Fernandes already proving Ten Hag right after Man Utd manager's furious rant
It hasn't taken long for Bruno Fernandes to show why Erik ten Hag opted to make him the Manchester United captain after stripping Harry Maguire of the armband.
The Portugal international was at his brilliant best against Premier League rivals Arsenal in New York on Saturday in what was a particularly spirited pre-season friendly. Fernandes influenced proceedings both on and off the pitch against the Gunners and put in a captain's display in the 'Big Apple'.
It was Fernandes who opened the scoring for the Red Devils during their 2-0 victory, with Gunners goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale failing to keep out his low-driven left-footed strike early on in the first-half. Shortly after, Jadon Sancho doubled United's lead having capitalised on a mistake from Gabriel Magalhaes.
However, what was arguably Fernandes' finest moment of the afternoon came just as the half-time interval was coming to an end. Ten Hag, clearly frustrated with the way some of the decisions had gone the first-half, was giving the officials a piece of his mind.
It is not often you see a player pull his manager away in an attempt to calm things down, but that is exactly what Fernandes did, with a smile on his face in the process. Perhaps what was more surprising was Ten Hag did as his player asked and swiftly walked away from the referee.
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The moment was a testament to Fernandes' leadership and his ability to ensure those around him, even his boss, keep cool heads when it matters most. It hasn't always been that way though, with United's new captain often facing criticism for his on-pitch temperament.
After news of Fernandes' new title as captain was confirmed, Ten Hag outlined the reasons why he entrusted the 28-year-old with the armband over the rest of the current United crop.
Bruno Fernandes lead Erik ten Hag away from the referee (MUTV)Mirror Football is now on Threads! You can follow us here.
"I chose Bruno because he is a great inspiration. He is the example. He always wants to be a better football player, working very hard to give his maximum performance. So he is the mirror for many players and he is a good social connector.
"He is also very good at game understanding. So, for a manager, it's very good to have that intermediary on the pitch. So those are some reasons, but he can't do it alone.
"We need more help. We need more leaders to have a strong bond and who can point a team in the right direction."
Up next for the Red Devils is a meeting with League Two outfit Wrexham, famously owned by Hollywood duo Rob McElhenney and Ryan Reynolds. The sides will face off at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California on Wednesday.
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