If the Manchester United captaincy used to be the preserve of the talismanic, at times in recent seasons the mantle has rested instead with the declining, the injured and the substitutes. There were reasons that Erik ten Hag promoted Bruno Fernandes from the vice-captain with the armband, ending his regency by giving him the crown, and they stretched beyond demoting Harry Maguire.
When United required leadership, when a troubled week threatened to have a terrible end, when a slow start to the season looked like it could become shocking, Fernandes offered an illustration of his inspiration. United were two goals behind inside four minutes to Nottingham Forest. If four moments ultimately secured victory, Fernandes was pivotal in each.
