"He's a very frustrating player" – Paul Parker claims Manchester United star does not deserve to be captain of the PL giants
Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has lambasted Bruno Fernandes for his lack of composure and leadership skills on the pitch.
Fernandes, 28, picked up his 12th yellow card of the ongoing 2022-23 campaign in his team's 2-2 UEFA Europa League first-leg draw against Sevilla on Thursday (April 13). He was substituted off in the last-eight contest, with referee Felix Zwayer warning Erik ten Hag about his behavior.
After Fernandes' exit in the 62nd minute, the Red Devils conceded two late goals in the first leg of the quarter-final clash. The former Sporting CP man is also now suspended for the second leg in Spain.
Speaking on talkSPORT, Parker shared his thoughts on Fernandes' poor attitude on the pitch and questioned his captaincy skills. He said:
"I've always talked about Fernandes. There are moments when you say to yourself, wow! But I think there are a lot more moments when you put your hands to your head and kind of everything closes down because he's a very frustrating player. I think there are some reasons why. This is the first time really in his career that he's been in a club with a huge stature like Manchester United."
Claiming that Fernandes is not suited to be a leader, Parker added:
"When you look at his talent, there is a reason why. And it eludes more to the fact that when Ten Hag looks for that leadership, and looking for someone to be disciplined, someone to look at and for people to go, 'Wow, I want to be like him, I'm going to follow him'. Fernandes is not that player most of the time. People throw up his stats but you've got to watch 90 minutes and judge someone."
So far, the 2019 UEFA Nations League winner has netted 10 goals and laid out 13 assists in 48 overall games for Manchester United this term.
Mark Lawrenson offers his prediction ahead of Manchester United's upcoming PL clash
In his recent column for Paddy Power, Liverpool great Mark Lawrenson predicted a 2-0 victory for Manchester United in their Premier League clash at Nottingham Forest on Sunday (April 16). The Red Devils will want to gain all three points to cement their top-four spot.
United and Nottingham Forest have faced off in 10 matches in their history, with the former coming out on top on nine occasions. The other match ended in a draw.
Lawrenson wrote:
"This should be an easy Manchester United win. If that happens, it will be interesting to see if the Nottingham Forest owner pulls the trigger. It would be quite hard on Steve Cooper to be really fair."
Erik ten Hag's side are in fourth place in the 2022-23 Premier League table with 56 points from 29 games – three points ahead of the fifth spot.