Former Premier League winner Chris Sutton has branded Bruno Fernandes as a “petulant, spoilt kid” whose demeanour led to the aggressive actions of Antony in the closing stages of Sunday’s Manchester derby.
The Brazilian picked up a yellow card for a swiping kick at Manchester City winger Jeremy Doku, having been seen shaking his head on the bench after not being brought on sooner than his 86th-minute entry.
Fernandes has faced criticism for his on-field composure towards the end of the game with some questioning his status as Manchester United captain. He also picked up a caution late in the contest after several heavy tackles and verbals with the referee.
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Sutton says the midfielder is not up to the task of being club captain, having taken over from Harry Maguire during the summer. He mooted that Antony felt as though he could act in a confrontational manner due to Fernandes’ inability to instil a command within the squad.
He told BBC Radio 5 Live: “When you stand in a tunnel you are looking for your captain to have a presence, a stature, leadership. When the going gets tough they are the ones who step up and drag the team through.
“You think of great United captains of the past, [Roy] Keane being one of them. Steve Bruce, who I had so much admiration for. Bryan Robson – brilliant captain. Gary Neville – a bit of clout. [Nemanja] Vidic, the same.
“And then you get this petulant, spoilt kid in Bruno. In my opinion, he was never designed to be a Manchester United captain – he doesn’t have the right characteristics.”
Sutton added: “That is why the likes of Antony are lawless, they do what they like. It’s then that the captain has to get a grip, but players feel that they can act like they want on the pitch.
“Marcus Rashford feels that he doesn’t have to track back. Are you telling me that if Roy Keane was captain of Manchester United [on Sunday] he would have let that happen?”
Keane told Sky Sports post-match that Erik ten Hag should strip Fernandes of the armband due to his on-field mannerisms, claiming he is not “captain material”.
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