Manchester United kick off their Premier League campaign against Leeds on Saturday, with the expectation that the Red Devils will mount a credible title challenge.
Bruno Fernandes has been warned that his second full season in England will be his most difficult yet.
Since joining Manchester United from Sporting in 2020, the Portuguese midfielder has been a revelation.
In just 80 games for the Red Devils since his arrival in England, he has scored 40 goals and provided 25 assists.
Because of their results, former Manchester United striker Louis Saha believes that the heightened expectations, combined with greater scrutiny from opponents, will make the 2021/22 season a potentially difficult one.
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“This season will also be really difficult for him since everyone's expectations of him will be so high,” Saha told GentingBet.
“What he's done is incredible, and achieving similar levels again will be tough for him — for two reasons. For starters, people now know what he's capable of, and as a result, they'll make his game extremely difficult.”
Saha has also pushed Fernandes' teammates at Manchester United to start easing the pressure on the 26-year-old, particularly when it comes to scoring goals.
“The burden must be shared,” he added. “United must learn to play better as a team. Players such as Sancho, Rashford, and Martial will need to contribute.
“It can't be like last year when we relied too heavily on Fernandes to score all the goals.
“United must divide the strain amongst themselves, which will allow Fernandes to progress further.”
Fernandes and Paul Pogba showed that there are grounds to be optimistic about their ability to develop a powerful partnership.
And Saha believes that if Pogba can become less of a story off the field, he has all the skills to be the finest in the world in midfield, sitting behind Fernandes.
“It all comes down to stability with Paul Pogba,” he explained. “He is a player who needs consistency in order to function at his best.
“At United, there always appears to be something to distract him; he makes headlines for reasons other than his performance, such as transfer rumors and so on, which produces instability.
“With France, he doesn't have this insecurity; he knows he'll play every game, and it shows in his performances.
“I sincerely hope he stays at United. He is the world's finest number eight. If you want to manage a midfield, disturb a midfield and a defense, win a trophy, and be excited, he is without a doubt one of the best players for the job.
“Therefore, unless he is upsetting the squad, there is no reason to want him to leave.
“Not at all, because everyone enjoys playing with him. I'm simply hoping he has a good season.”
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