesko, chasing a winner, Kobbie Mainoo was left in centre midfield with Fernandes and United were often outnumbered and overrun. In the lead-up to Burnley’s disallowed goal, Fernandes lost possession then fell over, looking for a foul, after failing to win the ball back. He was booked, soon after, for a clear foul, as the Clarets steamed forward.
Fernandes kept his composure, when the penalty was awarded, and let loose with roars of pure joy after he made it 3-2. In the closing minutes, though, he was needlessly drawn into two separate arguments with Burnley players, chided the referee to blow up the match and seemed to forget what position he was playing in.
Commentating on the game for Premier Sport, former Ireland defender Gary Breen was incredulous as the United captain made a run behind the Burnley defensive line. “He’s running through, into the left wing,” exclaimed Breen. “He’s vacating midfield.”
Post-match, Damien Delaney agreed with Breen. The former Crystal Palace and Ireland defender commented:
That’s a complete lack of discipline. Bruno Fernandes makes the corner run and vacates centre midfield. He loses the run of himself… He has no tactical awareness or discipline.”
Following the 3-2 win, Ruben Amorim also explained what was going through his head as Fernandes stood over that late spot-kick.
Ruben Amorim caught flak, midweek, as he sat on the ‘away’ bench and refused to look at the penalty shoot-out against Grimbsy, in the League Cup, which United lost 12-11.
Asked what thoughts were swirling through his head before Bruno Fernandes scored, Amorim said, “I don’t like to see penalties but I do like to see the image of the fans [when it is taken]… I was thinking, ‘What has to be, has to be’.
Sometimes a small moment can change a lot of things… Bruno is not going to miss twice [in a week], so I was confident. It was fair.”
Back in the Premier Sport studio, Kenny Cunningham said he liked Rubin Amorim’s honesty and was hopeful he could improve the club’s fortunes.
Delaney said United were ‘frazelled and dishevelled’ in the second half and did not look like a team that are good enough to finish in the top half of the league table.
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