'His attitude was appalling' - Graeme Souness slams Man Utd star Fernandes

Tom Weber

• Updated: 23 May 2023 08:37 CDT
• 3 min read

Liverpool legend Graeme Souness decided to weigh in on the Manchester United captaincy debate, and to say that he is not a fan of Bruno Fernandes would be an understatement.

The Red Devils have been much improved under Erik ten Hag this season and Bruno Fernandes has been a big reason behind their success. The Portuguese midfielder has emerged as one of the most important signings in recent United history and his numbers speak for themselves: Fernandes has contributed 11 goals and 14 assists across all competitions this term.

While club captain Harry Maguire has been reduced to the status of a peripheral figure under Ten Hag, it has been Fernandes who has stepped up and become a real leader of the team. Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand recently claimed that the Portuguese will definitely become the permanent captain next season, but Graeme Souness is not so sure about that.

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What did Souness say?

Speaking on William Hill's Up Front With Simon Jordan podcast, Souness asserted that Fernandes does not have the mettle to be the captain of a club like United. Recalling the 7-0 demolition the Red Devils suffered at the hands of Liverpool, Souness said: "His attitude when they went 3-0 down at Liverpool was appalling."

"You certainly would not want to be in the trenches with him. When you become a captain of a football team it’s about setting an example on the pitch and off it."

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"In the case of Bruno," the 69-year-old added, "you’ll see him be a star when you’re on top of the opposition and on the front foot, and he can be a real talent, but he showed a side to him that day at Anfield which was very unattractive."

"Erik ten Hag has then chosen to overlook it because he knows going forward that Bruno will win him games and score goals. But he’ll think, the next time he comes up against a really difficult situation, is he going to go missing? I think," Souness concluded, "he already knows the answer to that."