Paul Scholes says ‘lost’ and ‘bored’ Manchester United star needs urgent position change

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Paul Scholes has told Ruben Amorim to urgently restore Bruno Fernandes to an attacking midfield role at Manchester United.

With Amorim insisting on continuing with his ineffective system at United, scrutiny is mounting on the manager.

Among his many issues is Fernandes’ role as one of United’s sitting midfield pair rather than his natural number ten role.

Former United midfielder Scholes has been clear in where Fernandes should play, describing the Portuguese playmaker as ‘lost’ in his unfamiliar deeper position.

Paul Scholes says Bruno Fernandes is getting ‘bored’ out of position at Manchester United

Speaking to Sky Sports, Paul Scholes said Bruno Fernandes’ more defensive role is weakening Manchester United as he is not able to contribute in attack.

“He’s the most creative player in the team, there’s no doubt about that. But he’s being asked to do something different,” Scholes explained. “He’ll try and do anything like Wayne Rooney [would], but that deeper-lying position is taking away some of the important qualities he has further up the pitch.

“He’s capable of doing it for two or three games. It’s normal for a player who’s a forward player to be able to do it for two games but then you get a bit bored of going back in the position, defending. You’re not used to it.

“He can do it, he’s been brilliant in some of the Europa League games in that position and he can do it. I just don’t see it as a long-term position.”

Paul Scholes says Bruno Fernandes looked ‘lost’ against Manchester City, calls for change of position

And going further on his new podcast, The Good, The Bad, and the Football, Scholes explained how Ruben Amorim’s system is not supporting Fernandes at present.

He said: “There’s no doubt about on the ball he’s brilliant, but going to Manchester City against a Pep Guardiola team playing that position… it took me years to adjust to that position.

“I was always a centre forward and I needed somebody next to me who was an athlete and knew the position brilliantly. That could be Nicky [Butt], it could be Roy [Keane], it could be Michael Carrick because I wasn’t great at that.

“I’d say 80% of games you get away with it. Then all of a sudden you play against the best teams and you don’t know where you are, thinking: ‘**** sake, Phil Foden’s just running behind me. [Jeremy] Doku is coming in behind me.

“You don’t know that position so you don’t do it [track back]. And that’s what Bruno Fernandes is like. Like he looks lost a little bit now.”