"He doesn’t behave like a captain" - Pundit slams Bruno Fernandes, label Manchester United skipper 'the flop of the season'
Former Tottenham Hotspur defender Neil Ruddock has labeled Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes as the 'flop of the season'. The Portuguese has been a first-team regular for the Red Devils since arriving from Sporting CP in January 2020.
Bruno Fernandes was handed the armband in the summer of 2023, with former manager Erik ten Hag opting to remove Harry Maguire from the role. The Premier League giants have had some tremendous captains in the past, including the likes of Old Trafford legends Roy Keane and Bobby Robson.
Speaking to 10bet, Ruddock insisted that Bruno Fernandes hasn't lived up to the expectations of a Manchester United captain.
"The one player I would seriously like to mention is Bruno Fernandes. I could have picked any of his teammates from Manchester United for my flop of the season so far, but I’m going to go with the captain. I don’t like him. He’s annoying. He annoys me," said Ruddock.
He continued:
"He's always moaning, chucking his hands up in the air and then, you know, everything. Nothing's ever his fault. He doesn’t behave like a captain. He’s not following in the footsteps of Manchester United captains with the way he wears the armband. Behave yourself and get on with it, Bruno."
The Red Devils are looking to regain their lost glory under new head coach Ruben Amorim. The Premier League side parted ways with former manager Erik ten Hag at the end of last month following a poor run of results. The English giants are currently 12th in the Premier League table after 12 games.
How many goals has Bruno Fernandes scored for Manchester United?
Bruno Fernandes has registered 83 goals and 73 assists from 251 appearances for United. The Portuguese has been a revelation in the final third ever since his arrival and is under contract at Old Trafford until 2027.
Interestingly, the 30-year-old had created approximately 431 chances for the Red Devils since the start of the 2020-21 campaign, as of November 5. No other player across Europe's top five leagues has created more than Bruno Fernandes during that period. The only player close to the Portuguese is Manchester City's Kevin De Bruyne, who has created around 335 chances during that time (via Statman Dave).
Fernandes won the EFL Cup in the 2022-23 campaign and the FA Cup last season. The Portuguese has scored four goals and set up seven more from 18 games across competitions for Manchester United this season.
