Bruno Fernandes: I have huge respect for Roy Keane but I do things in my own way
Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes celebrates scoring. Martin Rickett/PA Wire.
RASMUS Hojlund and Alejandro Garnacho ended their personal goal droughts as Manchester United’s recent improvements under Ruben Amorim continued but, yet again, the manager benefitted from a masterclass from his captain Bruno Fernandes.
Having assisted on the opening two goals, Fernandes scored the third one himself, capping a brilliant personal week in which he scored the opener in a draw against Arsenal and a hat-trick in an emphatic Europa League win over Real Sociedad.
It was also, surely, a final response to his army of critics - led by pundit and former skipper Roy Keane - who claim he is not Manchester United captain material.
“Obviously you are talking about Roy Keane and I have said it before, I have a huge respect for Roy Keane,” said Fernandes.
“He was one of the best captains the club has ever had, an amazing player for the club who won everything for this club. It’s the way he thinks, the idea he has about me, as a player and as a captain. I have to respect that.
“Obviously I do things in my own way to try and be, not the best captain, but person and team mate that I can. I do it every day, I try to be an example in everything I do in the training sessions, on the pitch.
“But not everyone will like it or think in the same way and I respect every opinion from everyone and have big respect for Roy Keane and accept there is a lot of margin for improvement in my game, my leadership, everything I do, even in my own life.”
Fernandes’s goal - his fifth in eight days - came in the last minute of normal time, where he swept in a superb right-foot finish from the edge of the area, after Diogo Dalot crossed - stretching Amorim’s unbeaten run to seven games, although that includes a penalty shoot-out FA Cup defeat to Fulham.
Hojlund might have known it was going to be his night when he had a shot at goal inside the opening minute, hooking a difficult half-chance wide from a Dalot long throw.
But after 28 minutes, his wait was over and his inauspicious drought at an end. The Dane had gone 21 games, dating back to a goal against Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on December 12 since last finding the net, a horrific run that had seen him reach 22 hours and 18 minutes without success.
But there was no sign of any crisis in confidence when Bruno Fernandes played one of his trademark through balls, forcing defender Wout Faes into a bad decision as he hesitated and opted not to close Hojlund down.
The United number nine finished clinically from the corner of the six-yard box for just his third league goal of the season.
Even ignoring the benefit of having Hojlund among the goals, United could already have been ahead after Christian Eriksen and Fernandes played a well-worked short corner and the former thumped a shot against the Leicester woodwork.
But, in keeping with the general tone of this season, all was not smooth sailing for the current United manager, with United youngster Ayden Heaven picking what looked like a knee injury and looked in some distress as he defended well against Patson Daka.
United had the consolation of what they thought was a second goal soon after, Hojlund setting up Garnacho who finished impressively only to have the effort ruled out for offside.
It did not matter. On 68 minutes, Fernandes found Garnacho, inexplicably in space just 15 yards from goal, and the winger badly caught out Mads Hermansen, beating him at his near post despite the Leicester keeper getting a hand to the ball.
It was the Argentina star’s first goal since late November and, while much of his football has been off the bench in recent weeks, Garnacho had endured 24 appearances without a goal.
"The most important thing for me is the work they are putting in, especially defending," says Amorim of his two goalscorers.
"They live for assists and scoring goals. Rasmus really good control right foot and then Garnacho is always trying to score a goal and he deserved that feeling."
It was just the latest miserable chapter in a season full of them for the Foxes who are nine points from safety with games rapidly running out for van Nistelrooy’s side, who have now endured seven straight home defeats without scoring in any of them - the first time a team has ever done that in Premier League history.
Hermansen 5; Faes 5, Coady 5, Thomas 6; Justin 7, Ndidi 7, Soumare 7 (Winks 64, 5), Kristiansen 6; Daka 5 (Buonanotte 64 5), El Khannouss 5; Vardy 7.
Onana 6; de Ligt 6, Lindelof 6, Heaven 7 (Collyer 51, 5); Mazraoui 6, Fernandes 9, Ugarte 7 (Casemiro 69, 5), Dalot 6; Garnacho 7 (Amass 69, 5), Eriksen 7 (Zirkzee 69, 6); Hojlund 8 Obi 84).
T Bramall 7
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