The Bruno Bounce: Man United have invention and creativity since signing the Portuguese playmaker 

Bruno Fernandes was back at Carrington on Wednesday, driving his Mini through the gates of Manchester United‘s training ground and parking it among the fleet of luxury sports cars and 4x4s belonging to his team-mates.

United’s new talisman has had to rent a car because he has been unable to share a lift with his Portuguese compatriot Diogo Dalot since the coronavirus outbreak, but his choice of transport is telling.

The only time you will find Fernandes being flash is on a football pitch, as he demonstrated once again at Brighton on Tuesday night. Two goals – the second a textbook volley at the end of an exhilarating United breakaway – were the highlights of another Fernandes masterclass.

Manchester United have invention and creativity with Bruno Fernandes in the middle

Fernandes scored two goals against Brighton as he put on another masterclass for United

That’s six goals and four assists in all competitions for the 25-year-old midfielder since he joined United in January in a deal worth up to £67.8million. No other Premier League player has been involved in so many goals in that time.

Indeed, if the season had started when United signed Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon on January 30, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side would be top.

When the player touched down in Manchester on a private jet with his wife Ana, their young daughter Matilde and his representatives, Miguel Pinho and Rui Guimaraes, he discovered a club experiencing more than a little turbulence.

The previous Premier League game had ended with a 2-0 defeat at home to Burnley on a night when fans turned on their own team and, in particular, Ed Woodward in a show of anger that would lead to a disgraceful attack on the home of United’s executive vice-chairman 24 hours before Fernandes arrived.

No other Premier League player has been involved in more goals since Fernandes joined 

The Portuguese midfielder has become the catalyst for a dramatic turnaround at United

A toxic atmosphere was nothing new to him. The previous season, his 32 goals and 18 assists for Sporting helped seal a domestic cup double, and transformed the mood at the club after 50 fans armed with knives had attacked players at the training ground.

Now Fernandes was about to be the catalyst for an equally dramatic turnaround at United. No player has energised the club quite like this since Eric Cantona. In his 12 games, he has yet to taste defeat. There have been eight wins and four draws, with United scoring 28 goals and conceding just four.

But it is impossible to quantify what Fernandes has brought to United in stats alone. For that, you have to look at the character of the man.

‘Bruno has been fantastic,’ said Solskjaer on Tuesday night. ‘He has brought that winning mentality with him, that 99 per cent is not good enough.’

It was evident on Fernandes’ first day at United when he completed his medical at Carrington and then insisted on going out to train, even though his new team-mates weren’t in and it was his daughter’s third birthday.

In the 12 matches Fernandes has played, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side are yet to taste defeat

It was noted among the players recently that one of their team-mates hadn’t turned up for training. ‘Yes and he wasn’t the only one!’ Fernandes quipped, showing that his excellent grasp of the English language extends to sarcasm as well.

‘He’s got a really dry sense of humour,’ one club insider said on Wednesday. ‘He takes the mickey out of people but he’s such a positive character. When he talks, they listen. It was a bit quiet before but everyone seems so happy now and there has been a sea change in terms of confidence.’

On his debut against Wolves, he took more shots and played more passes than any other player on the pitch.

It had already been established that the new man wanted to take the set-pieces, and penalties as well. Fernandes has welcomed the responsibility, scoring three times from the spot.

He has already scored three times from the spot since taking on set-piece responsibility 

He has become a magnet for this United side and one who makes his team-mates better by linking up the play. Against Brighton he was simply outstanding, and the manner of a 3-0 win was another indication that Solskjaer is closer to recreating the United of old.

While Paul Pogba looks every inch the superstar in his Rolls Royce, Fernandes will stick with the Mini for now. With a baby boy on the way, however, he will have to upgrade soon.

Thanks to him, everyone at United is thinking bigger these days.