Erik ten Hag can make ruthless Manchester United statement by dropping underperforming star
Man Utd suffered from the same problems against FC Twente as they did against Crystal Palace.
There comes a point when encouraging performances aren't good enough for a team of Manchester United's stature.
If you're an optimist, they put in two of their most impressive performances of the season in the past week, if you're a pessimistic, or perhaps a realist, they didn't win either of them.
Erik ten Hag might point towards the positives as evidence why things will eventually get better, though the harsh reality is that with Tottenham, Porto and Aston Villa coming up, time is not a luxury he has on his side.
The need to improve immediately poses an awkward dilemma for Ten Hag. He needs to play a team he can trust to get a positive result, yet the player he arguably trusts the most has not been good enough this season.
It is always dangerous to write Bruno Fernandes off, but performance levels have dropped in recent weeks, with his displays against Crystal Palace and Twente two of the most disappointing in recent memory. The 30-year-old struggled to make much of an impact again on Wednesday night, battling hard in midfield but without dictating the match in the same way he usually does, and rarely troubling a resilient opposition defence.
It seems obvious Fernandes' dip in form is partly down to just how much football he has been playing, with the club captain not even afforded a rest in last week's Carabao Cup thrashing of Barnsley at Old Trafford. The very fact he was brought on in that match is not only an indication of how much pressure is on Ten Hag to bring instant success, but it is also perhaps an indication Fernandes needed a confidence boost in order to find his best form ahead of a pivotal run of fixtures.
The other contributing factor is how much United's style of play has been changing. Fernandes used to be a certainty in the No.10 role playing behind a front three, but this season United's best performances have come when using a 4-2-2-2; with the Portuguese alongside another attacking midfielder. It means Fernandes is getting the ball less in his favoured position and is no longer the sole creator for his side, instead having to do more of the ugly stuff out of possession, while United are also more reliant on their wide players to grab goal contributions.
Even when he has played in his preferred role, the lack of a recognised striker has also weakened his impact on a match, with Joshua Zirkzee prone to dropping into the same area of the pitch from where he likes to operate. It has not only congested things on the edge of the box, but also deprived Fernandes of a focal point in the final third to work alongside.
Ahead of a captivating clash with a possession-heavy Tottenham side this weekend, United might be best switching back to the 4-2-2-2 formation in which they prosper at the expense of Fernandes. Though with Hojlund now verging on a first start of the season, it would be no surprise if Ten Hag stuck with his midfield magnifico in the hope that it finally clicks instead.
At a time when Ten Hag is emphasising the importance of resting players, he must seriously consider taking his underperforming captain out of the team to not only give him rare respite, but to also send a warning that nobody is immune to being dropped.