Man United fans will agree as Owen Hargreaves questions baffling Ruben Amorim decision
Ruben Amorim has come under intense scrutiny for a decision he made at Manchester United in the summer transfer window.
Man United captured four players for their senior squad in a bid to address their goalscoring troubles, doing so with the additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Mbeumo has made a bright start to life at Man United and has arguably been their most impressive player during a difficult period at Old Trafford.
However, whilst the 26-year-old has received wide praise for his performances, Amorim has been criticised for his management of Bruno Fernandes.
Bruno has been shoehorned into a deeper midfield role to accommodate the likes of Cunha, Mbeumo and Mason Mount in attack, but that switch has created an imbalance.
Ruben Amorim playing Bruno Fernandes in a deeper midfield role questioned
There is no question that Bruno should be playing as number 10. As a talisman and chief creator, the 31-year-old is arguably the Red Devils’ most influential player.
Last season, the Portuguese international recorded an incredible 37 goal involvements in all competitions despite United finishing 15th in the Premier League.
However, since being deployed as a deep-lying playmaker, Bruno hasn’t been as involved in the attacking phase, and Owen Hargreaves thinks Amorim is wasting the talents of their ‘best player’.
“Probably the best 10 in the division” 👀
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) October 17, 2025
The Breakdown team discuss Bruno Fernandes and his positioning after Manchester United’s transfer dealings.
Full episode 👉 https://t.co/el740pHiDJ pic.twitter.com/q6R2u3tRW5
“Bruno [Fernandes] is by far their best player by a country mile and then they go sign two players to play his position,” Hargreaves said on TNT Sports.
“So he has to play a defensive midfield player, almost, and it’s like I appreciate you needed more goals because they thought, okay, we get more goals that gets us higher up the table than say a world-class goalkeeper.”
“But you’re arguably the best 10 in the division with Cole Palmer in Bruno and you drop him because you want someone to play through midfield. And then you’ve got [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo, why didn’t you just sign a central midfield player and let Bruno did his thing with Cunha?”
Man United want a quality central midfielder
Unsurprisingly, the defensive side of Bruno’s game has been criticised as he often switches off in key moments.
But the Portuguese is naturally a forward-thinking player, whose first thought is to move possession up the pitch instead of defending deeper.
The former Sporting Lisbon man needs to return to his number 10 position alongside Mbeumo, and that is why Man United are in the market for a new central midfielder.
| Adam Wharton’s 2025/26 stats |
| 6 appearances |
| 4.5 balls recovered per game |
| 1 tackle per game |
| 1 interception per game |
| 5 big chances created |
| 81% pass completion |
United have been linked to Crystal Palace star Adam Wharton, and he’s someone who Rio Ferdinand thinks could fix their issues in progressing the ball up the pitch.
Wharton has emerged as one of the best prospects in England, with the 21-year-old destined for a move to a bigger club.