Super skipper Socs it to them

Fernandes treble guides United through

- David Anderson

MANCHESTER UTD 4
REAL SOCIEDAD 1

AS bad as Manchester United are, it is scary to think how much worse they would be without Bruno Fernandes.

The captain delivered yet again for United as his hat-trick kept alive their hopes of silverware in this traumatic season and set up a Europa League quarter-final against Lyon.

United's talismanic skipper is their top scorer with 15 goals and he also has 12 assists.

Take those 27 goals away from United, and they would be out of Europe and probably fighting relegation.

He is one of United's few stars exempt from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe's charge of being "overpaid and not good enough".

At a time when Ratcliffe is cutting costs at United by sacking staff and doing away with free lunches, Fernandes earns his money.