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English Premier League
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Andy Mitten
Andy Mitten

On The Ball | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer eyes Fernandes with Pogba as he looks for a fix to midfield conundrum

  • Bruno Fernandes has impressed since his switch and there is excitement at the prospect of him playing alongside Paul Pogba
  • Pogba was reported to be looking for a way out of Old Trafford earlier in the season

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Manchester United fans will finally get to see Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes play together in the United midfield. Photo: Reuters
Andy Mitten

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said Bruno Fernandes reminds him of Paul Scholes several times, but the more he watches him, the more he sees flashes of another former United player: Juan Sebastian Veron. The Argentine galactico’s 2001 arrival at Old Trafford left even treble-winning players star-struck in his presence, but while Veron was as popular as Fernandes was with his teammates, he ultimately underwhelmed. Veron admits that he wasn’t convinced about moving to England and that he was never consistent enough, though there were exquisite moments which showed why he was the then most expensive player to join a British club.

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Fernandes absolutely wanted to move to England and he’s been consistent in nine games since his January move from Sporting Lisbon. He gelled with teammates on a February break in Marbella and they returned to beat Chelsea for the third time this season – twice away. Chelsea, with three more points, are United’s main rivals for a fourth-place finish this term. United have been as low as 14th, but Solskjaer’s side haven’t made the top four since the table settled.
The Norwegian isn’t getting carried away just yet, but he’s delighted with Fernandes and sees him as key at set pieces, and believes that his creativity can take the game to opponents as United seek to close the gap on better teams. Fernandes’ transfer came out of this summer’s budget, a budget that could have been bolstered by the sale of Paul Pogba, but what now?

The French World Cup winner wanted to leave United, but the world has changed and football’s purse strings have tightened. Real Madrid, who Pogba initially wanted to join in 2016, are not expecting any major outlay this summer.

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Though Pogba has work to do to win back favour with many United fans, he can do that by excelling. There’s excitement about the prospect of Pogba and Fernandes playing together and Solskjaer’s now spoiled for choice in an area of the pitch that caused him concern, an area with such shortages that Andreas Pereira, a talented performer who looks more like a squad player than a top class midfielder, has played 37 times for United this season.
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