star Bruno Fernandes claims he is still as good a player as ever regardless of his lack of goals and assists this season.
The attacking midfielder has been a key player for Erik ten Hag, starting all but one of United’s 13 games so far this season and being handed the armband in the absence of club captain Harry Maguire.
Unfortunately his stats don’t make for good reading, with Fernandes recording just one goal and two assists so far this campaign, with the Red Devils as a whole struggling in front of goal as they adjust to their new manager’s style.
And this is not just a recent trend for the Portugal international, who has experienced a huge drop-off in the numbers he was producing when he first arrived at Old Trafford in 2020.
In his first 18 months in Premier League, he netted 26 times and made 18 assists in 50 games, but since August 2021 has managed just 11 goals and eight assists in 46 games.
Some have been very critical of Fernandes as a result, but the player insists that he is not worried about what the stats say and believes his performances are still top-class.
‘If you play as a number ten you will have a lot of last balls and sometimes it is a risky pass,’ the 28-year-old told Amazon Prime.
‘Some people were talking about how, “he doesn’t run, he doesn’t cover the pitch”. I would like them to see my stats on running.
‘I am normally at least in the top three of those who run the most. The one that has the most sprints, the most recoveries but they do not find that stat because I am not scoring goals.
‘Like Southampton I didn’t do a great game but I scored a goal and everybody was happy with that. Every day I am a better player, I make myself improve to be better every day so I am pretty sure that I am a better player than yesterday.’
Fernandes will hoping for another great performance when United host Tottenham on Wednesday night in a key game at the top of the table.
‘No it is not [the toughest time of my career],’ Fernandes added.
‘I struggled to play football [at the beginning] but now I am at one of the biggest clubs in the world that should not be my toughest time.
‘I want to score my goals, I want to assist more but that will never be a problem. Obviously class is permanent, you either have it or you don’t but life is made by challenge and I have to challenge myself.
‘If my work rate is there, if the work I have been doing for the team is okay, I am pretty sure I will get my goals and assists.’
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