Jim Thwaites and Dan Armer reveal Bruno Fernandes’ true colours in candid interview

Asked which players are most welcoming when they train with the first team, Thwaites answered, “The ones that stand out for me are Bruno [Fernandes] and [Lisandro] Martinez, who is really good. They are the two main ones, I would say, but as a whole, they’re really good with the lads.”

“He [Bruno]’ll take you to one side on the side and have a word with you and make sure you’re alright, but also on the pitch he will encourage you and let you know that the standard here is the standard you should be aspiring to get to; but also helping you to get to that level.”

Armer remarked, “Bruno is very good with the young lads. On the post-season tour last year, I remember he stood out to me as really good. He would just like make a joke of you, trying to help you and stuff like that, just help you feel a bit more relaxed around the group.”

Maguire and David Beckham comparisons

While Armer has been compared to Maguire, Thwaites has also been likened to club icon David Beckham.

Armer said of the Maguire comparisons, “I’ve seen the comparisons to Maguire. You can take bits from all of the first team and even like the staff as well, you know, they will come up to you and just give you little bits of advice that you can focus on.”

On Beckham, Thwaites told MEN, “Well, it wouldn’t be bad to be like him, would it? But no, I’ve obviously seen the stuff on social media. But I just try and stay grounded about it and focus on my own performances before looking at all that sort of stuff on social media, so yeah, obviously not a bad comparison, though!”

With set-pieces playing an increasingly dominant role in English football, Thwaites’ expertise from dead-ball situations could hand him a crucial edge, whether he makes his mark at United or elsewhere.

He said about this, “You only have to look at Arsenal and the way they do it. They are massive from set pieces, a lot of their goals come from set pieces. So if I try and take that to another level, then it’s only gonna help me in the future when I go and play for different teams or playing the first team for Manchester United, whichever level I get to, it’s only gonna benefit me really.”

On dealing with the attention as a result of his free-kick goals in the academy, Thwaites explained, “You can obviously have it to improve your own profile and make yourself bigger on social media, but it also has the side effects of getting into your head when you don’t have a good game, and people getting onto you, so it’s just about having balance.”

Darren Fletcher’s role

Fletcher has extended the Under-18s formidable run as they continue to do well. They are still unbeaten since the turn of the year, winning all their games. In a recent sit-down, Fletcher credited a mix of United DNA and possession-based football for the success his team is enjoying.

Asked about playing under Fletcher, Armer said, “He’s been really good because obviously he’s been a top player and has had all those experiences. He tries to share little bits of stuff like that with us. He sets us up well to play good football.”

Thwaites continued, “He really understands the game as well. Obviously, he has been in the game himself, and the information he’s learnt from playing in his career, he’s trying to help give it to us. It’s also the little details, even if it’s just a passing drill, the detail in the passing drill, the touch, it’s got to be right at the level, otherwise he’s pulling us, and he’s not happy with it. He’s a really good coach.”

Since his appointment as caretaker boss, Michael Carrick has made it a habit to watch youth games.

Armer said of Carrick’s presence, “For us, it’s really good to see he’s there because it makes everyone push a little bit more to try and impress. It definitely helps when he comes and watches training.”

Looking ahead to the final against Palace, Armer stated, “It was random how we have got them for both for the semi-final of the Youth Cup and the final of the Premier League Cup. But I think it probably helps us because now we know what we’re up against, and know what to expect in the cup final. And you know, I think it helps for the next game up, so we can go do it again.”

Thwaites added, “This club is built around trophies, so at the start of the season, they are the things that you want to aim for and strive for. When you get nights like this, that’s when it means everything. It’s about going to compete and winning trophies.”

Meanwhile, Carrick and his players return to action on Monday when they host Brentford.

Featured image James Fearn via Getty Images

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