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The Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes, has urged the approach to being in the team instead of him, despite being one of the few players to emerge with credit from the disastrous campaign last season.
United supported its worst first -level final since 1974, ending the Premier League in 15th place.
Fernandes, however, scored 19 goals in all competitions and obtained a nomination for the PFA year with Mohamed Salah, Alexis Mac Allister, Alexander Isak, Declan Rice and Cole Palmer.
Speaking to ESPN Brazil, the International of Portugal said it would prefer that its personal recognition was replaced by collective success.
“I hope you listen to less about Bruno this year, but much more about United,” Fernandes said.
“That is my main objective because my name is spoken, let’s say vaguely alone, it does not fill me with pride or anything.
“The United talks about being positive, that is the most important thing and that is what I want for this season.
“If it happens that Bruno has to score fewer goals, provide fewer assists or make another type of provision of what is necessary for the games, he would be very happy.”
While last season it was one to forget, there is a cautious optimism in Old Trafford this summer. The arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have increased trust before the first game of Sunday’s Premier League against Arsenal.
Fernandes shares that optimism, but after more than five years in the club, he knows that United fans have experienced many false dawn.
“Every year I stayed here, every time the season begins, I see this (positivity),” he said.
“I think it could be a moment of change, where we can do something better.
“My first two seasons were probably very good, where we really thought we could go further and do better things. We had a very good season with Erik (Ten Hag) in their first season, then in the second season it was not so good.
“Obviously, now people have joined the club, not only to the players, but also the staff and management, who have a different vision.
“I hope that all these changes and everything we have done can bring to the club back to the place where it really deserves to be.”
Much of the preseason buzz has focused on the new attacker trio of Cunha, Mbeumo and Sesko, while Ruben Amorim seeks to fix a team that scored only 44 goals in the league the last period, the fifth worst in the division.
However, Fernandes insists that the improvement must come from the entire team, not just the strikers.
“We have more goals in the team because we know we didn’t get enough goals last year,” said Fernandes.
“But we also have to know that we have to defend ourselves better not to suffer as many goals as we admit last year.
“And when I say defend better, they are not defenders, but as a team.
“Know how to suffer, know how to defend, know the necessary moments to have everyone behind the ball, have everyone to recover, so that everyone reacts quickly when we lose it.”
