Manchester United: Four Key Matches That Defined Their Season

2. February 1, 2010, Bruno Fernandes plays his first match for Manchester United

Throughout last summer transfer window, if you happened to follow Manchester United fan sites, you saw Bruno Fernandes‘ head photoshopped onto a body wearing a MUFC kit.

They were accompanied by captions asking whether he would come to the club or whether executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward would mess up the pending deal. At the end of the window, the 25-year-old Portuguese midfielder stayed in Portugal.

Many United fans criticized the club’s board and Woodward relentlessly for their failure to get the deal over the line. When the January transfer opened, the fan sites were back at it as rumors swirled that Fernandes was getting another look by United’.

Talks went back and forth through January, and as fans began to groan that it would never happen, then it did. On January 29th, the $60.5 million transfer loaded with incentives was completed. Fernandes with family standing behind him, signed for Manchester United.

His first game in the Red Devils jersey was against Wolves. The result of the match (0-0) was not a critical issue for United. What was most vital was from the moment that Fernandes stepped onto the pitch at Old Trafford, the vibe around the team changed.

He immediately made an impact on the team’s energy level, their creativity, their drive, and showed leadership on the pitch. Fernandes took five shots (three on target), drew two fouls, won two tackles, and earned a yellow card.

Solskjaer finally had his man.