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There will be something reassuring for Manchester United fans knowing that even when football is postponed, they still manage to irritate their rivals.
The mantra adopted by United of being ‘hated, adored, but never ignored’ still prevails even over a seven-year period without a Premier League title, but the perception still lingers. Accusations of media bias, favorable arbitration decisions, and the desire of many neutrals to see them suffer continue even if the silverware does not.
Since the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the much-cited ‘cultural revival’ has done positive work to redress the balance, with its inclusion of admirable youth talent even if they are spending staggering amounts on every transfer window.
As the best English side of all time, these stereotypes will never go away, and you wouldn’t necessarily want them to. Solskjaer knows that for United to return to the top of the table they must win every week and, in turn, incite the same levels of hatred that were directed at the relentless winners of Sir Alex Ferguson.
It is for those reasons that it can be assumed that Solskjaer had an ironic smile this week when he saw the fury directed at Bruno Fernandes by rival fans.
The Portuguese has revolutionized United since joining the transfer window in January with club officials specifically mentioning the promotion that brought the entire team after just one training session. His presentation has propelled United to the table and an undefeated streak that has led them to 11 games without a loss while keeping an incredible number of nine clean sheets.
The entire transformation cannot be identified solely in Fernandes, but it would be naive to suggest that it has been a mere coincidence since its signing.
Fernandes has assisted United in three competitions since moving to Manchester with his most telling contribution in the Premier League. Five games, two goals, three assists with two of the victories against Chelsea and Man City. Not surprisingly, he was named February’s Player of the Month, but there was another accolade that caused chaos this week.
A few days ago, the Portuguese international was named to the BBC Sport Premier League team of the season where he teamed up with Kevin de Bruyne and Jordan Henderson in midfield despite having played only five times.
Obviously, it is ridiculous to suggest that Fernandes has been one of the top three midfielders in the top flight this season, but the fact that he caused such outrage was reminiscent of Paul Pogba’s inclusion in the PFA team last year for a brief explosion similarly. .
The inclusion of Pogba as the only player other than Liverpool or Man City in last year’s PFA team upset rival fans in the same way that Fernandes did this week, and was a reminder of years other than United States.
For Solskjaer, inclusion will be trivial, and it doesn’t matter who wins the awards as long as the team meets expectations on the field. However, it is an indication of how far United is still behind that both Fernandes and Pogba were included and caused so much controversy despite being stars at Old Trafford.
Including Fernandes in a season squad after just five appearances is absurd, but it should only act as additional motivation to ensure he’s there by merit within a year.
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