Man Utd’s Big Ruben Amorim Decision Could Now be a Disaster for Bruno Fernandes

Ruben Amorim will be taking over from Erik ten Hag on 11 November, following a short interim reign from Ruud van Nistelrooy. That news has understandably been met mostly with optimism from the Manchester United fan base.

Loyal supporters will be hoping that, for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013, the Red Devils will have a manager capable of steadying the ship. It’s a big decision from INEOS to give control to a 39-year-old who has never managed in a top-five European league before, let alone the Premier League.

But they’ve had nearly every type of manager since – in David Moyes, Jose Mourinho, Louis van Gaal et al – so why not try something a little different? Only time will tell how things go, but there is already cause for concern for one Man United player.

Indeed, Bruno Fernandes may be looking at the appointment of his former coach with excitement, having played for Sporting CP in the past, but he should be wary of Amorim’s arrival too. Here’s why.

Fernandes Does Not Fit Amorim’s Ideal Formation

No attacking midfield role in 3-4-3

Although both Amorim and Fernandes have strong ties to Lisbon, their paths did not actually cross. The young coach took charge of the Portuguese giants on 4 March 2020, just months after the attacking midfielder had departed for Man United in the winter transfer window.

With that in mind, there is no past relationship or data to look back on to know just what the new Man Utd boss thinks of Fernandes. The 30-year-old has never lined up in an Amorim team. Of course, that issue goes for more than just the club captain.

However, there is a key reason as to why it’s a particular problem for Fernandes. And this is because his new boss is pretty wedded to his 3-4-3 formation. The roles in this setup are pretty defined. Three centre-backs, two wingbacks, two central midfielders, two wingers and a centre-forward.

Fernandes is a central attacking midfielder. He has played 549 club career games, 339 of which have seen him operate in this role. The next most regular position he has played is central midfielder but he’s only done that 89 times.

With that in mind, it won’t be easy for him to seamlessly fit into the team. He could play in the middle of the park, but that’s obviously not his preferred option. What’s more, Man United already have players better suited to that pivot.

With wingbacks on either side, those two central midfielders will have to be disciplined and economical with the ball. Fernandes’ attacking style sees him regularly trying things, able to lose the ball in the pursuit of creating something. In a deeper role, he would not have the same freedom.

The likes of Casemiro, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo are all better suited to the more conservative midfield role. The same could even be argued of Mason Mount and Christian Eriksen.

Amorim May Have Doubts Over Fernandes

Age, wages, and leadership also in question

If he isn’t trusted to play in central midfield, the options don’t look much better elsewhere. He could play in the front three. His next best fit would be as an inside forward on the left flank but there is one big flaw here already: both Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho both prefer this role.

If Fernandes was to start here, they would have to uproot arguably the club’s two best forwards. Carlo Ancelloti has faced a similar issue at Real Madrid following the arrival of Kylian Mbappe in the summer. He plays left-wing, just like Vinicius Junior. And while the Italian tries to work out how to get them into the same starting XI, Los Blancos have gone from La Liga and Champions League winners to El Clasico whipping boys.

Perhaps he could play as a centre-forward but the club have spent big money on young stars Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund in recent windows, so they will surely be given every chance at making the number 9 spot their own – as opposed to someone who has played that position just eight times in their career.

There is another issue for Fernandes in all this too and that’s his age. One thing that has been said about Amorim is that he is good at the development of young players. If the Portuguese ace was younger, he could perhaps be moulded into a new role. Now 30, however, his new boss may look at the club captain and feel that ship has sailed.

Fernandes is undoubtedly a brilliant player. But when Amorim arrives in England, he may soon look at the attacking midfielder with some doubts. He is on mammoth wages (£300k-p/w), doesn’t fit naturally into his ideal starting XI, is now in his 30s and has a reputation for being a petulant leader.

It could be a huge call, but the 39-year-old may feel as though he’s better off without the attacking midfielder. Fernandes will need to make a good impression early on to convince his new boss of his worth.

Stats via Transfermarkt – correct as of 04-11-24.