Former Manchester United star Lee Sharpe believes Bruno Fernandes needs to work on his on-pitch attitude and his composure with the captain coming under fire at the Premier League giants.
The Portugal international, you could argue, embodies the good and the bad of this most enigmatic and confusing Manchester United team.
From the sublime to the dreadful, often within the same game. Capable of moments of genuine world-beating quality but also with a penchant to follow up a 9/10 performance with a two or a three.
Bruno Fernandes scored a stunning goal to put Man United 2-0 up at Galatasaray in midweek but then spent much of the remaining hour or so coughing up possession and gesticulating wildly. It was two Fernandes fouls which led to both of Hakim Ziyech’s free-kick goals in an eventual 3-3 draw, a result which leaves the Red Devils on the brink of a group-stage Champions League exit.
Bruno Fernandes criticised by Manchester United hero
Lee Sharpe, speaking to LiveScore, believes the United skipper ‘could learn a thing or two’ from Kobbie Mainoo. The sub-zero 18-year-old who completed 100 per cent of his passes even in a game the visitors lost control of.
“Fernandes does the difficult things unbelievably well, like his goal. But then there’s times where he just gives the ball away cheaply in bad areas. He needs to control the game a little more,” argues Sharpe, a three-time Premier League winner under Sir Alex Ferguson.
“We all know he’s passionate and wants to win at all costs. However, I don’t think he does the team any favours with how he reacts around referees. He needs to stay calm and lead by example.”
Red Devils face Newcastle test
Sharpe, meanwhile, believes Fernandes’ tendency to criticise his team-mates publicly would not have gone down particularly well in the hard-nosed United dressing room of the 1990s.
“(The way he remonstrates) would have caused arguments and fights in the United dressing room I was in,” adds the former England international. “Players don’t like to see it.
“If you’ve got a problem on the field, deal with it in the dressing room. I understand, as a captain, you have to give instructions. But you don’t need to wave your arms in the air as well!”
Fernandes will lead Man United out again away at Newcastle this weekend.
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