The 'Portuguese Magnifico' is back on the scoring path and his resurgence could make him reconsider his plans to retreat deeper into midfield

"Bruno, Bruno, Bruno, came from Sporting like Cristiano," begins Manchester United fans' chant for Bruno Fernandes, who they lovingly label ‘Our Portuguese Magnifico'. They can now tweak the song to include a reference to Ruben Amorim, the latest man to take the well trodden path from the Estadio Jose Alvalade to Old Trafford after Cristiano Ronaldo, Nani, Marcos Rojo and Fernandes.

Amorim has joined United in the midst of a goal-scoring resurgence for the United captain, who has struck five times in his last five games for club and country. After failing to score in the first 13 games of the season, Fernandes has been unleashed since Erik ten Hag was sacked.

He struck twice in the first game under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy against Leicester in the Carabao Cup, slotted a penalty against Chelsea and then fired in from outside the area in the 3-0 win over the Foxes, also sparking the second goal in that game which was given as an own goal by Viktor Kristiansen. He took that rediscovered confidence into the internationals with Portugal, slamming a venomous strike in off the bar against Poland.

Fernandes' insatiable form in front of goal is a throwback to the incredible start he made when he joined United and has got fans excited about the prospect of him leading the team's attack under his compatriot and firing the team to an exciting new future. However, Amorim's arrival comes just when Fernandes was settling into a deeper role in midfield and when he envisaged himself dictating the team's overall play rather than being the goal-scoring hero.

That vision, however, seems to be at odds with Amorim's system, which operates with two defensive-minded midfielders and two narrow wide forwards. Where Fernandes fits into the coach's plans will be one of the most interesting aspects of what is set to be an exciting new era at Old Trafford…

Getty Making himself a target

Amorim is the sixth coach Fernandes has worked with in just under five years with United since his move from Sporting CP. He worked longest with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Erik ten Hag but took on very different roles with each coach. When he joined United at the end of January 2020, Fernandes found a team that had lost three of its previous four Premier League games and after a disappointing goalless debut the team were languishing in seventh in the table.

Fernandes quickly raised their level and was named Premier League player of the month for February. He was in a hot streak just when football was halted by the Covid-19 pandemic but when it resumed in June he was even more prolific. He contributed 14 goals and eight assists in all competitions in half a season, inspiring them to finish third in the table and reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup and Europa League. From the day of his debut, United took more points than any Premier League team – even runaway champions Liverpool. Fernandes was named the Sir Matt Busby player of the year despite playing just half a season and he retained that award the following season, when he was even more prolific, notching 28 goals plus 17 assists.

Fernandes looked set for another incredible campaign when he bagged a hat-trick (all from open play) in the opening game of the 2021-22 season against Leeds, but the arrival of Ronaldo disrupted his flow and eventually the team's too. He scored just seven more times in all competitions that season, ending on 10 league goals, while United slumped to their worst points total in Premier League history after sacking Solskjaer in November, with Michael Carrick and then Ralf Rangnick taking the reins.

The team's fortunes improved in Ten Hag's first campaign but Fernandes posted just eight league goals, his lowest amount since the 2016-17 season with Sampdoria. Last season, he went four months without a Premier League goal and more than five without one from open play. He was still a vital player, but his role had changed and he was often blamed for the team's dismal results. Speaking last November, he said his stunning start had ended up working against him.

"I know since I arrived at the club my numbers made myself a target so not keeping the same numbers on goals and assists is sometimes a problem for me," he said. "In the beginning everything was perfect, because when you arrive in the first game if you do something different to what anyone else is doing, it is going to be all flowers. But after that I understood that the tough part is always coming."

AdvertisementGettyFeeling responsible for Ten Hag

Even as the goals and assists dried up, Fernandes was still greatly appreciated by Ten Hag, partly because he was always available to play, which meant a lot to the coach in a season of endless injuries. The Portuguese only missed games when he was suspended and when he was forced to sit out the game with Crystal Palace last May, it was the first time in his career he had missed a game through injury.

Fernandes had played through the pain barrier on many occasions and against Nottingham Forest in the FA Cup last season battled through what Ten Hag described as "a serious injury". The coach took offence to Fulham accusing him of playacting, branding their criticism "pathetic".

Fernandes' play-at-all-costs attitude was not always a good thing though and at several stages of the campaign he looked physically spent. Ten Hag also used him in multiple positions, in holding midfield, attacking midfield, on the wing and even at centre-back in the FA Cup quarter-final against Liverpool.

But although Fernandes seemed to relish his role as the team's do-it-all saviour, it ended up being to the detriment of him and the team. Indeed, when Ten Hag was sacked, Fernandes revealed he had personally apologised to him. He said: "We are not scoring goals and I feel responsible. I normally score a lot of goals but I always give 100% and he is aware of that."

AFPRight moment for Amorim's energy

Bruno may have been the team's willing emergency serviceman, but he deserved to play in a properly functional team with a clear style of play. He should get that with Amorim and although the pair's paths never crossed at Sporting, Fernandes had watched the coach closely from afar. A lifelong Sporting fan as well as a player, he watches the team at home with his family and spoke enthusiastically about his arrival.

"This is the right moment for him to come, bring his energy, his qualities and his knowledge of football because he did something very special at Sporting," Fernandes told .

"He brought the excitement back to the club. He brought a lot of good things to the club and hopefully, he can do the same here because sometimes a person can change the energy of a space if it's the right moment. He's done really good things tactically, from what I've seen."

Getty Images SportDeep-lying or flying forward?

It will be fascinating to see what Amorim does tactically with Fernandes. Even though the United captain admitted his drop in goals and assists is a stick with which he is regularly beaten, he has expressed a desire to continue his retreat in midfield from a traditional No.10 to a No.8, with his ultimate goal to be a No.6, having enjoyed playing there last season in the 2-0 win over Everton, which he has described as "one of the most complete games I've played, at all levels".

"The game with Everton was the one in which I created the most scoring opportunities, even though I was playing deeper and not playing as a No.10," he told in March.

"In terms of passing, game organisation, defence, tactics. I have a little thought in my head that I'm going to end my career further back, because everyone who started there and went to no.10 ended up retreating on the field at the end. It's a position I like, playing deeper, facing the game more.

"With the ball, it makes my game a lot easier because I have a broader view of the game and it is ideal for what we've talked about with the last pass, which can sometimes come from deeper on the pitch."