Bruno Fernandes is Man Utd's best player but the biggest scapegoat for their problems - he urgently needs some back up

Fernandes will have harrowing memories of his last trip to Anfield, when he became the scapegoat for United's worst-ever defeat to Liverpool.

When things began to spiral out of control for the visitors and Jurgen Klopp's side continuously eviscerated United on the counter, Fernandes did not act in the manner many people think a captain should, berating his team-mates and repeatedly waving his arms about in frustration.

But the criticism he received was over the top, especially from Gary Neville, who wrongly accused him of asking to be substituted when he was actually asking Erik ten Hag for instructions.

Nevertheless, some pundits such as Richard Keys and Michael Owen have suggested that Fernandes got booked on purpose last week against Bournemouth in order to be spared another humiliation at Anfield.

Those claims, however, are utter nonsense. Fernandes has never hidden when things have turned against him. United have been involved in plenty of dire moments in his time at the club but he has barely missed a minute of action, sitting out just one match (not including when suspended) since joining from Sporting CP in January 2020.

He played more minutes than any other player in Europe last season, including goalkeepers. There can be no question that he wanted to play at Anfield and put last year's abysmal result right.

What cannot be denied is that the booking he received was careless and one of many examples of when he has let his emotions get the better of him, to the team's detriment.

Fernandes wears his heart on his sleeve, whether making himself heard to referees, sobbing after a painful result or rallying his team. That is why he is so beloved by United fans. But sometimes a cooler head is needed to navigate stormy matches.

Take last month's wild match at Galatasaray, when United twice squandered a two-goal lead to draw 3-3. Fernandes was at his best in the early stages of the game, scoring a superb goal and setting up Alejandro Garnacho's strike. But he also failed to guide the team through the game when they needed to slow things down and protect their lead.

He gave away two free-kicks by United's area and although Andre Onana was the real culprit for his catastrophic goalkeeping on the night, they were still needless fouls that left the team exposed. Beyond that, though, Fernandes was partly responsible for driving the team forward in search of more goals and leaving them too open in midfield when they needed to control the match and hang on to what they had.

The captain admitted so afterwards. "We have to control our games,” he said. “It’s not the first game we have like this. Even in Copenhagen, we had 3-2, you have to be smart enough and manage the game better."

Galatasaray was one of Fernandes' better performances on the whole this season, however. He was particularly bad in the atrocious defeat by Bournemouth, playing a sloppy pass to Scott McTominay which was gobbled up by the visitors and led to their opening goal.

It was not an isolated moment: his passing was all over the place against the dynamic and intelligent Cherries and when United needed leadership he could not provide it.

Fernandes was also poor in United's other heavy home defeat of the season against Manchester City, barely influencing the play at all and looking helpless to stop Pep Guardiola's side's dominance. He has also squandered big chances in big moments, especially his free header against Tottenham which missed the target.

The Portuguese has offset those bad displays with a series of stunning performances, digging United out of plenty of holes.

He led the comeback from two goals down against Nottingham Forest and practically carried the team on his back after conceding two goals in the opening four minutes.

He produced a wonderful volley against Burnley - helped by a sumptuous pass from Jonny Evans - and snatched a last-gasp winner against Fulham from just inside the area. He was also dominant against Everton and Chelsea (even though he missed a penalty).

Despite all the criticism he gets, he is still United's most productive player, with five goals and five assists in all competitions. The fact that he is the top goal provider with such low numbers is indicative of the general malaise at the club, but Fernandes is certainly not the problem. Imagine how much worse off they would be without him.

What is true is that Fernandes' goal and assist count this season is way lower than what he has produced in the past for United. Last term he got 14 goals and 15 assists in all competitions, while the previous campaign it was 10 goals and 14 assists.

His current tally looks even worse compared to his astonishing numbers in the 2020-21 season, when he scored 28 goals and got 17 assists in all competitions. He also hit the ground running just after arriving from Sporting in January 2020, with 12 goals and eight assists in the second half of the season.

The Portuguese believes his drop in production is the main reason why he keeps on getting criticised. He said last month: "I know since I arrived at the club my numbers made myself a target so not keeping the same numbers on goals and assists is sometimes a problem for me."

The midfielder has been a victim of United's changing cast of managers. He has played under three different coaches in just under four years, each with differing styles. He also suffered, like many other players, when Cristiano Ronaldo unexpectedly signed for the club in September 2021, instantly altering the style of play United had honed under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Under Ten Hag, Fernandes has played all over the place. He has been asked to anchor the team, to act as a playmaker or play out wide in addition to his usual and preferred role as the No.10.

And that is Fernandes' problem, and by extension United's, in a nutshell: he has been the only real consistent performer in his four years at Old Trafford. Too much has been asked of him as he has suffered from a chronic lack of support from the rest of the squad.

Marcus Rashford has performed miserably since the summer and was also abject in the 2021-22 season while Anthony Martial has been stripped of his pace and confidence ever since tearing his cruciate ligament in April 2021.

Casemiro was outstanding for most of last season but has also been terrible since the summer and suffered from injury problems. Lisandro Martinez has not been the same player since he fractured his metatarsal last April and has been missing since September.

United's recruitment has not helped Fernandes either. Mason Mount was a baffling signing even before he started to suffer from injury problems while Rasmus Hojlund still looks too raw a talent to be leading United's attack.

Fernandes might not have the leadership qualities of predecessors Roy Keane and Nemanja Vidic, but who else in this ragged United side looks like a suitable captain? Before Harry Maguire staged his remarkable revival of form, it made no sense for him to remain captain and Fernandes was the only real alternative.

Casemiro's English is still limited and he has not been at the club for long while Rashford does not have the personality to lead the team, as he has proved with his sulky attitude since his form began to decline.

The only real candidate to rival him as captain is Luke Shaw, who has been missing for most of the season with injury and is also doubtful for Anfield.

Fernandes might like to complain to referees and his team-mates, but that is also an example of his competitive nature. No one could seriously question his commitment to the United cause.

The problem is that he is the lone star in a squad full of misfits. Just look at the players United have had to look to in their last two matches.

Sergio Reguilon and Sofyan Amrabat are loan signings that were only brought in on transfer deadline day. Hannibal Mejbri, Facundo Pellistri and Kobbie Mainoo are inexperienced kids while Jonny Evans is a 35-year-old who last season was unable to get into the team at relegated Leicester. And Antony is one of the worst signings in Premier League history.

Fernandes is perhaps the only United player who could get into the starting line-up at Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester City. And that is not his fault. United need to back him up with more top quality attacking players next summer while the likes of Rashford and Casemiro need to up their game and match Fernandes' level.

Whatever his critics might say, Fernandes remains United's best player and their biggest personality. God help them when they have to do without him at Anfield.