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The former Red Devils defender sees Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team becoming too dependent on a talented midfielder, with some help now required
Bruno Fernandes is an Eric Cantona-style presence for Manchester United, Paul Parker admits, but the Red Devils class of 2020-21 has become a one-man team, which was never the case when a Frenchman Iconic ruled the chicken coop at Old Trafford. .
A single talisman figure is proving to be enough for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s squad today, with a team hungry for success of late forcing their way back into the Premier League title image.
United are also chasing FA Cup and Europa League honors, having acquired an unfortunate habit of sneaking out of competitions in the semi-final stage, and Fernandes will have a prominent role to play from this point.
He’s been drawing obvious comparisons to legendary figures from the past, with his role as chief playmaker putting him in a talent pool alongside the likes of Cantona.
Parker is concerned about how long the Portugal international can maintain those high standards, and it is clear that he needs more assistance at Old Trafford, with seasoned Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani likely the man to provide it.
Parker, a former United defender, said Eurosport: “It is the strength and presence of Bruno Fernandes that makes the difference for Manchester United.
“Even with how much everyone thought about Eric Cantona and what he did, and there is still talk of how great he was at the time, people didn’t see Manchester United as a one-man team the way they do right now.
“United fans fear that Fernandes will not be available for some games because they have become too dependent on one player to pull the strings in every attack move they have. We saw him in the Wolves game and they defended very well against him.
“What United needs is someone else in the park at the same time as him, not someone else to come in when he’s injured and take away the defenders.
“When Eric Cantona was on the field, his presence helped other players to make attacks, so there was more than one attack lunge. This Manchester United team struggles with that.
“You don’t want to go out and spend in the current situation. You have Edinson Cavani, use it. He is the best center forward they have at the club at the moment, so try to get him there like they did with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
“The difference, which Zlatan couldn’t make when he was at United, is that Cavani will either make a run for Fernandes to find him with a pass, or he can see where Fernandes should be running and make that pass.
“It’s about creating space and that’s what it will do. Anthony Martial won’t race for something to happen, so there’s a big difference between the two forwards. Cavani has to play ”.
United have two crucial games coming up this week, with a trip to Burnley on Tuesday that could take them to first place in the Premier League table, followed by a meeting with old Liverpool opponents at Anfield.
