‘Bruno Fernandes is a brat not a Man Utd captain’ – Red Devils urged by Paul Parker to hand armband to David de Gea
- Skipper required with Maguire benched
- Portuguese has taken on responsibility
- Questions being asked of his attitude
WHAT HAPPENED? With Harry Maguire still out of favour at Old Trafford, somebody else has been required to lead the Red Devils on a regular basis this season. Portuguese playmaker Fernandes is the man to have taken on that responsibility, but questions continue to be asked of his attitude following a petulant showing at Anfield in a record-setting 7-0 defeat to Liverpool.
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WHAT THEY SAID: Former United defender Parker, who won two Premier League titles with the Red Devils, has told Apostagolos of the decision to name a fiery character as skipper: “First of all, I was saying from day one that Bruno Fernandes shouldn't have been the captain. I think he is a player who should be left to his own devices. He is not a leader and this is the reason why it took him that long to get to a big club like Man United. People are trying to protect him by saying that he is the best player, he is making assists and so on. But the truth is that he has been childish and petulant with the way he throws himself to the ground and blames the referees. He is a brat.
“Wearing the armband is about getting the other players to calm down. Imagine if he told Casemiro to calm down. He would just shake his head. No one would ever accept anything coming from him because of the way he conducts himself. He prefers to walk around and kick people, complain and give up. He gave up against Liverpool, which is miserable. He was not the only player who gave up and it was wrong by all the players. But as a captain he should make sure that it wasn't happening and he is never doing that.”
THE BIGGER PICTURE: After suggesting that Fernandes should be removed as captain, Parker added on who he would pass the armband to: “David De Gea should be the captain. He is acting like a captain and he is actually trying to calm people down. Just like a captain should do. It was wrong that Harry Maguire was given the armband just because of the price tag that was around his neck and it was wrong that Fernandes was given it.
“You should never give a new player the armband and that is why I'm not advocating for Casemiro. Could he be a future captain? Definitely. But it has to be given to someone who has shown loyalty and consistency over a longer period of time. And David De Gea has done that. He has always been loyal to Man United and his team-mates so it would be fully deserved if he was to be chosen as the new captain. One thing is for sure, Maguire or Fernandes shouldn’t be the captain and almost every player would be a better choice than these two.”
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WHAT NEXT? Fernandes is due back in action with United when they take on Real Betis in the first leg of their Europa League round of 16 tie at Old Trafford on Thursday.