But since the start of the season, Bruno Fernandes has looked every inch a weary captain, having carried his underperforming troops from all too many battlefields.
Two years of Erik ten Hag’s limited tactical acumen and inability to instil any form of stylistic identity had taken its toll on the only signing from the post-Ferguson era who can look himself in the mirror and say he justifies his price tag.
His record until this term was remarkable in a team lurching from one disaster to the next, but even at the peak of his United powers – as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s free-flowing attack threatened to finally restore United to something like their former glories – you still felt there was more to come from this Portuguese Magnifico.
A fresh start, under a fellow countryman he has been a very vocal supporter of, could not be more welcome and could unleash the true superstar Fernandes has always threatened to become.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 01, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 01, 2024 من The Independent.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
DeChambeau is an unlikely winner in game's civil war
As golf's civil war rumbles on, with any optimism that came from the announcement in June 2023 that LIV Golf and the PGA Tour had a framework agreement in place for a merger having long since dissipated, it's hard to argue that the situation has created many winners.
Mbappe looks a spare part in the Real Madrid machine
Real Madrid are the kings of Europe, that much was true even before La Decimoquinta.
Sign on the dotted line: the £12m steal and £50m dud
The best and worst Premier League transfers this season
Why are there no trains running on Christmas Day?
Q Why don't any trains run on Christmas Day in the UK? Everywhere else on the European continent trains run on 25 December.
The flightmare before Christmas: why December disruption is so painful
Air traffic control language is commendably succinct. The advisory message that was sent out by the US Command Center at 11.50am GMT on Christmas Eve read: “Nationwide ground stop for all AAL Main and Subs”.
CLAUSE FOR CONCERN
A new study suggests lying about Santa is not only 'unethical' but also bad parenting. Charlotte Cripps finds out if telling a festive fib should really earn you a spot on the naughty list
Sanctioned Russian cargo ship sinks after explosion
A US-sanctioned Russian cargo ship sank in the Mediterranean Sea overnight after an explosion ripped through the engine room, Russia's foreign ministry confirmed.
Protests in Syria erupt after Christmas tree set on fire
Thousands of protesters have taken to the streets across Syria after foreign fighters burned down a Christmas tree in the centre of the country, sparking concerns about sectarian violence.
Canal threat is latest drama in Trump's Panama history
Donald Trump strained North American diplomatic relations over the weekend with a threat to retake the Panama Canal, two and a half decades after the US transferred control of the vital global trade route to Panama.
Hong Kong issues arrest warrant for teenage activist
A 19-year-old pro-democracy activist who went from finishing secondary school in the UK to becoming one of Hong Kong's most wanted critics has vowed that she will not be silenced by Chinese fear and suppression.
