Bruno Fernandes has explained that Marcus Rashford is incapable of doing certain things that Bernardo Silva can as a winger.
Fernandes has played alongside Bernardo for the Portuguese national team for years, observing his game both as a wide player and in midfield.
While at Manchester United, the 29-year-old has seen Marcus Rashford mainly thrive as a left-winger, while also playing behind him when he has been utilised as a striker.
Bruno Fernandes says Marcus Rashford cannot do the things Bernardo Silva can as a winger
The £43 million (BBC Sport) man is fundamentally quite a different type of player to the Manchester United forward.
In an interview with Portuguese outlet A Bola, Bruno Fernandes has explained how as a result, Marcus Rashford cannot be expected to do the things Bernardo Silva does when playing out wide.
“And it’s not possible for us to play in the same way as Manchester City because Manchester City has supporting wingers, very good in one v one too but footballers who really like to play in support and also inside. I can’t ask [Marcus] Rashford and [Alejandro] Garnacho, pure wingers to play inside in the same way as others who perhaps started their careers as midfielders or as number 10s and fell to the lines. I can’t ask Rashford or Garnacho to do what Bernardo does when he plays as a winger”, Fernandes said.
Fernandes continued, “It’s a completely wrong idea because Bernardo knows how to be between the lines, he’s used to being in the middle and playing from the back is not as simple as it seems. People sometimes have this idea that all players have to do what others do.”
“No, we have specific characteristics that define us as players and make us very good at doing what we do. People have to understand that we do what enhances the quality of the player alongside us.”
Bernardo Silva suits Manchester City’s possession-based style due to the reason stated by the Manchester United captain
As Bruno Fernandes rightly stated, due to Bernardo Silva having played in midfield for years, he is much more capable of retaining possession and playing in between the lines, as opposed to a direct winger like Marcus Rashford.
With that in mind, it is second nature for a player like Bernardo to play in a possession-based team like Manchester City as opposed to the Englishman, whose best attributes include being an outlet and scoring goals.
As a result, as United have been a counter-attacking side for years, Rashford has largely succeeded.
Bernardo Silva and Marcus Rashford are on the opposite ends of the spectrum as far as wingers go and perhaps the same logic can be applied when comparing Jack Grealish to Alejandro Garnacho.
