Bruno Fernandes has revealed what he said and did to Harry Maguire after Manchester United eventually scored from a corner kick against Leeds.
See below as the Guardian’s Jamie Jackson quotes Fernandes from his press conference, with the Portugal international making an amusing reference to Maguire’s big head…
Bruno on Maguire's goal v-Leeds: "I was slapping his head saying, 'Finally you score with that big head.'"
— jamie jackson (@JamieJackson___) February 22, 2022
Although a funny comment from Fernandes, it would also have been a sign of relief. The key word being “finally” after Manchester United finally score from a corner after 140 taken this season, without finding the net. You actually won’t find a goal from a corner for United since April 2021, almost a whole year until Maguire finally headed in a Luke Shaw delivery.
With the aerial threat of the likes of Maguire and Cristiano Ronaldo, going this long without success seems almost impossible. Whether it be poor delivery, unorganised set piece setups or oppositions wanting to win the ball more than them, not scoring in this many attempts is unacceptable. When you consider some sides in the league are into double figures, the difference in being able to score from these situations and not being able to, could be costly.
A lot of Premier League clubs are now employing set-piece coaches to their staff. This is a coach who specialises in the organisation and setup of corners and free kicks, both defensively and attacking too. This may be a position Manchester United will look to fill in the future if they end up on another lengthy drought.