Bruno Fernandes has defended his place in Manchester United’s team.
The Portuguese midfielder joined United in January 2020 and won the Player of the Year award in his first two seasons, scoring 40 goals and claiming 25 assists.
New manager Erik ten Hag has instructed Fernandes to be more cautious in his possession during the club’s preseason games in Asia and Australia.
Asked if he had to “tweak” his game, Fernandes told the Manchester Evening News: “What do you mean ‘weak’ my game?
“He (Ten Hag) wants me to do assists anyway, so I have to try it! I don’t understand that type of question of keeping the ball or whatever it is.
“I keep the ball when I think I have to keep it, I try a pass when I think I have to do it and sometimes it goes good, sometimes wrong. Obviously, when it goes wrong, I know that shouldn’t be the one, but sometimes when you play in the 10 position you have only a few seconds to think and control the ball and make the pass, so it’s not that much time to think.
“I understand of course, that someone has his own opinion, but when I arrived in 2020 I was losing the same amount of balls in those six months and then the year after I lost the same amount of balls, but I scored 28 goals, so people don’t complain about that. Now last season, because I scored only 10, because for some people it’s only 10 goals, people start complaining.
“But I’m okay with that, I don’t worry. I do my best, I know I always give my best, I always try to help my teammates. They know that even when I miss the passes, I’m trying to give something to them, so I’m okay with that.
“Obviously, I will have to do what the coach demands from me, and what he demands from me I will do, because he thinks it’s the best for the team and, for me, the best for the team is the best for me.”
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