Manchester United's Early Season Struggles: Fernandes Under Fire

Manchester United’s season has barely started and already feels like it’s veering off course.

One win from five Premier League games. Defeats to Hull City and a ten-man Manchester City. Points spilled against Everton and Fulham. A wild 5-2 thumping of newly-promoted Ipswich Town stands alone as the only league high point in a grim opening run.

Even that brief surge hasn’t changed the mood.

Carrick’s side then managed to deepen the gloom in the Carabao Cup. Two goals up against Brighton at Old Trafford, seemingly cruising, they folded. Brighton hit three without reply. A 3-2 defeat, and another competition gone before the season has properly settled.

In the middle of it all stands Bruno Fernandes – and right now, he’s under the microscope.

Fernandes under fire

On paper, his numbers don’t look disastrous. Three goals and an assist in the league. But there’s a catch: every single one of those contributions came in that Ipswich rout. Outside of that afternoon, the 32-year-old has offered little end product, and his body language has started to worry those who know the club well.

Former United defender Phil Bardsley, a graduate of the Old Trafford academy and a long-time admirer of Fernandes, did not hide his concern when speaking to Lyllo Casino.

"Bruno Fernandes looks a bit flat to me this year," Bardsley said. He stressed that he remains “his biggest advocate” and “biggest fan,” praising Fernandes’ relentless work off the ball and the unseen graft that sits beyond the goals and assists. But even with that loyalty, Bardsley sees a problem.

"He just looks a little bit flat in himself this year, and that’s a bit of a concern, as well, because we know how important he’s been for the last four or five seasons, and without him we’d probably be in a completely different position."

For a side so heavily reliant on their captain’s creativity and edge, a subdued Fernandes feels like a warning light on the dashboard.

“Alarming” drop at the back

The issues don’t stop there. Bardsley’s criticism didn’t only land on the playmaker; it hit the back line just as hard.

He pointed straight at the opening-day defeat to Hull, stunned by what he saw. The lack of energy. The lack of sharpness. For him, it was “alarming.”

Last season under Carrick, United had at least looked structurally sound, difficult to break down. That sense of order has evaporated. Bardsley described the current defensive unit as being at "twos and threes" – disjointed, not moving as a single, aggressive block.

Yes, he admitted, this is not “the best back four in the world” on paper. But that, in his eyes, is no excuse for the collective drop-off.

"But ultimately, defensively, across the board, you can look at the back four and say it’s not the best back four in the world, but as a collective we’ve got to be more aggressive," he said. "We've got to be more demanding of each other, and that’s the thing that alarms me, there’s not enough demand. Goals go in and we just turn round and do the kickoff again."

That image is damning: a team conceding, shrugging, and simply restarting, without confrontation or correction.

Leadership vacuum

For Bardsley, this cuts to the heart of United’s problems. Not tactics. Not shape. Authority.

"There’s got to be some sort of demand put on each other and holding players accountable when they make mistakes, when they’re not at the races, or when they’re not stopping crosses or shots. There’s a lack of leadership there."

It’s a brutal assessment from someone who understands the standards once set inside that dressing room. A captain who looks drained. A defence that has lost its edge. A team that, in his eyes, no longer demands enough from itself.

Carrick now faces a stark question: who steps up, who sets the tone, and who drags this United side out of its early-season slump before the campaign drifts beyond their control?