Ruben Amorim watches on from the Old Trafford touchline.
Ruben Amorim set up with a defensive mindset against Arsenal.
Where would Manchester United be without Bruno Fernandes? It is a question every United supporter should be asking themselves.
For a start, they would not have gone into the half-time interval against Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 lead. His brilliant free-kick in the second minute of added time marked his third goal in his last five games and it lit up a forgettable first half.
Prior to Leandro Trossard tripping Alejandro Garnacho on the edge of the box, United had offered next to nothing inside the final third, so much so the first half ended with Arsenal having enjoyed 67 per cent of the ball. United registered an xG (expected goals) of just 0.10.
Setting up in their traditional 3-4-2-1 shape, United set up with the intention of frustrating their visitors; they sat in a low black and were happy to surrender possession.
Arsenal enjoyed plenty of the ball, moving it sideways and backwards, but they struggled to unlock a relatively stubborn United defence.
But when United occasionally ventured over the halfway line, they often found themselves immediately going backwards. A prime example was when Diogo Dalot had the ball high up on the left and decided to work the ball backwards when he had a chance to cross.
Chants of 'Attack, attack, attack' have been a familiar soundtrack this season, and United's fans would have been within their rights to start chanting it again prior to half-time on Sunday. United set up like a team who knew they were underdogs, recognising just how far they have fallen this season.
United supporters still flock to Old Trafford with the expectation of being entertained - but that has rarely been the case this season. In the second half, however, as the game became stretched and gaps appeared, United offered more and their play became more vibrant and expansive, and that was reflected by the volume of the crowd.
But to the credit of head coach Ruben Amorim, who must now prepare his side for the biggest game of his tenure so far against Real Sociedad on Thursday night, he acknowledged that United's supporters will not accept watching their team play with such a defensive approach week-in, week-out.
Ruben Amorim knows Manchester United must improve. (Image: Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images.)
Speaking to MUTV post-match, Amorim said: "They [the fans] had emotion and that is why they want to be here. I know it is hard to see, especially in the first half, our team defending a little bit in a low block and trying to understand the right moment to press.
"I know that is hard for a fan of Manchester United. But today we were focused, with all the problems, on trying to win the game, and we showed that."
It goes without saying that results have not gone according to plan under Amorim since his November arrival, but he is aware of the situation his team currently finds itself in. The squad is decimated by injuries and he warned in San Sebastián on Thursday night that his team needed to "survive" the clash with Arsenal.
Of course, Amorim, alongside every United supporter and everyone else associated with the club, does not want to be watching a team with the intention of having to "survive". To sit so deep at home was bordering embarrassment.
His long-term ambition is to transform United into a genuine force that can aspire to win the Premier League title again. However, that is not going to happen overnight.
But Amorim's bravery to front up and acknowledge that United's supporters would have found his side's approach to the first half against Mikel Arteta's troops "hard" to watch is admirable. He evidently understands what they want to see.
He knows United's supporters deserve far better, and the way in which the volume increased in the second half as United began to create more chances was reflected in that. The first half was a complete non-event and only Fernandes' free-kick will be remembered from it.
Without him, the chorus of cheers and applause that greeted the half-time whistle would have otherwise been boos. It was hardly surprising when he said United "need more Brunos".