With a huge game ahead against Premier League rivals Chelsea, Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is in good spirits and has been particularly impressed with Bruno Fernandes during their warm weather training camp in Spain.
Another less than impressive transfer window for United at least saw the eventual arrival of the Portuguese midfielder, and it’s clear he’s made an immediate impression.
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“We have some news lads settling in and we’ve enjoyed watching Bruno Fernandes settling into the group this week,” he told the official Manchester United website, as quoted by the Metro.
“Overall, he is a very, very good footballer and his brain is obviously quicker than many others. He has got loads of attributes that we are going to get used to. We will get used to him and he will get used to us.
“His passing range, his deliveries, his movements, I am just pleased to see him here enjoying himself.
“It looks like you’ll have to drag him off the training pitch. He trains and he trains and he trains, so his fitness levels and enthusiasm is brilliant.”
As we head into the business end of the season, United need players that are going to grab games by the scruff of the neck and impose themselves on their direct opponent.
Leading by example comes easily to Fernandes, and that was surely one of the main reasons why he was handed the Sporting Lisbon armband.
The Red Devils are desperately short of leaders on the pitch, and with Paul Pogba sidelined for an unspecified amount of time, this could be the perfect opportunity for Fernandes to step up and assume such a role.