Bruno Fernandes will need his teammates to step up to the plate if Manchester United are to be successful this coming campaign.
That's according to former United striker Louis Saha, who doubts whether the Portuguese playmaker can replicate the astounding form that has made him one of the best midfielders in the Premier League over the past season and a half.
The Frenchman, who won the Uefa Champions League during a four-year stint with the Red Devils, believes that the opposition will target Fernandes more closely, but also states that he can step up another level if his colleagues in attack can lift some of the burden off of his shoulders.
"This season will also be really tough as everyone’s expectations of him will be very high," Saha told GentingBet.
"What he’s done is extraordinary and it will be difficult for him to achieve those levels again – for two reasons. Firstly, people now know what he’s capable of and as a result, they will make his game really difficult.
"Secondly, the burden needs to be shared. United will need to learn to play better as a team. Players like Sancho, Rashford and Martial will have to contribute.
"It can’t be like it was last year with the overreliance on Fernandes to score all the goals. United need to share the load between the team and that will help Fernandes kick on further."
Fernandes registered 18 goals and 12 assists last season, meaning he was involved in 41 percent of United's 73 goals in the Premier League, illustrating the team's dependency on their star man.
However, Fernandes contributed just five goal involvements in the final 12 games of the 2020/21 season, a huge drop off from his usual rate of production, which can be partly explained by exhaustion after an arduous campaign for the midfielder.
United, who are hoping to go one better than last year's runners-up finish in the league, will kick off the season by hosting Leeds at Old Trafford this Saturday.
