In the 81st minute, Bruno Fernandes tried to win the game for Manchester United. It was a manoeuvre those at Old Trafford have grown used to since his arrival in January 2020 — Fernandes spends large sections of the match looking out of sorts until the ball falls kindly to him in the final third and he makes a killer pass or has a quality shot on goal.
In the 1-1 draw against Twente, Fernandes was having one of those games. His first touch was off. His passes did not have their usual quality. His lack of explosive speed, or quality dribbling, meant he found it difficult to get the ball out from under his feet, and into areas where he could hurt the Dutch side. But when Noussair Mazraoui rushed in to pinch the ball off Sayfallah Ltaief on the edge of Twente’s area nine minutes from time, those frustrations began to fade into the rearview.
Things got even better when Manuel Ugarte laid off the ball for Fernandes, giving him a good chance to shoot on goal. The 30-year-old tried to curl his shot into the far corner of Lars Unnerstall’s goal, but his effort went just off target. After his miss, United’s captain collapsed to his knees, screamed to the heavens and sank further into the turf. He needed the intervention of Mason Mount to pick him up and start again.
Fernandes has spent four and a half seasons helping United snatch victories. In his fifth full campaign at Old Trafford, he needs more help.
He continued his so-so start to the 2024-25 season in this Europa League opener, losing possession on 19 occasions and only creating one chance. The team around him fared little better, off-colour for most of the game.
Christian Eriksen’s inspired finish gave them the lead in the first half, only for him to play a part in a bizarre sequence of defending that gave way to Sam Lammers’ equaliser in the second. It continues a worrying trend for United, who have not won in Europe since a nervy 1-0 victory against Copenhagen last October — their only win from nine Champions League/Europa League games.
The new revised league phase format of the Europa League means this draw can be filed as disappointing, rather than disastrous, but the club have failed to win their opening match in European competition in the past four seasons. Opposition teams have played with the knowledge that if they can hold their nerve when defending their goal, and counter-attack at speed, they are in with a chance.
At the full-time whistle, 4,000 travelling Twente fans celebrated the draw as if it was a victory. Analysts working for the Eredivisie side punched the air and hugged each other out of happiness.
“We wanted more, but in the end, it was far from good enough,” said Eriksen to TNT Sports. “They (Twente) looked like they wanted it more than us and that can’t be right.”
Erik ten Hag’s side have moved away from the injury-inflicted, counter-attacking mess of 2023-24, but long-standing issues remain. United’s midfield is an oddity that no combination of available players is solving. Goals appear hard to come by, with Joshua Zirkzee failing to connect on several crosses. Ten Hag has an assortment of talented wingers but United are often flummoxed when tasked with breaking down deep defensive blocks. The 2024-25 season is still young enough to allow for correction, but they have emerged victorious in 10 of their last 25 matches.
Fernandes has not been at his best this season (Michael Regan/Getty Images)
“We are very ambitious and when you have ambition you have to perform, to prove the point,” said Ten Hag. “And especially in the second half, we were too easy-going, too complacent. We didn’t bring it over the line and as a team, you have to deliver this.”
This brings us back to Fernandes, one player who used to be able to deliver United victories, but looks unable to do so right now. His unusual playing style presents a tactical conundrum for Ten Hag. His high-risk/high-reward approach to passing often cedes control of matches in an attempt to deliver additional goals, yet his ability to conjure something out of nothing means the Dutchman — like United managers before him — chooses against substituting Fernandes early.
When Fernandes signed his latest contract in August, The Athletic predicted a period where United would come to rely on him in a reduced capacity as the club stabilises and becomes more functional. The start of this season is in danger of suggesting the opposite — United needing another Herculean effort just as he begins to slow down.
Few would begrudge the playmaker for having a slow start to a new season, as he has played more than 20,000 minutes for United. But if he cannot hit the heights of yesteryear, it will fall to his manager to find new solutions. Mount and Eriksen can be capable deputies in the No 10 position, as could Amad if needed. There is still the possibility of using Zirkzee as a midfield or wide option, with Rasmus Hojlund ahead.
United’s 2024-25 hinges on things eventually clicking and coming together, but if teams can disrupt their processes through a strong physical effort, then Ten Hag’s men may have to settle for another season of Europa League competition, rather than qualification for the Champions League. It could take as long as late January for the effects of this draw to be truly felt. United and Ten Hag will hope to be much improved by that point.
(Top photo: Fernandes shows his frustration in the draw with Twente. Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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