Is Bruno Fernandes part of the Man United problem?

Seas are getting rougher and, at this precise moment, kinder elements do not appear to be on the horizon.

Of the unhappy crew mates, Bruno Fernandes appears to be the one with the biggest axe to grind. The Portuguese talisman is far from happy.

Indeed, as reported by Sportsmail, Fernandes is growing frustrated by a lack of clear direction under boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his coaching staff.

It would be fair to say a malaise has well and truly set in at Old Trafford and Fernandes would not be far wrong. United have looked directionless for some time, and there are no signs of a turning tide.

He went missing during the abject Old Trafford defeat to noisy neighbours Man City and former Red Gary Neville labelled him ‘too emotional’ in the aftermath. So, is Fernandes himself part of the problem?

We only have to rewind 12 months to observe Fernandes at his scintillating, irrepressible best.

During the last campaign Fernandes was a candidate for Player of the Month after every passing four weeks, and naturally a hot favourite for PFA Player of the Year.

As United coasted into a second-placed finish behind rivals City, ahead of an injury-ravaged Liverpool, Fernandes was the driving force behind everything that was good and positive.

It would not be an exaggeration to say the former Sporting Lisbon man was on a upwards sky rocket trajectory ever since his arrival in January 2020.

Fernandes may have signed for United just as fans were then barred from stadiums due to coronavirus restrictions and the many lockdown periods, but it did not matter.

He took to life in the Premier League like a duck to water and wasted little time in not only becoming United’s stand-out player, but also the most formidable star in the English game.

For as much as United may have had off-days, Fernandes was always there to provide a spark and help snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

Now, however, the tables have turned.

United are down on their luck and Fernandes appears to have let the ongoing demise really permeate into him. The form has vanished and, right now, so have United’s chances.

The 27-year-old has four goals and three assists in the Premier League so far this season, at the time of writing. Those figures are by no means to be scoffed at, yet a player of Fernandes’ dizzying heights can, and has, regularly produced better.

More worryingly, the goals are seemingly drying up. What made Fernandes so devastatingly effective for United was his uncanny ability to find the back of the net, while also making everything else happen around him.

The United No 18 has not registered for his side since early September, when he slotted home in the 4-1 rout of Newcastle.