Manchester United has had a successful World Cup thus far, with several of Erik ten Hag's players being able to produce their best form on the biggest stage, but none more so than the outstanding Bruno Fernandes.
Even the gods of storytelling are getting into the game with Fernandes. Every interaction that he has had with his former teammate at Old Trafford, Cristiano Ronaldo, has been put under the microscope. This is especially the case given that Ronaldo did not name his international teammate as a player that he admired in the explosive television interview that he gave.
As a result, when the attacking midfielder's excellent cross was almost glanced in by Ronaldo during Monday's match against Uruguay, it was the perfect moment to fit the storyline. Ronaldo dashed off to try and claim his 119th goal for his country, but the stadium announcer and FIFA both credited the goal to Fernandes. Ronaldo's attempt was unsuccessful. The expression on Ronaldo's face when he saw Fernandes' face illuminated on the massive screen conveyed everything that needed to be said.
Ronaldo appeared to be in a good mood at the final whistle, as one would expect him to be after such a significant victory for his country, but there is no question that he was frustrated by the fact that Portugal won a penalty so soon after he had been taken off the field. Fernandes scored once more and had two very late opportunities to complete his hat trick at the World Cup. The effect that can have on a player is illustrated by his frustration at not being able to take them.
The 28-year-old forward has now scored two goals and assisted on two more in Qatar's two matches, putting him in a position to be considered for the Golden Ball award, which is given to the tournament's best player. However, his performances for his country come after a stretch in which he had rediscovered his best form not only for United but also for the rest of the league.
It is interesting to note that throughout this season, Ten Hag has mentioned twice how Fernandes performs better when he is the captain of United. This is a role that Fernandes only fills when Harry Maguire is not playing, which has been a fairly common occurrence.
After scoring in the victory at Southampton at the end of August, Ten Hag stated that the captaincy gave Fernandes a "impulse," and a little over a week ago, he elaborated on his leadership.
He said, "That's also one of the things [he's impressed me with], I think he's really an example." "I think he's really an example," he said.
"The way in which he transfers the way of play that we have, the way in which he motivates those around him, the way in which he is the example, so the energy that he gives to the team, that's really good, and so I'm happy with his performance."
This season, Fernandes has led his club United while wearing the captain's armband 15 times. During that span, United has compiled an impressive record of 12 wins and 1 loss, with the latter coming in a 6-3 loss at the Etihad Stadium. It's a great record overall.
If the Portuguese playmaker is proving to be an experienced and motivational leader, and if his own performances improve with the responsibility of the captaincy, then there must come a time when he permanently inherits the role from Maguire.
Before the season was halted for the World Cup, it was beginning to look like Maguire would be Ten Hag's fourth-choice for that position. This is probably an unfair time to be questioning Maguire's role, given that the center-back has once again produced his best for England on the biggest stage.
It is not an ideal situation for a club to have a captain who is so low on the totem pole, and the fact that Fernandes will be in charge of leading on the field while Maguire will be in charge off of it could make things more complicated.
During the club's preseason tour of Australia, Ten Hag expressed his support for Maguire for the role of that role's leader; however, he did emphasize that he wanted more than just one leader.
"I have always looked at the captaincy as something that falls under my purview to decide. The development of a strong team is a priority for me, and in that context, I always refer to a group of leaders. "I'm pleased with him as the captain because he's a really important role," he said.
Ten Hag is well aware of how important the position of captain is, which is why he understands that there may need to be a succession plan in place at some point. If Maguire continues to operate on the periphery of his best team, the current configuration appears to be unsustainable.
This season, Fernandes has already shown that he possesses the qualifications to be captain, and his performances for Portugal are once again demonstrating that he can rise to the occasion.
Alphonsus Odumu 4 d
Fernandez