Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane delivered a scathing critique of Bruno Fernandes following Sunday’s derby loss to Manchester City.
Keane, the ex-midfielder, has called on manager Erik ten Hag to strip Bruno Fernandes of the captaincy at Manchester United after the team’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
City comfortably secured the win with two goals from Erling Haaland and a late effort from Phil Foden. They controlled the game without breaking a sweat, effortlessly outclassing United with their possession-based style of play.
United, despite a bright start, failed to create any clear-cut chances in the second half, leading to mounting frustration among the players. Fernandes and substitute Antony were both booked in the late stages of the match due to their frustration.
Fernandes’ visible frustration, including animated gestures, drew criticism from Keane in his post-match analysis. Keane expressed that Fernandes is not the kind of captain he would want, and he firmly suggested removing the captain’s armband from him.
Keane’s words to Sky Sports were straightforward: “The first thing I would do, having watched him again today, is definitely take the captaincy off him, 100 percent. I know it’s a big decision, and obviously, he did change the captaincy from [Harry] Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material.
“I think he is a talented player, no doubt it. But what I saw today with him again, and I know we have discussed this many times before, was him whinging, moaning, throwing his arms up in the air, and it really isn’t acceptable. After what we saw today, I would take it off him.
“You have to start somewhere. You talk about board level and managers; I would start with that because the manager is capable of doing that. Fernandes is a brilliant footballer, but in terms of captain material, he is the opposite of what I would want in a captain.”