Former Liverpool captain Graeme Souness has claimed that Bruno Fernandes "has become a liability" for Manchester United, with the Portugal international's leadership skills being called into question.
Fernandes received his third red card of the campaign on Thursday, being sent off in Man United's 2-0 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers in the Premier League.
The 30-year-old has again been one of Man United's most productive players this season, scoring six goals and registering 10 assists in 27 appearances, but there remains a lot of talk surrounding his position as captain.
Souness has said that Fernandes "is showing negativity" which is impacting his teammates, with the Scot believing that the Portuguese is harming his side due to his lack of leadership skills.
© Imago
Souness slams Fernandes amid recent criticism
"From his antics when the game is not going well to constantly throwing arms in the air, shrugging his shoulders at teammates - and he wears the armband. You want your captain, your leader, to be setting an example for everyone in that dressing room, that is why you pick him as your captain because he leads by example," Souness wrote in his column for the Daily Mail.
"What example does he set for Kobbie Mainoo, Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, young players all making their way in the game? I think he has become a liability for Manchester United. He has undoubted talent and he will be thinking he should be playing for the very best teams out there but he is not and he is showing negativity which will be damaging to those around him - as with the sending-off against Wolves.
"I will never get the image out of my head of how he reacted to going three goals down at Liverpool when Manchester United lost 7-0 at Anfield.
"He just threw the towel in, walking around pointing fingers at his teammates, shrugging shoulders. For the oldies that read this, I will quote the Billy Ocean song: 'When the going gets tough, the tough get going.' But Fernandes doesn't.
"His actions at Anfield showed me where his mental toughness was, nowhere. And that's my point, just having ability isn't enough to be a top player, he needs to show mental toughness, discipline and workrate when you're up against it and that's certainly what United are at the moment."
© Imago
Could Fernandes be sold next summer?
Fernandes signed a new contract with Man United in August, with his current terms due to run until June 2027, but there is uncertainty when it comes to his long-term future at Old Trafford.
The Red Devils would allegedly listen to genuine offers for the Portuguese considering his age, but there is no question that he remains one of the team's most influential players.
Fernandes has been one of Man United's biggest success stories in the transfer window in recent years, scoring 85 goals and registering 76 assists in 260 appearances for the English giants, and he should remain at Old Trafford even if the captain's armband is taken away from him.
Matt Law
