"He's more concerned elevating Cristiano Ronaldo's game" - Sorensen urges 'scared' Bruno Fernandes to step up for Manchester United

Ever since the return of Cristiano Ronaldo to Manchester United, Bruno Fernandes has stepped back a bit as the main man of the team. Former Premier League player Thomas Sorensen claims Bruno is more concerned about elevating Cristiano Ronaldo's game, which has indirectly affected his scoring stats on the field.

Since signing for Manchester United in 2020, Bruno Fernandes has been one of the most important players for the Red Devils. The Portuguese magnifico was on a different level during the 2020-21 season were he carried United on his shoulders to a 2nd place finish in the Premier League.

However, since the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus last summer, Fernandes' stats have dimmed as he is currently no longer the focal point of the Red Devils.

Many pundits and fans expected Bruno Fernades to keep up with the performances that he displayed during last season. Six months into the season, Fernandes has only slowly started to find his feet in the new tactical setup of interim manager Ralf Rangnick.

Former Premier League star Thomas Sorensen recently spoke to Optus Sports GegenPod (via the Manchester Evening News) about Bruno Fernandes not living up to expectations. He said:

"I think it's a mentality thing. When Bruno Fernandes doesn't play with Cristiano Ronaldo, he has that selfishness that 'okay, I'm taking charge, I'm the man, I'm here to get the goals' and he plays with just a different attitude.

"When he plays with Ronaldo, it seems he's more concerned elevating Ronaldo's game than actually doing something for himself, he becomes the provider, he happy to take a step into the background a bit and I don't know if that's the right attitude, he needs to pick up his game, he needs to step up when Ronaldo's on the pitch.

On paper, it should be a match made in heaven, you've got two great players with all the credentials but I don't know if he thinks he owes Ronaldo a bit from where Ronaldo's looked after him and he's scared of Ronaldo in some aspects." said Thomas Sorensen.

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Manchester United team mates have a crucial game against West Ham United

Manchester United will face West Ham United on matchday 23 in what seems to be a belter of a match. Both teams are fighting and scrapping for the 4th place in the points table, with Arsenal and Tottenham also fighting for the same spot. United will try to bring their A-game against the Hammers so that they can earn 3 points and have a single-point lead ahead of West Ham in the points table.

Cristiano Ronaldo will also be keen to get on the scoresheet after being substituted by Ralf Rangnick against Brentofrd.

West Ham United, on the other hand, look to be in great form with Jarod Bowen leading the Hammers by scoring goals and providing assists. It certainly looks like a huge game for both teams and it could well be a turning point this season for both Manchester United and Cristiano Ronaldo.