Ian Wright points finger at Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes over Antony incident

01 November 2023 , 08:51

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Ian Wright points finger at Man Utd captain Bruno Fernandes over Antony incident

Ian Wright believes Antony's outburst in the Manchester derby stemmed from the attitude set by captain Bruno Fernandes.

The Brazilian was bought on for the final moments as Manchester United were beaten 3-0 by their rivals at Old Trafford. He let his frustration out on Jeremy Doku, twice kicking out at the Manchester City winger before slapping his arms away.

Throughout the second half, as the game began to get away from United, Fernandes became an increasingly animated figure. The skipper is known for his moans and throwing his arms up at teammates, which occurred numerous times during Sunday's defeat.

Wright told The Kelly and Wrighty Show: "Bruno sometimes just goes off and they’re not ready. It’s not good for the team. Watching Antony come on and his contribution was to kick out at [Jeremy] Doku like that, but the example of the captain is seeping in. That’s the captain doing it."

Fernandes was appointed as the club's captain in the summer, replacing Harry Maguire who had the armband taken off him by Erik ten Hag. The decision came as a surprise to some, whilst Fernandes has been a consistent performer, his attitude has often been questioned.

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Former United man Owen Hargreaves said: "I know he looks moody but I think he tried to kick out [to a City player] to show the fans he cares but it doesn’t come across in the right way and it frustrates a lot of people."

Wright also suggested that Fernandes' work rate, which often sees him break from the team structure to press the opposition, is done more for than fans and would in fact frustrate his teammates.

"He closes down on his own as well, that’s a signal to players who you’re playing with that he’s playing for the crowd," said the former Arsenal man. "When you see people just going on their own and you don’t see anyone else backing up, you kind of feel like he’s looking out for himself."

Roy Keane led United during a trophy-laden era and confessed that Ten Hag should consider taking the captaincy off the Portuguese star, who has all the attributes he wouldn't want in a captain.

He said on Sky Sports: "It really isn't acceptable. When you're talking about where do they make changes - board level, managers - I'd start with that because the manager is capable of doing that. Fernandes is a brilliant footballer but he's the opposite to what you want in a captain."

Samuel Meade