Micah Richards has strongly criticised Bruno Fernandes for what he deemed a “pathetic” treatment of his fellow Manchester United teammate Facundo Pellistri.
At the commencement of this season, the Portuguese midfielder was entrusted with the captain’s armband by Erik ten Hag, following Harry Maguire’s removal from the role of club captain.
However, the Red Devils have encountered a lackluster beginning to the season with Fernandes at the helm. Despite their 1-0 victory over Wolves, their performance took a hit as they suffered a 2-0 defeat in their subsequent match against Tottenham.
During the match against Tottenham, tensions escalated among the United players, leading skipper Fernandes to admonish the young player Pellistri after a promising attack was abruptly halted.
Manchester City legend Richards hit out at Fernandes on The Rest Is Football podcast for losing his cool and stated: “It’s getting embarrassing now.
The young lad Pellistri comes on, Fernandes is trying to get his team playing, and I totally understand why he’s frustrated.
Pellistri made a run; Fernandes didn’t see him, so he made a different run, but because he wasn’t where [Fernandes] wanted him to be, he’s going off at Pellistri.
“It’s every time. I saw an interview with him the other day, and he said he needs to be emotional when he performs because it makes him play better. But I feel like his body language on the pitch is disturbing the rest of the team, and it’s just not a good look at all. It’s pathetic at times.”
Fernandes had previously faced criticism for his demeanour, particularly when the team was facing adversity. Graeme Souness, a Liverpool legend, strongly rebuked the player and labelled his conduct as “unacceptable.”
This assessment stems from Fernandes’ display of frustration on the field during a Premier League fixture last season against Liverpool, where United suffered a resounding 7-0 defeat after initially trailing 3-0.
Fernandes is set to return to action as Manchester United prepares to face Nottingham Forest on Saturday in a Premier League match at Old Trafford.