Ruben Amorim will be “tearing his hair out” over “indisciplined” Bruno Fernandes, says Jamie Carragher, with Manchester United being urged to sell.
Portuguese playmaker Fernandes is club captain at Old Trafford and has made over 250 appearances for the Premier League giants since joining from Sporting in January 2020.
He is widely considered to be the only player to have emerged with any credit during another testing period for the Red Devils under several managers.
What Carragher Said
Carragher, though, believes the time may have come to move the 30-year-old midfielder on, with the Liverpool legend writing in his column for The Telegraph:
“Fernandes has been one of United’s best players during a tough period and would have shone with more quality around him during his Old Trafford career.
“But he is 30 now and there may be value in offloading him to raise funds.
“Amorim may see it differently and believe a few more years of Fernandes alongside shrewd additions will serve the team better.
“Selling must be a consideration, however, because Fernandes is one of the few players who can attract a significant fee if profitability and sustainability rules are an issue.
“I’ve always felt Fernandes is a great talent rather than a great player.
“He creates a lot of chances but can be very indisciplined with and without the ball.
“That makes it a lot harder for United to defend as a compact unit as he chases the ball all over the pitch. It looks like great commitment to the supporters but the manager will be tearing his hair out.
“Amorim will be planning ahead while trying to get a tune from those he inherited for the rest of this season.
“Knowing that [Manchester] City are bound to be in the market for players of the same pedigree is a complication he could do without.”
Supposed Superstar
Marcus Rashford is another supposed superstar to be giving Amorim unwelcome headaches, with United being told that they will never compete for the grandest of prizes if an underperforming academy graduate continues to be shown so much trust.
Carragher added: “Given how many signings have dropped in value since joining United, it does not surprise me that big names such as Marcus Rashford are being linked with a move.
“United should sell him as he is not delivering value for his lucrative contract.
“Eleven goals in his 48 league appearances over the past 18 months is not good enough.
“There has been too much of a pantomime around Rashford for the last few seasons, the promise he showed when breaking into the side not realised.
“He is 27 now and should be in his prime.
“In a front three, Rashford is the third attacker.
“United will never win the Premier League or Champions League if he is leading the line.”
Read more: Amorim Matches Ferguson And Busby Achievement
United continue to struggle for consistency during the early stages of Amorim’s reign, with individual errors doing their cause few favours.
A derby date with arch-rivals City, who have also been finding the going tough of late, is next on the agenda as the Red Devils prepare to head to the Etihad Stadium on Sunday.
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