Former Manchester United midfielder Roy Keane has implored Erik ten Hag to perform a U-turn on his decision to appoint Bruno Fernandes as club captain.
The Portuguese playmaker wore the armband several times throughout the 2022-23 season, when former skipper Harry Maguire was consigned to a bit-part role under Ten Hag.
Having been demoted to the club's fourth-choice centre-back, Maguire lost captaincy duties to Fernandes for the 2023-24 season, but the 29-year-old's first few months as the club's on-field leader have been mediocre.
From 13 matches as captain this season, Fernandes has led Man United to six wins and seven losses, coming up with two goals and three assists in the process, and the Red Devils eased to a 3-0 EFL Cup success over Crystal Palace without him.
Raphael Varane donned the armband that day as Fernandes warmed the bench, and the former Sporting Lisbon man - like most of his teammates - was largely anonymous in a Manchester derby mauling on Sunday afternoon.
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Erling Haaland's brace and a Phil Foden tap-in saw Manchester City stroll to a richly-deserved 3-0 win at Old Trafford, where Ten Hag's team were outplayed on their own patch and only showed brief flickers of life in attack.
Fernandes did manage to create two chances and register two shots on the night, but he was dribbled past four times, committed three fouls and also picked up a booking during a forgettable performance.
Speaking to Sky Sports News after watching his former club be torn to shreds, ex-Man United captain Keane lambasted Fernandes for his constant "whinging", stating that he is the opposite of what a captain should be.
"Today having watched him again I would take the captaincy off him 100 per cent. I know it's a big decision, obviously they changed the captaincy with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material," Keane said.
"He is a talented player no doubt about it. But what I saw today - we've discussed many times before, it was last season at Liverpool - his whinging, his moaning and throwing his arms up in the air constantly.
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"It really isn't acceptable. From what we saw today, I'm thinking I would take that off him. You have to start somewhere. We were talking about where do you start [fixing the problems] - the manager, board level.
"I would start with that because the manager is capable of doing that. Fernandes is a brilliant footballer but in terms of captain material he is the opposite to what I would want in a captain."
Fernandes's injury-time caution at Old Trafford means that the 29-year-old is now one yellow card away from incurring a Premier League suspension, which would leave Ten Hag with a big decision to make regarding the possession of the armband.
Since joining the Red Devils from Sporting in 2020, Fernandes has scored 66 goals and set up 57 more in 198 appearances, and he was named the club's Player of the Year in his first two seasons.
Man United's fifth Premier League defeat of the season leaves them eighth in the table, and Ten Hag's side will seek to bounce back in Wednesday's EFL Cup fourth-round clash with Newcastle United.
Ben Knapton
