The 2024-2025 season, with 19 goals and 18 assists across all competitions, was one of Fernandes' two best individual campaigns since arriving at Old Trafford, alongside the 2020-2021 season with 28 goals and 18 assists. Last season, the midfielder had a slow start with only one assist in the Premier League until the October FIFA Days, against Southampton. He didn't score his first goal for the team until after manager Erik ten Hag was sacked on 28/10/2024.

This season, the Portuguese midfielder has continued his slow start. The current issue, however, isn't individual form, but tactics. Compared to last season – when he played as an attacking midfielder and even a forward, Fernandes is now playing as one of two central midfielders.

The captain has even become a liability for Man Utd, based on his performance in the 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage in the second round of the Premier League on 24/8. Fernandes contributed to the opposition's goal through two decisive moments. First, he skied a penalty in the first half. Second, he saw but didn't mark Emile Smith Rowe, allowing the player to move freely from outside the box into the six-yard area to score the equalizer in the 73rd minute.

The sequence leading to Fulham's equalizer against Man Utd: Bruno Fernandes saw Smith Rowe but made no attempt to chase or stop him. Screenshot.

Fulham constantly dominated Man Utd's midfield – which was formed by Fernandes and Casemiro, then Fernandes and Mason Mount, and later Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte. The central midfield pairing changed throughout the match, but Fernandes was always present.

That was also Fulham manager Marco Silva's plan, as Alex Iwobi confirmed after the match. "We knew we could get in behind Man Utd’s midfield two and their center-backs would want to step up," Iwobi told Sky Sports. "Today, we exploited that."

From the start, Silva decided to use a system that somewhat mirrored Man Utd's, with a 3-5-1-1 structure. This formation, with a mid-block defense and wing-backs Timothy Castagne and Ryan Sessegnon allowed to push high to confront Man Utd's attacking midfielders Mason Mount and Bryan Mbeumo, helped Fulham neutralize the visitors' threats and be ready for transitions.

Fulham's 5-3-1-1 defensive system transitioning to 3-5-1-1 in attack, with wing-backs Sessegnon (left) and Castagne (right) pushing high. Screenshot.

Furthermore, with more players in midfield, Silva's tactic was to outnumber Man Utd's central midfield pair, allowing Alex Iwobi – who was free to roam on the left half-space – to become a free man in attack and force center-back Leny Yoro to step up and mark him frequently. As the second half progressed, Fulham began to completely control the midfield, ending the match with 52% possession.

Fulham's dominant midfield, with central midfielders Sander Berge and Sasa Lukic, combined with Iwobi playing freely in the half-space. Even attacking midfielder Joshua King (and later Smith Rowe) frequently dropped back to increase their numerical advantage. Screenshot.

Amorim said that Fernandes' missed penalty was partly due to him "carrying too much responsibility." And the excessive responsibility he has placed on his captain over the past 9 months, especially tactically, explains the goal conceded against Fulham.

Amorim started deploying Fernandes deeper last season to improve Man Utd's shaky build-up play, but in doing so, he lost his usual influence near the opposition's box. At the same time, his limited defensive abilities are being exploited in the role of a central midfielder.

The sequence leading to Fulham's equalizer: Midfielder Berge receives the ball freely from Iwobi, under no pressure, and plays a through ball to Raul Jimenez. Fernandes is watching central midfielder Lukic, while Ugarte has to follow Smith Rowe and cover for Yoro and De Ligt who have pushed up. Screenshot.

Man Utd's acquisition of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo was partly to share the attacking burden with Fernandes. Last season, Man Utd had an expected goals (xG) of 52.6 – ranking in the bottom half of the table, and they only scored 44 goals in the Premier League – a record low in the club's history.

But so far, after the first two rounds, creating clear-cut chances is a major issue for Man Utd. The Red Devils had 22 shots against Arsenal in their opening match, but their xG was only 1.52. Despite dominating possession, Amorim's men rarely showed they could convert that dominance into goals.

In the second round, apart from an exciting first 15 minutes where Cunha had several chances but lacked the finishing touch, Man Utd gradually became blunt. Silva commented that Man Utd's attacks in the second half were "nothing more than set pieces."

The only clear-cut chance the visitors created, as defined by Opta, came from goalkeeper Altay Bayindir's long ball to Cunha in the 14th minute, resulting in a close-range shot. Meanwhile, Cunha's shot that hit the post in the second minute, while surrounded by opponents inside the box, had a low xG of 0.128.

In that context, Fernandes only created one chance for a teammate, from a simple pass to Cunha in the first minute after an interception, before the Brazilian shot from distance. The soon-to-be 35-year-old midfielder also had a long-range shot in the 10th minute and skied the penalty.

Fernandes skies his penalty in the first half of Man Utd's 1-1 draw against Fulham in the second round of the Premier League at Craven Cottage, London, on 24/8/2025. Photo: Reuters

Fernandes' deeper position is an easy explanation for his decline in attacking creativity. It also threatens to stifle the development of Kobbie Mainoo – a talent from the Carrington academy. After being benched against Arsenal, Mainoo was again unused against Fulham. Amorim explained that "he is competing for a position with Fernandes." He seemingly didn't consider pairing Fernandes and Mainoo against Fulham. And from his post-match comments, it seems the Man Utd manager won't consider this possibility in the future.

Even if Fernandes and Mainoo were paired together, Man Utd might still be outnumbered by Fulham's midfield. But with their different skill sets, Fernandes and Mainoo shouldn't be competing for the same position.

Amorim's attempts to fit attacking newcomers Mbeumo and Cunha into the 3-4-2-1 system, along with pushing Fernandes deeper and deploying Amad as a right wing-back – a position the youngster is clearly uncomfortable in – is proving to be an ineffective formula for the Old Trafford club.

Bruno Fernandes battles with Timothy Castagne during Man Utd's 1-1 draw against Fulham in the second round of the Premier League at Craven Cottage, London, on 24/8/2025. Photo: Reuters

Fernandes is currently being pursued by Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad. If he stays, Amorim will have to solve the puzzle of maximizing Fernandes' strengths and minimizing his weaknesses. This means finding a suitable midfield partner for his compatriot, perhaps even bringing in a new signing in the remaining days of the transfer window. Or he must reconsider the entire strategy of playing Fernandes deeper in midfield. If Amorim can't do that, the Portuguese midfielder, despite being captain, could become a real problem for Man Utd's style of play.

Compiled by Hoang Thong