“The Dead Zones”- Manchester United Star Bruno Fernandes Reveals His Genius Tactic and Why He Is Always Trying to Hide Behind the Unmarked Referee

The star midfielder of Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes, recently had a conversation with The Athletic. He opened up on his Manchester United days, his approach to the game, his teammates, and the managers. While discussing, he shared about the dead zone or the referee zone, what he calls and how he uses this zone to his advantage.

Since his move to Old Trafford, the player has become a fan favorite. His leadership qualities on the field, along with his scoring abilities, are praised by the fans. Fernandes is the first name on the team sheet when available, such is his impact.

Bruno Fernandes hides behind the referees to create space

Bruno Fernandes, during the conversation, gave details about how he uses the position of referees on the field to his advantage. Although, there are certain referees where he thinks the strategy changes. The quality shows how Fernandes looks at the game deeply.

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Fernandes said, “It is about finding the non-occupied areas, or sometimes the dead zones, where nobody can see you or mark you. Or, if they do mark you, they will create more space in the middle of the pitch for other people. Normally, I call these the ‘referee zone. Because nobody marks the referee. Sometimes, this is what the coaches say to players who play between the lines, or the wingers who want to come inside, or the striker when he wants to drop.”

It takes a special talent to succeed at a club like Manchester United. You just can’t take a field and become a fan favorite when you have ever-demanding fans around. Bruno Fernandes is a special player. He came to the club during the crisis period, and it took just half a season to stamp his authority on the club and the fans.

Mid-season signing that proved an instant hit for Manchester United

Bruno Fernandes arrived at Manchester United in January 2020. It took only half the season for the player to win Manchester United’s Best Player of the Season 2019-20 award. It was not only it; he became the first player after Cristiano Ronaldo in 2006-07 to win back-to-back Premier League Player of the Month awards. He became the first player in Premier League history to get the Player of the Month and Goal of the Month award concurrently.

The player is yet to win a major trophy with Manchester United. The closest he came to the silverware was in the 2021 when they lost to Villareal in the Europa League. He was the third-best scorer and second-best assist provider in the Premier League in the 2020-21 season, his first complete season with the club. Next season he was the top assist provider in the UEFA Champions League and became the first player to provide assists in five consecutive games for the English club.

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The stats highlight the importance of the player to the club. But Bruno is beyond the stats for Manchester United. Let us know your thoughts about how Bruno uses the referees to his advantage and his importance to Manchester United and Portugal’s World Cup campaign.