In 2019/20, Bruno Fernandes won Manchester United’s player of the season award. Nothing out of the ordinary, many players have won it before, right? But get this: in the first half of the season, he wasn’t even part of the squad. He was a January signing. The idea of him winning was so ridiculous that you couldn’t even bet on the guy to win the award. 

 

There was no doubt the guy had talent. That he possessed superior technique, flair. But no one would have expected what he’s done since the club signed him. He’s become one of the best players on the planet, among the small crop of players who can claim to be part of the ‘next gen’ talents to make Messi and Ronaldo’s imminent retirements a little less painful. 

 

The stats back up his technique, he’s numbers plus skill, not just a luxury player. He broke Frank Lampard’s record for goals from midfield. He created the most chances out of anyone in the Premier League. He notched an impressive 17 assists. He hauled the club to second in the league, behind rivals Manchester City. In 2021, Fernandes was one of the world’s best. 

Bruno Robbed of PFA Player of the Year? 

Look, nothing against Kevin de Bruyne. He’s legitimately one of the best midfielders in the world. And there’s every chance that if Antonio Rudiger hadn’t ‘accidentally’ collided with him in the CL final, Guardiola would have finally silenced his ‘you can only win with Messi’ critics. 

 

But there’s a good argument for claiming that Bruno Fernandes should have won the player of the year gong. The reason he probably didn’t is this: he wasn’t playing on the best team in England. If Manchester United had finally won their first title since 2012, Fernandes would have walked with the award (and probably the FWA as well). 

 

Even outside the argument about which player deserved it, Fernandes is unlucky to miss out. He won four ‘player of the month’ awards last calendar year (two this season), and for most bookies he was listed as shorter than evens to win. 

 

Another problem for Fernandes is recency bias. He lost the Europa League final, and United’s form dropped off a little towards the end of the season. His last player of the month award dates back to December, which in Premier League terms is a lifetime. The fact is, players who run hot towards the end of the campaign tend to do better. 

Will Fernandes Deliver the Title? 

Fernandes is a clear winner. His interviews, his attitude on the pitch, his clutch performances under pressure, it all points to a guy who isn’t satisfied with the so-called ‘Top 4 Trophy’. 

 

But there’s still a problem. Manchester United is not a club that has a solid strategy behind it. There’s a lot of money, sure, but Manchester City spends more. And they spend it wisely. Their rivals across the road aren’t doing the same thing. 

 

Manchester United, for instance, spent a staggering £40 million on a player they seemingly don’t need. Towards the end of his disappointing campaign, ex-United legend Rio Ferdinand wondered why the club signed van de Beek. He’s a good player, but there’s someone ahead of him in the pecking order: Bruno Fernandes. 

 

Until United can sort out their transfer policy, they’re not going to win the title. Clubs like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool simply have a better behind-the-scenes setup, so United are fighting against the odds. 

 

And the bookies know it. In 2022, United is just 9/1 to win the league. City, on the other hand, sits at the top at 4/6. And no matter which English Premier League betting site in the world you check out, none of them will have United as title favorites. But let’s take a moment to remember the 2015-16 season, when Leicester became the most shockingly unexpected EPL champion. Sitting at 5,000-1 probability to win the league, Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Chelsea was the result that proclaimed the team winners, finishing 10 points ahead of Arsenal. The bookies got it badly wrong, but that one person who bet on Leicester surely got super-rich. No matter what your logic and what the bookies say about the best EPL betting odds, you need to follow your heart. Sometimes even a slight tweak like the type of EPL bet you make can make a big difference. Be it futures, correct score, or total goals – place a wager on your favorites and, even with the aggravating circumstances this season, who knows…

Disappointing in the ‘Big Games’

Bruno Fernandes is a key player for Manchester United, there’s no doubting that. But maybe that’s part of the problem. After a goalless draw against struggling Arsenal, Paul Scholes called out the midfielder for his lack of sparkle against the Premier League’s ‘Big Six’. 

 

He has a point. At that point of the season, his only significant contribution was against Spurs, where he scored a goal in their 6-1 mauling of the Mourinho-led outfit. On talkSPORT’s radio show, plenty of fans grumbled about Bruno disappearing in the high stakes matches. 

 

He didn’t exactly defy his critics after having a quiet game in the most important game of the season, the Europa League final against Villareal. The Guardian gave him just a 6, describing him as ‘frustrated and nullified’. 

He Can’t Do It Alone 

There’s only one Messi. And no one can replace Cristiano Ronaldo. The fact is, it’s a team game. Fernandes may not be able to single-handedly deliver the title to United, but he’s clearly a key figure if the club wants to retain any aspirations in the coming seasons. 

 

Remember, he’s only 26. He’s just entering his prime, and has already proven himself to be the club’s most influential player. Paul Pogba, the £100 million player, the World Cup winner, isn’t the main man. Bruno is. If United is going to win the first title since Ferguson, they’re going to need the Portuguese magician.