“He’s so petulant” - Ex-Liverpool star accuses captain Bruno Fernandes of not setting example at Manchester United
Former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has labeled Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes as petulant and immature. According to the former Republic of Ireland international, the Portuguese star is not setting an example for his teammates as the captain of the side.
McAteer's comments come in the wake of Fernandes' consecutive red cards against Tottenham Hotspur in the league and FC Porto in the UEFA Europa League. He told Gambling Zone (via Mirror):
"I think Bruno Fernandes is a fantastic talent, he's just in the wrong environment. I want to see more from him and more maturity from him. Manchester United are in turmoil right now and you need your captain to demonstrate proper leadership in these types of situations."
The former Liverpool star added:
"He's so petulant. He should be setting an example. There’s a lot of really good young players in that United team. Bruno Fernandes needs to be setting an example, and getting sent off in consecutive games is not the example to set. It's been a really difficult period for Manchester United."
He concluded by expressing his disappointment in the 30-year-old, saying:
"They've started the season terribly. I'm really disappointed in Bruno Fernandes’ contributions in games and how he's behaved. That's not how a Manchester United captain should be showing his attributes or behaving. His attitude and performances, considering the role he has at a giant of a football club in Manchester United, have been the biggest disappointment for me in the Premier League this season."
Manchester United have suffered a poor start to the season, winning just three of their opening ten games across competitions. The same can be said for Bruno Fernandes who is yet to score this season and has registered just three assists.
McAteer criticizes Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for evading question about Erik ten Hag's future
The former Liverpool player also criticized the club's co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe for avoiding questions concerning the future of underperforming manager Erik ten Hag.
Ratcliffe recently stated that making the call on the manager's future would not be his decision (via BBC). According to McAteer, this shows a lack of leadership as he told Gambling Zone (via Mirror):
"I thought that Jim Ratcliffe's comments, or non-comments, on Erik ten Hag's future were interesting. He really shied away from making a statement on his manager. OK, it's a tough question to be asked if you're backing the current manager, but his response wasn't what the Manchester United fans wanted to hear."
"United fans want to hear from their leader. They want to be given the confidence that Jim Ratcliffe is taking the club in the right direction, and in the current circumstances, they want leadership. The fact that he said, 'This is not my decision,' well, ultimately it is your decision. He sits at the top of the organization, so for him to shy away from the question was disappointing."
The fate of Ten Hag with the Red Devils is currently uncertain due to the team's poor start to the season. The Old Trafford outfit are currently 14th in the Premier League table with eight points after seven games.