As Manchester United prepare for their Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur on Wednesday, club legend Paul Scholes has proposed a tactical reshuffle that could see Bruno Fernandes deployed in an unfamiliar role.
With both teams vying for a spot in next season’s Champions League, the stakes are high in Bilbao, where the winner will secure European football for 2025/26, while the loser will face the disappointment of missing out.
Fernandes has been United’s standout player this season, registering 19 goals and 19 assists, and has excelled in the No.10 role in Ruben Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 formation. However, Scholes believes a tactical tweak could benefit the team and open up opportunities for other players.
Get Instantly Update By: Joining Our Whatapps and Telegram Channel
In his TNT Sports column, Scholes suggested: “I would try to start Amad and [Alejandro] Garnacho in the final because they are United’s biggest goal threats, alongside Fernandes. The best way to do this might be to drop Fernandes back into a central midfield role alongside Casemiro, which has worked well before, especially in European games.”
Scholes also believes that Amorim could opt for Rasmus Hojlund to lead the line, given his recent form in the Europa League, although Scholes noted that Hojlund’s Premier League performances have been disappointing. Scholes added, “If Amorim wanted to change things up, he could play Fernandes as a false nine, similar to what Erik ten Hag did in last season’s FA Cup final against Manchester City.”
He continued, “Fernandes is more mobile than Kobbie Mainoo, who has been tried in that position but doesn’t seem suited to it. Playing Fernandes as a false centre-forward would allow you to start Casemiro and [Manuel] Ugarte in central midfield.”
While Scholes acknowledged Amorim’s selection dilemmas, he stressed that the manager’s challenge would be ensuring that his players perform on the day. “There are plenty of options, but the problem is Amorim doesn’t know what he’s going to get from most of his players on the day,” Scholes concluded.
