"Can only perform when he's the real boss" - Patrice Evra believes Manchester United star is thriving after Cristiano Ronaldo exit

Former Manchester United defender Patrice Evra believes Bruno Fernandes is performing better following Cristiano Ronaldo's exit from the club as he is more independent.

The Portuguese midfielder has scored three goals and provided five assists in 25 games across all competitions this season. While these numbers are underwhelming by Fernandes' standards, his performances have been excellent since the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

Evra believes this is down to Cristiano Ronaldo's exit from the club. Manchester United mutually terminated the Portugal captain's contract following his explosive interview with Piers Morgan.

Speaking about the positive effects of the forward's departure at Manchester United, Evra told Betfair:

"I don't want to talk about the past, but you can see that the team and Ten Hag are happy, all the negativity around the club with the Cristiano Ronaldo case and everything else, that's gone now."

The Frenchman added:

“Suddenly, it feels as if [Erik] ten Hag is doing his work without distraction. People talk a lot about how it impacts Ten Hag but I'm sure the players also feel more free and they don't have that heavy discussion about Ronaldo surrounding them.”

Speaking of how Cristiano Ronaldo's exit has helped Fernandes come into his own at Manchester United, Evra said:

"I always give the example of Bruno Fernandes, the fans were criticising him saying he wasn't performing the way he used to when he signed. This isn't a negative on Ronaldo, but Bruno Fernandes can only perform when he's the real boss."

He added:

“You can look at every game when he didn't play with Eriksen or Ronaldo and that's when we know it's the real Fernandes. I told him face to face after a game, he told me that wasn't the case and he can play with everyone, but I don't think that's true. I always say, when you go to see an orchestra there's only one conductor.”

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Manchester United gaining momentum following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure

The Portuguese forward's final game for Manchester United was a 3-1 defeat against Aston Villa in the Premier League on November 6, 2022. Since then, the Red Devils have won all seven of their competitive games across all competitions. They beat Everton 3-1 in the third round of the FA Cup in their previous game on January 6.

Erik ten Hag's side currently sit fourth in the Premier League table, nine points below league leaders Arsenal. They could comfortably finish in the top four if they are able to continue their momentum.

Manchester United will next host Charlton in the quarter-finals of the EFL Cup on January 10. They then have two big Premier League clashes against Manchester City at home and Arsenal away on January 14 and January 22, respectively.