Bruno Fernandes discusses penalty ‘secret’ & sets out future targets at Man Utd

Bruno Fernandes insists there is no “secret” to his success from the penalty spot, but the Portuguese does believe he can offer even more to Manchester United than he has done so far.

The Red Devils found considerable value in a deal struck with Sporting during the January window.

Having invested €55 million (£47m/$60m) in the 25-year-old playmaker, an immediate return was offered by the new arrival at Old Trafford.

Fernandes has quickly become a talismanic figure for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side, with 12 goals and eight assists recorded through 22 appearances.

Many of those efforts have come from 12 yards, with United earning a flurry of spot-kicks in the 2019-20 campaign.

Fernandes is yet to fluff his lines, with a faultless record stretching back to October 2018, but he claims to give little thought to an art that he has clearly perfected.

“I don’t have a secret,” the United midfielder told UEFA.com. 

“I think that I train a lot, I like to train a lot. I always pay attention to what the goalkeepers are doing – how they position themselves, how they best prevent shots on goal. Based on that, based on the match, and based on how I’m feeling on the pitch, I decide how to take a penalty.

“I don’t have a specific technique in taking penalties. There’s no certain run-up I take, I just stick to what I feel is most comfortable. 

“If I change it every so often, it might make the goalkeeper uncertain. I change my run-up for how I’m feeling during the match, or how I feel the goalkeeper [will move].”

Fernandes will be looking to contribute significantly to the Red Devils cause again in 2020-21, with the Portugal international of the opinion that he can make more of an impact in the final third.

He added on his style of play: “It's instinct. Over the years, because of the position in which I was playing, I developed my ability to move around and look forward.

“When we lose the ball, I try to be the first one to react and to call on the other attacking players to help out in winning back possession. And obviously for me, to be able to build up the play, to have the ball and provide passes to my team-mates to enable them to score goals – it’s very important.

“I think that's what I need to do a bit more because, yes, I've provided some assists but I could have provided more, given the quality we have up front. I believe I can improve on my numbers given the quality we have up front.”