Wayne Rooney believes the tension surrounding Bruno Fernandes is mounting. The former Manchester United forward suggests that Michael Carrick must reshape the midfield, or the team's captain's discontent may bubble to the surface.
Fernandes looked notably frustrated following United's 1-1 draw against Tottenham. The Red Devils initially took the lead through Bryan Mbeumo, and soon enjoyed a numerical advantage after Rodrigo Bentancur was sent off.
However, despite having the upper hand, Carrick's side failed to secure the victory, as Dominic Solanke levelled the scoreline late on.
With just one win from six outings, Rooney feels the situation is seriously weighing on Fernandes.
He stated:
He's had enough. I genuinely feel like he thinks, 'Here we go again.'
He gets individual recognition, makes key passes, drives the team forward, but sometimes you just need to step back from that role, even if only for a moment, to catch your breath.
Rooney fears that if results don’t improve, Fernandes’ emotions could eventually spill over.
I sense the pressure is building. If this continues, there could be an explosion.
He isn't afraid to voice his opinion, so it will inevitably come out at some point.
The former striker suggested Carrick might need to alter Fernandes’ role or even consider giving him a brief break.
You could drop him deeper or take him out of the side temporarily to refresh the team.
The priority now is to solidify the midfield and start picking up points by any means necessary.
In Rooney’s opinion, United should switch to a system with three central midfielders.
He believes that Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans lack the mobility to cover large areas between them, so they need an additional player alongside.
One option Rooney mentioned was Carlos Baleba.
Adding Baleba could provide more insurance for the defence.
First, they need to become more solid off the ball before thinking about how to win matches.
Rooney is convinced that restructuring the midfield could not only improve results but also alleviate some of the burden on Fernandes, who has been carrying the attacking responsibilities for too long at Manchester United.
