Fernandes is not the only United player I look at and think he is a square peg in a round hole.
Luke Shaw has played in a back three before but he has spent the majority of his career as a dynamic left-back and it feels like he is being shoe-horned into a centre-back position under Amorim.
Again you can argue he should have the quality to adapt, and for Jeremy Doku to beat him so easily for the first goal was poor defending whether you are a left-back or a centre-half, but if any players are not completely comfortable in their roles, then it is going to affect the team.
For City’s second goal, again it was not down to the United system failing, more a mixture of things – and a multitude of individual mistakes.
Ugarte starts off on Foden but then follows the ball, like he did in the City move that led to their opener, and goes to press Nico O’Reilly, leaving Foden free.
From there it’s a knock-on effect.
Noussair Mazraoui comes out to Foden but can’t stop him playing a pass around the corner, Leny Yoro gets rolled by Jeremy Doku – the one player you know you don’t get tight to – then Shaw is not strong or fast enough to stop Erling Haaland.
Ultimately, most goals are down to a mistake somewhere but when players are comfortable in the system, and in the right position within it, they do the right things – and the errors don’t stack up like that.
