Bruno Fernandes' passing 'genius': Erik ten Hag explains why Man Utd are trying to create the space for their captain

In an exclusive interview with Erik ten Hag, the Manchester United manager discusses Bruno Fernandes’ unusual passing statistics and the challenge of asking him to create chances for the team while balancing the need to retain possession of the ball…

Comment and Analysis @ghostgoal

Monday 11 September 2023 09:45, UK

The modern game is increasingly about ball retention but one man continues to buck the trend. Bruno Fernandes' passing choices are all about risk and reward. Manchester United's captain is a creative force who plays without fear of losing possession.

There is a statistic that highlights his unique approach. It uses tracking data to calculate the expected completion rate of each pass based on the position of players on the pitch. The results reveal that Fernandes' expected pass completion rate is just 69.7 per cent.

He is the only player in the Premier League to have completed 100 passes this season whose expected pass completion rate is below 70 per cent. What that means is that Fernandes is trying passes that are more difficult than those attempted by any other player.

The fact that his actual pass completion rate is a little higher is testament to his ability to execute those passes. But perhaps the real skill, his greatest gift, is having the vision to spot them in the first place. Fernandes has the imagination, that picture in his head.

One of the reasons that the passes he attempts are so difficult is because they are often between opposition players. Fernandes ranks second in the Premier League for passes that break the defensive line of the opponent, having tried 56 of them this season.

He is not trying to hit a static target either. There are moving parts at play here. The average speed of the