Manchester United’s new captain Bruno Fernandes insists he will not change how he acts on the pitch despite comments from Gary Neville. The Portugal international has regularly been criticised by the former Red Devils right-back for being too emotional but it will have no impact on him.
Fernandes was named the permanent new skipper of United earlier this week. He has replaced Harry Maguire, who had the armband stripped off him a few days earlier.
Fernandes was often skipper last season when Maguire watched on from the sidelines. But Neville has been one of the most public critics of him.
The eight-time Premier League winner has not been impressed with Fernandes’ body language on the pitch as well as gestures to both his team-mates and the dugout. One of the first times he called Fernandes out was during the 2-0 loss to Manchester City in November 2021, where he claimed he was “too emotional”.
During the 7-0 loss to Liverpool at Anfield earlier this year, Neville again gave the midfielder a barrage. While co-commentating, he said: “The second half has been an absolute disgrace, a shambles.
“They have not been epitomised more than Bruno Fernandes, who has been embarrassing – a shambles – in this game.”
Fernandes hit back at the comments after the match but Neville stood by them. He later said: “I don’t talk to any United fan that likes the way Fernandes behaves particularly when the team are losing, when he throws his arms around.
“The last few years there’s been players at United tutting which I think is a different type of criticism, it doesn’t help young players. Every United man I speak to feels the same thing, sometimes he goes over the top.”
However, neither the armband nor Neville’s comments are going to lead to a change in how Fernandes carries himself. The 28-year-old insists he will continue to act in the way which has got him to this point in his career.
Fernandes said: “I think I have to be the same, because that’s what has brought me to be the captain at this moment. That’s what the manager has decided, because he likes the way I am, the way I act and train and the way I play, so I have to keep doing the same things.
“You have to improve stuff in your game day by day, but I’m happy with what I’ve been doing and I have to keep that standard.”
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