Manchester United fans were left unimpressed with Bruno Fernandes’ performance against Sheriff Tiraspol, with some even suggesting he was trying to impress Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Red Devils bounced back from their home defeat against Real Sociedad in the UEFA Europa League last week with a victory over the Moldovan champions today (September 15).
Jadon Sancho grabbed the opener in the 17th minute as the visitors largely dominated throughout the encounter.
Shortly before half-time, Ronaldo grabbed his first goal of the season in his eighth appearance as he buried a penalty that was won by Diogo Dalot.
Manchester United now don’t play another game until October due to their Premier League clash with Leeds United on Sunday being postponed.
So Erik ten Hag named a strong lineup against Sheriff. Bar Ronaldo’s inclusion, the Dutch boss selected the same starting XI that beat Arsenal at Old Trafford.
However, supporters were left largely unimpressed with Fernandes’ display in midfield, as he failed to influence the game in any meaningful way. The Portuguese playmaker has scored just once and created one assist in his eight games so far this term and fans are becoming impatient.
After United’s win over Sheriff, fans took to Twitter to slate the 28-year-old for his anonymous display:
Former Manchester United star believes Cristiano Ronaldo will not accept Europa League role
The 37-year-old forward has only started one Premier League game this season after it became apparent in the summer that he wanted to leave Old Trafford.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner failed to join his teammates on their pre-season tour. It appears he is now behind Marcus Rashford in the centre-forward pecking order.
However, Owen Hargreaves believes that the legendary forward will not accept being a bit-part player across the campaign. The former midfielder-turned-pundit told BT Sport (as per Eurosport):
“We know for Cristiano, if he gets an opportunity, you can guarantee he’ll score goals. He just wants to score goals. It’s amazing that he’s kept this level still.”
He added:
“He’s one of the greatest of all time. He’s not going to be on the bench for any team. He backs himself every time, he’ll never put himself on the bench. He’s one of the greatest of all time.”
Paul Scholes agreed that Ronaldo is still a “Champions League player.” However, he believes that Europe’s secondary competition could provide an opportunity for the Portugal superstar. The legendary Manchester United midfielder stated:
“It gives him a chance to score goals and get himself into the Premier League team.”