Some Manchester United fans are calling for Erik ten Hag to make a bold selection decision he has never done before against Tottenham on Sunday, though other supporters are vehemently opposed.
Manchester United return to Premier League action on Sunday after their underwhelming first foray into Europe in midweek when they take on Tottenham Hotspur.
Both clubs have had disappointing starts to the new campaign with only goal difference operating them as they sit 10th and 11th in the table on seven points, having each lost twice, won twice and drawn once.
Though it’s early in the campaign, Erik ten Hag and Ange Postecoglu are already coming under pressure, with their sides showing little improvement from the poor form they ended last term on.
As a result, Sunday’s match-up is already feeling like a must-win for both managers with a lot on the line.
With so much to play for and United’s performances looking stagnant, some fans are calling for the drastic measure of captain Bruno Fernandes being dropped for the match.
Some Manchester United fans want Bruno Fernandes dropped vs Spurs
United played out a meek 1-1 draw with FC Twente on Wednesday to follow their goalless stalemate against Crystal Palace on the weekend.
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Fernandes has come in for criticism for his displays in both games, especially for the amount of times he lost the ball.
The Portuguese playmaker gave away possession 34 times against Palace and then 28 times against Twente.
Fernandes has been a near ever-present in the United starting XI since he joined the club in January 2020.
In fact, Ten Hag has only not played him when he has been available twice in his entire reign in charge, both early-round cup games.
The other five games he has missed were due to suspension and his only injury in over four years at the club. The manager has never dropped him for a meaningful league match before.
Yet, some fans feel the captain’s performance levels have dipped in recent months and have called for it to finally happen.
Some have reasoned that Fernandes clearly needs a rest and there should be no shame in starting on the bench.
The X user continued: “I love Bruno I do but he needs some rest man I think the games are catching up to him.
“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with putting him on the bench for a game or two.”
Another fan agreed: “Not crazy at all. There needs to be a conversation with Bruno.
“Might be that he needs a bit of a rest but I think he needs to start adapting his game. Vs Palace I thought Bruno stood out like a sore thumb. And not in a good way.”
Those thoughts were echoed by another supporter: “Yeah Bruno kinda needs rest. Start Casimero and Ugarte with Eriksen.”
Others, meanwhile, say Fernandes has not been good enough and no player should be above getting dropped if they’re not performing.
A fan said: “Fernandes should also know that he can be dropped if he doesn’t perform at the level of expectations. He will sit up,” while another simply wrote: “Bruno Fernandes needs to be dropped!”
However, many other fans believe there is no chance Ten Hag will drop one of his most trusted players.
While some say it’d be foolish to drop Fernandes, others concede he should perhaps be dropped deeper to allow Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund to both play.
One fan wrote: “Lots of people have left Bruno out of their teams for the Spurs match. Bruno had two poor games but that doesn’t warrant being left out.
“I can see value in having Zirkzee play behind the striker but that still means you could play Bruno a bit deeper next to Mainoo or Ugarte.”
“Bruno will never be benched,” one fan posted on X, while another added: “Would love to see a Ugarte-Mainoo-Eriksen on Sunday but 100% won’t happen. Can still hope though.”
Will Bruno Fernandes be dropped against Spurs?
This debate is actually quite a nuanced one and you can see the logic behind each argument.
Fernandes has been playing below his lofty standards. No player, even the captain, should be immune from being dropped and doing so could benefit him.
It could give Fernandes either the rest he needs or the motivation to get back to his best after being shown he is not untouchable in the side.
Additionally, it’s not as if United don’t have some interesting alternatives to him in the playmaker role. Christian Eriksen is on his best run of form in years and has never been given the creative position at Old Trafford.
Zirkzee has been knitting United’s attack together but hasn’t shown the cutting edge up front yet, so dropping him deeper to get Hojlund in could help the side as well.
United could even play a more compact 4-3-3 to ensure they’re not as easily overrun, especially against a strong counter-attacking side like Spurs.
But, on the other hand, Fernandes is still United’s most talented player and, crucially, the one who can still make magic happen out of nowhere. It could be shooting oneself in the foot to leave a player of that quality on the bench.
Ten Hag has not dropped Fernandes yet and it’s almost impossible to see that changing for such a massive game.