Despite recent criticism following Sunday’s loss, Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Manchester United, continues to have the support of his teammates and the squad.
What acted against Liverpool did Bruno Fernandes?
It was demonstrated on Sunday exactly how much can change in a week when United went from winning the Carabao Cup at Wembley to getting thrashed 7-0 at Anfield.
And Fernandes received harsh criticism over the weekend as it was pointed out that he appeared to give up after United had lost the game.
While he was wearing the captain’s armband in honor of Erik ten Hag, Gary Neville of Sky Sports ripped into the Portuguese midfielder for his actions during the match: ‘Some of Fernandes’ conduct in this half has been a shame,’ remarked Neville.
Yet, according to a YouTube video posted by journalist Fabrizio Romano, the 28-year-old is still highly valued by the team.
“From what I understand, gentlemen – and this is incredibly essential to add – Bruno Fernandes is tremendously respected by his colleagues. He gets along great with many of his teammates, thus he has no issues at all with his Manchester United teammates. Erik ten Hag highly values him as a player.
Because of this, it is expected that Bruno would get along well with his teammates at Manchester United.
Should Fernandes continue to lead United?
Nevertheless, the Portuguese midfielder’s season has been excellent, scoring seven goals and dishing out 11 assists in all competitions (via Transfermarkt).
And during the World Cup break, his performance has been especially strong, contributing to eight Premier League goals since his return from Qatar.
The midfielder may have been seen as lacking such attributes over the weekend because of the additional duties that come with being the captain.
Fernandes has received a lot of criticism when a video of him standing motionless after getting thrashed by Stefan Bajcetic went viral on social media.
And the match should undoubtedly serve as a learning experience for the midfielder, who received criticism for his response to even the smallest touches from the opponents.
Especially in a game at Anfield against their ferocious rivals, it is obvious that this is not the example that Ten Hag would want his captain to set.
Thus, it will be intriguing to watch whether Fernandes modifies his behavior over the next months and, if not, whether Ten Hag may take it into consideration for the upcoming season.
