Siddharth Juyal
Roy Keane wants Bruno Fernandes sacked as the Manchester United captain
Manchester United legend Roy Keane criticised the attitude of Bruno Fernandes and suggested stripping him of the captaincy. United manager Erik ten Hag stripped Harry Maguire of the captaincy and handed it to the 29-year-old during the summer.
The Red Devils lost the Manchester derby against their local rivals Manchester City 0-3 at Old Trafford. The Citizens dominated the whole game with an enormous amount of possession and shots on target. Whereas, United had to resort to counter-attacking tactics despite going a goal down during the first half.
This is the seventh loss for United out of 14 games they’ve played in all competitions this season. The Red Devils have struggled with balance throughout the season in various parts of the pitch. United have easily conceded goals compared to their formidable defence last season. Furthermore, the team failed to create good goal-scoring chances when they deployed a more cautious approach.
Keane pointed towards Fernandes’ leadership on Super Sunday (h/t Sky Sports) as one of the problems at the club. He said:
“Today having watched him again I would take the captaincy off him 100 per cent. I know it’s a big decision, obviously they changed the captaincy with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material. He is a talented player no doubt about it. But what I saw today – we’ve discussed many times before, it was last season at Liverpool – his whinging, his moaning and throwing his arms up in the air constantly. It really isn’t acceptable. From what we saw today, I’m thinking I would take that off him.”
The Sky Sports pundit is one of the most successful and celebrated captains in United’s history. Keane made a valid point as Fernandes tends to show his displeasure when things are not going his way.
The Portuguese international wears his emotions on his sleeves and while they serve him well, they damage the team morale.
United had some great captains in their history just like Keane, who kept the focus of the team despite adversities.
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However, the Irishman had his issues with emotional outbursts of rage which cost United at times. The 52-year-old never let the morale of his team suffer and looked dejected or defeated in front of others.
Fernandes is a great player for the Red Devils with an abundance of quality and drive. However, when United are struggling on the field, certain crucial aspects of leadership are lacking in the 29-year-old. We do not think Fernandes will lose his captaincy so soon but the Red Devils need stoic leaders.
