Bruno Fernandes, the captain of Manchester United, has never been one to back down on the field, and Erik ten Hag has stood up for him after a heated exchange during the Bournemouth game.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has been scrutinised in recent years (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United FC)
It’s hardly surprising that the Manchester United captain continues to split opinions off the field given that Bruno Fernandes has never been afraid to voice his opinions on it.
Since joining United in January 2020, the 29-year-old Portuguese playmaker has developed into a vital member of the team. On Saturday night, he demonstrated his worth by scoring both goals in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth to preserve a point.
Regretfully, Fernandes’s efforts in front of goal were not the primary topic of conversation following the game. In the first few minutes, Erik ten Hag was seen trying to calm down the United captain after he got into an argument with Andre Onana.
But after the game, Ten Hag stood up for Fernandes, saying he was “playing like a captain.” “Scoring twice, very creative, it’s true he gives a lot of energy to the team,” the Dutchman clarified to Match of the Day.
He is leading by example and bringing the fire, and we couldn’t be happier. He expresses our disappointment, but we are all disappointed. We need to win, and in the past few games, we have given up far too many needless points.”
Even though some had questioned Fernandes’ suitability as captain for a long time prior to him being given the armband permanently last summer, Ten Hag has never had any reservations about the former Sporting Lisbon star’s capacity for leadership.
It was evident during his stay in Portugal that Fernandes was not hesitant to voice his opinions if he believed that teammates were failing the team in any manner.
Fernandes scored twice to rescue a point for Manchester United against Bournemouth ( Image: Matthew Peters/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Prior to his major move, Portuguese outlet Record released a leaked WhatsApp voice note in which Fernandes criticized the behavior of teammates, highlighting the high standards he holds others to.
Fernandes was heard saying in the video: “Bro, I don’t say anything! To be honest, I’d rather not comment on anything if you want me to tell you. I find some players’ attitudes to be really offensive. It’s not really a specific attitude; rather, it’s an attitude that doesn’t exist.
“Hey, there are players here that don’t have any attitude. They have no desire to play or to be here. Let them say they don’t want to play, and f*** off if they don’t want to be here. They come here for a year and get paid, then they f*** off, dude. “F**** sake, bro, stop being such a s***.”
Over the past few years, Fernandes’ body language has become a major talking point; however, in the aftermath of the Bournemouth match, Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp went against the grain and supported the United captain.
“He gets a lot of stick,” Redknapp remarked. Bruno, really stick it. I understand part of it. It is, in my opinion, unfair. He seems like a player who actually cares when I watch him play. He’s calling out his players out of frustration, and yes, occasionally there is pettiness.
However, if Erik ten Hag, the manager, stays in his position, or if I were joining the team, he’s the kind of player you want to base your team around. The player is him. He brings about events.
“However, the reason for my frustration is that I don’t believe people are as concerned as he is. That strikes me as an epidemic at the club—does anyone actually care that much? Are they hurled into tackles? He, on the other hand, does, and I believe that occasionally he puts himself in unfavorable situations. He cares about his club and his team, though, as evidenced by the fact that he got them back into the game today.
