Bruno Fernandes was the star man for Manchester United in their 2-2 draw against Lyon but it was not enough to secure a victory for the Reds heading into the second-leg.
Manchester United have had three similar performances since returning from the international break but are yet to secure a win in that time.
In Premier League games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City it was the faltering attack which proved costly, while in the Europa League the fault laid with goalkeeper André Onana.
The Cameroon international made two terrible errors for both of Lyon’s goals on Thursday evening and calls for him to be dropped for Altay Bayındır have never been louder.
United were slightly better in the final third in France – shown by the fact they actually scored – but things were far from perfect.
Bruno Fernandes produced the assist for what looked to be the winning goal in the 88th minute. That was the club captain’s 34th direct goal contribution this season.
Fernandes’ angry moment vs Lyon
Fernandes was far from pleased with some of the attacking play of his teammates and we can all notice when he’s unhappy because he wears his heart on his sleeve.
Amorim has constantly reminded the media that this isn’t something to berate Fernandes for but it instead highlights how much he cares.
His anger was obvious early in the second half, where he had time and space to look for a forward pass. Alejandro Garnacho had moved into a space between the lines – if he could receive the ball and turn, he’d be running straight at the backline.
The Portuguese midfielder read the play and fired the ball into Garnacho with a pass that Fernandes himself would have loved to receive. However, the 20-year-old Argentine could not read the pass and it went harmlessly behind for the Lyon goalkeeper to collect.
Fernandes turned around in frustration and then pointed to his eye when looking at his youthful teammate almost as if to say, ‘keep your eye on the ball’.
Unfortunately, even if he was in the form of his life, receiving the ball on the half-turn in those pockets of space are not something you expect from Garnacho, let alone when he’s in his current rut.
Mainoo’s “sharp” display suggests he should start soon
Garnacho is at his best when on the touchline but right now an inexperienced Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu is producing on that flank better that he would do. The young Dane is raw but produced two fine crosses on the night – one to Garnacho – which should have both ended in assists.
With Dorgu holding the width, you need someone who is able to receive the ball in those pockets of space and play. Garnacho offers a transitional threat with his speed but it is almost useless when in his current form.
Kobbie Mainoo entered the pitch after 83 minutes and immediately showcased why Amorim is considering him in that advanced role. His first performance since returning from injury was labelled as “sharp”.
That is because he looked so comfortable receiving the ball centrally and popping it off. That is his bread and butter and was a feature of his Man of the Match display against FCSB back in January.
Winning the header in the build-up to Zirkzee’s goal was the cherry on top of a promising display for the Academy graduate but it could be his work in between the lines which leads to him being picked over Garnacho in the coming weeks.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.