The television cameras turned to Jason Wilcox, Manchester United’s new technical director, who was having a lengthy talk with Sir Dave Brailsford, Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s eyes and ears at the club, just after Sheffield United had taken the lead for the second time that evening.
Even though Wilcox has only been at United for a few days, he will already be well-informed about the challenges he faces and the new leadership at Old Trafford.
He will have several things to be concerned about, things he despise, and things he wants to change. If Wilcox was looking for something to be optimistic about the game, he doesn’t have to go far. The man with the armband is the one who saved his team from another humiliating night, this time against opponents who aren’t in the Championship but will soon be returning there.
Although Bruno Fernandes has faced criticism, there is no denying his dedication and perseverance at a team where these attributes are scarce. His two goals and assist eventually defeated Sheffield United, a team that appeared to have taken inspiration from Coventry City’s near-dramatic upset of Erik ten Hag’s team at Wembley on Sunday.
After falling behind twice, Fernandes had to score again to get United over the finish line. His penalty made it 2-2, but his incredible 25-yard shot with his left foot earned his team their first goal of the game. A Fernandes pass was unavoidably the source of Rasmus Hojlund’s first goal since February 18th, which somewhat inflated the score.
It’s interesting to consider if United would be in as much trouble as they are now if their locker room had more personalities like their unstoppable Portugal midfield player. We have been aware of United’s appalling injury list the whole season, and against the Blades, ten players were out due to injuries.
However, there is one player who is a constant presence, who plays every few days, on whom the manager can hang his hat, and who United always look to for inspiration—so much so that sometimes United supporters have to shiver and wonder what would have become of United without Fernandes. Although he is a player who wears his emotions on his sleeve and is unrepentant about it, his antics can occasionally enrage.
Surprisingly, in over four years and nearly 230 games for the club, he has never missed a game due to injury. This statistic should be a source of shame for those teammates who tend to fade away or disappear when things get tough, as it has evidently been this season and recently.
Fernandes has occasionally appeared to be fighting alone to keep United afloat during this trying time; his eight goals in as many games are proof of his impact and unwavering determination.
His goals have significantly influenced the results of games against Coventry, Liverpool, and Bournemouth in recent weeks. Now, Ten Hag can add Sheffield United to that list. Fernandes, unaffected by the difficulties of those around him, is poised to seize control of this match and turn a loss into a victory against the bottom team in the division.
At the conclusion of a wild evening, United could celebrate a crucial win and feel very proud of 18-year-old Ethan Wheatley’s achievement of being the 250th academy graduate to play senior league football for the team. There are some things United still does better than anyone, even under dire circumstances. However, the supporters may have expected a simple pick-me-up following that almost deadly collapse against Coventry, but it was everything from that.
Sheffield United currently has the poorest defensive record in Premier League history—worse even than Derby County, who managed only one win and eleven points in the 2007–08 season—and might be relegated on Sunday if Nottingham Forest defeats Manchester City. However, they had their famous hosts reeling until Fernandes’ thunderbolt made it 3-2 to United in the 81st minute.
This season, United has shown an incredible ability to derail itself, and this was demonstrated once again in the first half when Jayden Bogle coolly finished after intercepting Andre Onana’s careless ball and racing into the six-yard box. Although Onana’s error earlier in the season would have been unsurprising, the Cameroonian goalkeeper has improved since the start of the campaign, so seeing him appear flustered as he attempted to find Diogo Dalot after receiving a square pass from Casemiro while partially under pressure from Cameron Archer felt like a throwback to earlier, less fortunate days.
Alejandro Garnacho squandered two excellent chances just before halftime, after Harry Maguire had tied the score with a looping header, although Ten Hag’s team could have been ahead before then.
After the goal, United could have taken the lead in the second half, but five minutes after the break, they found themselves behind once more. This was due to more passive defense and ball-watching, which allowed Gustavo Hamer to feed Ben Osborn, who was cutting in on the left. In the penalty area, Osborn cut the ball back to Ben Brereton Diaz, who finished with a stab.
Let Fernandes take the lead. After Auston Trusty man-handled Maguire from a corner, he went into overdrive and appeared certain to score the penalty, even though he had been United’s cleanest player in the first half.
Diaz almost got a second goal when his strike deflected off Maguire and wiggled into the corner, catching Onana off guard. Sheffield United would not go away. Diaz made another attempt, but it was stopped up close. For United, it was a let-off, and they would take it. Nothing seemed to be going on as Kobbie Mainoo squared the ball to Fernandes. However, the Portuguese immediately moved the ball from his right foot to his left, and he then struck a beautiful shot into the upper corner. Diogo Dalot’s exquisite pass over the top found Fernandes, who perfectly timed his run and squared for Hojlund to score the fourth.