EMBARRASSING
Fernandes is too good a player to be involved in diving antics
BRUNO FERNANDES was the best player on the pitch for Manchester United against Tottenham on Friday. But if you hate diving with a passion like I do, he has to be called out for conning referee Jonathan Moss by leaning into Eric Dier and then falling over.
From a football point of view, Bruno was terrific again. I’ve eulogised about his quality before and it didn’t look as though the break had hampered him at all. You could clearly see how important he’s already become to this United team, pulling the strings.
But no matter how good you are or how well you speak off the pitch, if you make a habit of trying to win penalties and freekicks, you won’t be admired in the same way. At Spurs, he deserved a yellow card for his tumble and as a fan of his I don’t want to see him start doing that. I’m sure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have a word with him about it, and he should do.
It was right VAR overturned the original penalty decision that would have given United the chance of a late winner, but I agree with Jose Mourinho and don’t know why action wasn’t then taken against Fernandes.
I’m hoping he will be embarrassed if he looks back. He doesn’t need to indulge in diving and gain a reputation for being public enemy No1. He is talented enough to win matches and make himself a hero without such antics.
In footballing terms, it was interesting to see him and Paul Pogba dovetail for the latter stages after the Frenchman came off the bench. I think there is room for both men in the same midfield against most opposition, though I believe there would be a risk playing them together against a Liverpool or Manchester City because neither is naturally inclined to defend.
For Spurs, it was a decent return. Their best player was Harry — not Kane, but Winks. He looked fit and sharp after his own injuries and if he can maintain that over the next 12 months I don’t see any reason Winks can’t join the England captain for the delayed Euro 2020. Kane wasn’t at his sharpest, of course not surprisingly because he hadn’t played since New Year’s Day, but Mourinho will have been delighted he lasted 90 minutes and still showed glimpses of his quality on the ball.
The Spurs goal came from a goalkeeping error. I don’t want to jump on the David de Gea bandwagon just yet. He has only conceded two goals in seven games and I want to see how his form goes in the next couple of matches. But clearly mistakes like the one on Friday night will add to pressure, particularly with Dean Henderson doing so well on loan at Sheffield United.