When Manchester United fell into the quagmire, who used running and goals to support the Red Devils faith?

Bruno Fernandez stood on the sod of Old Trafford, the sun shining through his high arm, and the Red Devil badge on his armband was slightly shining. When he was involved in the debate on "whether he deserves to be a Manchester United legend" for the most numerous times, those critics about "willfulness" and "lack of discipline" always seem particularly pale in the ocean of data - the unshakable "Double Ten" data in the past five seasons, the third scorer + assist king in the history of the Europa League, and the top ten in the Premier League running distance this season... These figures outline a lonely brave man who used his flesh and blood to support the backbone of the team in Manchester United's most chaotic years.

Sir Ferguson's argument about "fuzzy memory" is like a scalpel that cuts the nostalgic filter of the football world. People always like to imagine Cantona as the eternal "king", but forget that he also broke the locker room seat due to his temper during training; Giggs's wing magic has been edited into highlights countless times, but who remembers the frustration of his failure in the 2001 FA Cup final three times? Even Bobby Charlton, who was written by Hopcraft in "The Football Man", could not escape the question of "avoiding confrontation" - but time is the gentlest makeup artist, which will quietly wipe away the flaws of idols and leave only shiny silhouettes.

Fernandez's dilemma lies in his microscope in the "post-Ferguson era". When Roy Keane frowned in the commentary seat for criticizing him for being "not tough enough", he might have forgotten that he was suspended for five games for kicking his opponent when he was a player; when fans complained that he was "not a traditional Manchester United captain", he may have overlooked a fact: in the dark season where the team was on the verge of relegation (16th in the league) and the worst record in 49 years, he dragged the team into the European qualifiers with 27 goals and 24 assists (Europa League data). The lights that lit up for him in the stands were never because of his perfection, but because he still chose to burn in the ruins.

The data does not lie, but can tell the truest story: since joining in 2020, he is the only Manchester United player in the Premier League to achieve "goal + assist double ten" for five consecutive seasons; in the history of the UEFA Cup, his 27 goals were second only to Aubameyang and Falcao, and his 24 assists were the best player in the same position; this season, he averaged 11.5 kilometers per game, and his three statistics of tackle, interception and regaining the ball were ranked among the top ten midfielders in the five major leagues. When he fought against Manchester City and still returned to prevent the gun hole, the prejudice about "only attacking" had already been shattered by sweat-soaked jerseys.

Of course, controversy entangled him like a shadow. He will leave room for defense due to too deep pressure in front, spread his hands to the referee and complain to the yellow card, and choose to take a risk and pass it safely at critical moments - but this is precisely his football philosophy: like Can opener of Cantona, tear open the opponent's defense in an unconventional way. Data shows that he averaged 5.2 key passes per game, and although his success rate was only 38%, he created nearly 2 excellent opportunities for the team in each game. This "risk creativity" is the most precious code to break the deadlock in the years when Manchester United lacks a real center of midfield.

In Manchester United's honor room, Fernandez's trophy display cabinet is not dazzling (1 FA Cup, 1 League Cup, 1 UEFA Cup), but his existence itself is a legend. When the team changed four coaches in three years and the management was in turmoil, he was the only locker room adhesive; when the youth training was cut off and the chaos in signings caused the lineup to be deformed, he was the only "all-round fighter" who could seamlessly switch between offense and defense; when Saudi tycoons wielded a billion-dollar check to try to poach, he was the most panicked "unable person" at Old Trafford - after all, who could imagine how fragmented the Manchester United midfielder without the No. 8 would be?

Perhaps one day, when Manchester United returns to its peak and future generations look through this "dark decade" history, they will suddenly understand the value of Fernandez: in those years when even Ferguson is reluctant to look back, it was this Portuguese who used his scarred knees and never-ending fighting spirit to defend the last dignity for the team. He is not Cantona, not Keane, he is Bruno Fernandez, a modern football fighter who blooms in the mud, a lonely brave man who weaves his own era with controversy and glory. The charm of football has never been limited to perfect legends, but also lies in the souls that still choose to burn in the darkness.