Can Bruno Fernandes win the Europa League on his own?! Man Utd are starving for goals with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee struggling - but talismanic captain could take them all the way

Fernandes showed his worth to United in the most obvious manner by scoring a hat-trick in their last Europa League game to fire them to a 4-1 win over Real Sociedad. It was the showstopper moment of a recent purple patch for the captain, who had fizzed in a free-kick against Arsenal in the previous game and then went on to set up two goals and score himself in the win at Leicester before the international break.

United have not scored in their two games since returning to action but Fernandes has still demonstrated his class in the last two games against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City. The problem was that his team-mates, as has often been the case, were nowhere near his level.

That was most strikingly clear in the derby, when Fernandes was at the heart of all of United's moves but was repeatedly let down by a bad touch or a hurried shot on goal. Patrick Dorgu and Alejandro Garnacho were the main culprits and, at one point in the first half, after Dorgu had shanked a Fernandes pass over the bar, it was tempting to conclude that the Portuguese would have been better off not passing to anyone and just going for goal by himself.

Watching Fernandes create so many promising moments only to watch them come to nothing, it was easy to see why he gets so wound up on the pitch. And while Keane believes that Fernandes' tendency to get emotional when things do not go United's way is a sign of poor leadership, Ruben Amorim argues that it is endearing.

"He really feels it. Sometimes the frustration that you see, that everybody sees and maybe says is not a good thing in a captain, is a sign that he wants this so bad. This is the kind of player that we want and he’s not going anywhere because I’ve already told him," Amorim said earlier this month, responding to a media report claiming Real Madrid were interested in taking Fernandes off United's hands.

"I want Bruno here because maybe in the lowest moments of our season he … we want to win the Premier League again so we want the best players to continue with us. He’s 30 but he’s still so young because he plays 55 games every season and, between assists and goals, he’s always there for us. He’s the type of player we want here, so he’s not going anywhere."

Amorim does not just like Fernandes for his passion either. He knows that his compatriot is his best player by far, the one who can make the difference and so often does. He said after the derby: "That [worth to United] is clear, but you can look at the other teams, they have players that are essential. If you look at Liverpool, it's [Mohamed] Salah, the difference that he makes. Bruno is our player in that department. So, he's doing quite well."

And part of the reason Fernandes is so essential is because his team-mates have fallen so short. Just look at his fellow attackers. The captain is the team's most productive player, with 16 goals and 15 assists in all competitions. Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho are next on the list, with nine goals and seven assists each.

Amad, however, has been out of action for the last two months and is only expected to return at the tail end of the season. And it should be pointed out that Garnacho's stats have been padded by his exploits in the Carabao Cup, particularly his two goals and two assists against League One Barnsley, which account for a quarter of his total goal involvements throughout the season.

The players who should be contributing the most given their positions are Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, but both are falling dismally short. Hojlund, who United signed for £72m ($92m) in 2023 after turning away from a potential move for Harry Kane, has only scored once in his last 24 games and his barren run can not even be blamed on shoddy finishing. More worryingly, he is not creating any danger at all.

His lack of threat was highlighted by a viral social media post showing that Harry Maguire had a higher rate of expected goals in nine minutes against Nottingham Forest than Hojlund had in his previous 15 appearances. Hojlund only recently snapped a 22-game run without scoring when he struck against Leicester. In all competitions, he has scored eight goals and set up an additional two.

Zirkzee, the only attacker United signed in the summer, has six goals and two assists. The Dutchman has quietly been impressing in the last few weeks, having been humiliated by his own supporters when his early substitution against Newcastle was cheered by large sections of Old Trafford. He is getting more effective at build-up play and his quick feet can open up opponents. But his greatest strength is still creating danger around the box rather than in it. When he started alone up front against Nottingham Forest, United were largely toothless, leading to Amorim to bring Hojlund on to help.

The fact of the matter is that despite spending £105m ($134m) on two strikers, United still have huge problems finding the net. Amorim sees clear signs that the team is improving but he cannot escape the fact that his players are struggling to do something fundamental to winning matches. He said after the derby: "We are improving. We created some chances and then we have the same problem as always, the lack of goals."

Fernandes is one of the few players capable of solving that problem and he needs to get further forward and make sure he is the one getting in the best positions. He has recently rediscovered his knack for shooting from distance recently, netting from free-kicks against Everton and Arsenal and striking from the edge of the box against Leicester. And he needs to do more of it. His team-mates can also help. Kobbie Mainoo's return from injury should improve the team's build-up play, allowing Fernandes to push further forward rather than sitting back and orchestrating the play.

Despite what some people think, though, Fernandes would rather not do everything himself. He cares passionately about his team-mates. He organised and paid for a squad night out in February, also inviting club staff, in a bid to boost morale and build team spirit. He looks out for his colleagues, helping newcomers settle in or putting an arm around those going through a bad patch.

Take how he condemned the fans who had booed Zirkzee and launched an impassioned defence of his team-mate. Or how he heaped praise on Altay Bayindir following his penalty shootout heroics against Arsenal. Or how he fired back at Sir Jim Ratcliffe's insulting remarks about certain members of the squad.

"I try to be the best captain that I can for my team-mates, I try to help everyone in the best way I can and the best way I know," Fernandes said last month, responding to Keane's criticism of his leadership. "I have a lot of things to improve, not only as a captain but as a player, as a person, as a human being and that's fine. Criticism is going to be always part and it's going to make me grow and understand that there's still a long way to go."

He also gave short shrift to a question asking if he deserved more than the two trophies (FA Cup and Carabao Cup) he has won in five years at Old Trafford. "No, I deserve the same as my team-mates. I'm in the same boat as them. If I haven't given everything to the club yet, or more to the club, it's because I don't deserve it and that's it. As everyone else in that dressing room, as everyone else, I'm not different from anyone. It doesn't matter how much you do, how much you score, how much you assist, that doesn't change anything. It's about the team, it's about the club succeeding."

He was speaking like a true captain and recently he has been playing like one too. Another example that Keane is wrong about him. But he is right about his talent. Fernandes is the most talented player at the club. Talented enough to drag United all the way to Europa League glory.