Bruno Fernandes has a penchant for on-field histrionics, but his behaviour against Liverpool may come back to bite him as his captaincy is questioned.
The headlines have been dominated by Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes in the aftermath of their humiliating 7-0 drubbing against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
First, he was blasted by pundits for his usual arm-waving and hissy fits in the direction of his team-mates, then he appeared to be in hot water for shoving an assistant referee, and post-match it was alleged he had demanded a substitution having had his fill of the embarrassment.
The FA won't be taking any action against him for pushing the linesman, and the theory about him asking to be withdrawn has since been debunked, but that hasn't stopped his leadership credentials being called into question.
Speaking after the game, former Man Utd captain and Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville said: "I start with the captain. You don’t throw your hands up, you run back. I’ve had enough of him throwing his arms up as team-mates and not running back. It was a disgrace.”
His display of petulance has now led to reports that even his team-mates are growing tired of his histrionics, but who could manager Erik ten Hag turn to if he is forced to make a big call?
GOAL ranks the options below…
Getty8Back to Harry Maguire?
Harry Maguire is still technically club captain, but it feels unlikely that he is on the way back to wearing the armband on a regular basis.
Disregarding any decision over Fernandes, who is technically vice-captain, the England international simply does not play enough to command the leadership role or, as a result, much authority in the dressing room having fallen out of favour.
Ten Hag's tenure has been all about progress and looking forward so far, but this would be a step backwards.
It is a shame, but the centre-back has paid for his poor form at the start of the season and it now seems unlikely that he will dislodge either Raphael Varane or Lisandro Martinez from their starting roles before the end of the campaign.
AdvertisementGetty7Raphael Varane
Although he has skippered both Real Madrid and France during his illustrious career, Raphael Varane is yet to be given the responsibility at Old Trafford.
Although the reasons exactly why that is are unclear, despite being a consummate professional and extremely classy operator, Varane has long been viewed as a more reserved character who lets his football do the talking on the pitch.
Amid the cut and thrust of the Premier League, perhaps the club needs a bigger character to take on the responsibility.
Getty Images6Luke Shaw
After a rollercoaster first few years at Old Trafford, Luke Shaw has emerged as one of the Premier League's – and arguably the world's – finest left-backs and is now one of Man Utd's longest-serving players.
As well as improving on the pitch, he has developed off it too and is regularly praised for his maturity and honest answers in post-match interviews. Ten Hag has clearly noted that too, with Shaw included in a 'leadership group' behind the scenes.
However, given the other options available, Shaw probably faces an uphill battle to hold the title outright. Perhaps a good option for vice-captain, if that changes.
Getty5Lisandro Martinez
Lisandro Martinez has defied expectation since arriving at United from Ajax in the summer, taking to the Premier League like a duck to water despite his diminutive frame.
Contrary to what you might expect of an Argentine playing in England for the first time, his English is excellent, too.
However, despite the fact he has won a World Cup in the brief time since he made the move to Old Trafford, Martinez's relative inexperience may count against him here. The 25-year-old only moved to Europe in 2019, and this is his first club in one of Europe's so called 'top five' leagues.
That being said, he is one of Ten Hag's trusted lieutenants from his time at the Johan Cruyff Arena and could be in with an outside chance.