FORMER Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes the introduction of Christian Eriksen at Old Trafford is the reason behind Bruno Fernandes’ resurgence.
Eriksen, 30, joined the Red Devils on a free transfer in July after a short spell with Brentford.
While many believed he would fail to make an impact, the Denmark international has since started each of United’s opening six Premier League games.
He was even awarded man of the match for his impressive performance during the 3-1 victory over Arsenal.
And according to Saha, his presence has also helped to reignite the form of team-mate Fernandes.
The ex-striker told Compare.bet: “I think it adds directness. It’s a different formula and it allows Bruno Fernandes to be a bit more deadly going forward with more freedom.
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“He’s a very, very smart player. He has great quality on the ball and dictates the rhythm of the team and the midfield with his passing range.
“He has legs too, he can run! You see him pressing high and a minute later making a run down the middle to assist Rashford – for anyone to defend against that, where he’s a bit of a box-to-box player, but also a master passer, it’s tough.
“He’s a very, very special player. The manager has said that these players need to play a lot of games together to really understand the capacity of certain players.
“We are seeing that the team is starting to gel, and that is going to make things really tough for the opposition.
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“The mentality is right, the level of aggression is right, and we’re also starting to see enjoyment from the players.”
Fernandes, 28, experienced a huge dip in form last season as Man Utd endured one of their worst-ever Premier League campaigns.
He scored 10 goals in 36 Prem appearances – a far cry from his red-hot form during the 2020-21 season when he netted 18 times.
But, the introduction of Eriksen has enabled the Portugal international to play a more attacking role with the freedom to press higher.
Man Utd currently sit fifth in the league table with 12 points.
The Red Devils had an awful start to the season, suffering two successive defeats to Brighton and Brentford respectively.
But, new boss Erik ten Hag quickly turned things around as his side went on to earn a deserved victory against Liverpool before defeating Southampton, Leicester and Arsenal.
They face Real Sociedad at home in the Europa League tonight before travelling to Crystal Palace on Sunday.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
