Mini-driving Bruno is at the wheel as United go goal mad
HE MIGHT have arrived at Old Trafford in a Mini Cooper but there was nothing modest about the performance of Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese sensation stood out a mile in his small car as the convoy of luxurious motors being driven by Manchester United’s superstars left Carrington for Old Trafford and a date with Bournemouth.
Fernandes is different, that’s for sure, and not just because he doesn’t care too much for status symbols like Range Rovers, Bentleys and Lamborghinis.
He prefers to make his impression on the pitch, where it has taken him less than six months to show people he is an absolute Rolls-Royce.
Others might have stolen the headlines following another impressive win for United, with Mason Greenwood and Anthony Martial both scoring stunning goals to enhance their everimproving seasons.
But these were nothing more than added shine to the overall gloss Fernandes had coated his side with from start to finish in this routine win.
We’ve run out of superlatives when it comes to describing the midfielder, but United supporters will never run out of excuses to watch someone who is fast becoming the club’s most significant signing of recent times.
Fernandes, 25, is now the heartbeat of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team, the conductor of this United orchestra who has those around him dancing happily to his tune.
He finds space for himself and others, his passing is of the highest quality and his brain works half a second ahead of anyone else on the pitch.
It begs the question, why did United take so long to sign him in the first place from Sporting Lisbon – and how the heck did they manage to get him for an initial fee of less than £50million?
If one situation summed up how Fernandes has now overtaken Paul Pogba as the leader of this side it came just before the hour mark when United got a free-kick outside the Cherries penalty box.
A queue of potential takers formed behind the ball until there were just two left – Fernandes and Pogba.
Then two became one after the man who won the last World Cup was told, ‘Stand aside mate, I’ve got this’.
Thirty seconds later the ball was in the back of the net thanks to another sublime strike from Fernandes – and United had scored five goals at Old Trafford for the first time in the league since Sir Alex Ferguson was boss in 2013.
Fernandes teed-up the opening goal for Greenwood, picked out Martial for United’s third and then added the fifth himself while displaying some wonderful flicks and flair in between.
Since Fernandes made his debut against Wolves on February 1 United have not lost a single game in all competitions and their charge is gaining serious momentum.
It is far from a coincidence.
He might not drive a supercar, but with him and Solskjaer at the wheel, United are close to operating at full speed in their bid to catch and overtake those immediately above them in the table.