Many Man Utd players are annoyed with Fernandes
Last season, Fernandes fell when he scored only 10 goals in 46 matches in all competitions. But the Portuguese midfielder found form under Ten Hag, scoring seven and assisting 11 goals in 40 games since the start of the season. Fernandes also often wears the Man Utd captain's armband when Harry Maguire loses his starting position.
With the English midfielder expected to leave Old Trafford when the summer transfer window opens, Fernandes becomes a candidate for the official captaincy.
But according to the British newspaper Sportmail, many Man Utd cities, including many first team stars, are now doubtful about assigning this responsibility to Fernandes. They were not satisfied with the attitude and behavior of the 28-year-old midfielder in the 0-7 loss at Liverpool last weekend.
Three names that Man Utd players trust as captain at this time include Casemiro, Raphael Varane and David De Gea. In particular, Casemiro and Varane show leadership roles after moving from Real, while De Gea is the most senior player when he has been with Man Utd since 2011.
According to Sportmail, Fernandes had at least five reactions that showed he was not worthy to be the captain of Man Utd in the defeat at Anfield in the 26th round of the Premier League on March 5.
The Portuguese midfielder was beaten while lying on the field, holding his face in pain after colliding with Ibrahima Konate. In this situation, the Liverpool midfielder is in control of the ball and spreads his arms wide when running and lightly impacts Fernandes' chest. After a few seconds lying on the field, the Man Utd midfielder got up and continued to play. He also had another foul when he collided with goalkeeper Alisson to bring home a free kick.
At the end of the game, Fernandes did not dispute and let 18-year-old midfielder Stefan Bajcetic easily pass on the right side. Fernandes also signaled a substitution, when Anthony Elanga replaced Marcus Rashford in the 85th minute.
The former Sporting Lisbon midfielder also pushed the line referee Adam Nunn when he thought that Trent Alexander-Arnold bought time. Referee Andy Madley and his assistants witnessed Fernandes' actions, but did not consider it serious enough to include in the post-match report. Therefore, Fernandes escaped the suspension from the English Football Federation (FA).
After the match ended, the 28-year-old midfielder also went straight into the tunnel, although Raphael Varane urged his teammates to go to the stands to greet and thank the Man Utd fans who came directly to Anfield.
"It's Fernandes. Bow to one of the worst performances by an English Premier League player, even a captain," former striker Chris Sutton wrote on Sportmail. Meanwhile, former Man Utd defender Gary Neville criticized Fernandes as a "disgrace", and Roy Keane was also disgruntled with the midfielder's body language.
After the loss at Anfield, Fernandes admitted Man Utd collapsed when the goals came too quickly in the second half. He emphasized that the "Red Devils" did not play at the right level and called on his teammates to quickly get up.
On March 9, Man Utd received Betis in the first leg of the 1/8 round of the Europa League, and then met Southampton in the 27th round of the Premier League on March 12.
