Phil Neville has leapt to the defense of Bruno Fernandes after Richard Keys accused the Manchester United captain of deliberately getting booked so he would miss next weekend’s game against Liverpool.
The United captain picked up his fifth yellow card of the season in United’s miserable 3-0 defeat by Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday after arguing with the referee, meaning he will now serve a one-match ban for the trip to Anfield.
BeIN Sports presenter Richard Keys told co-host Andy Gray at the time that he felt the Red Devils playmaker deliberately chose yellow to miss the Premier League leaders.
However, appearing on NBC on Sunday morning, former United defender Neville dismissed those suggestions outright.
“I think that’s a ridiculous thing to say. Whoever said that publicly, shame on them,” Neville said. – If you look at Bruno Fernandes, I love Bruno Fernandes, he cares about Manchester United.
“Look at the teams in the top six, that’s one player I would take. Look at one player who goes out after a loss – that’s Bruno Fernandes.
- Over the years, captains have played like Bruno Fernandes. Roy Keane moaned and groaned like Bruno Fernandes. In this team he is the best player, he plays on the right side, in midfield and continues to do so because he cares about the club. But Keys doubled down on her suggestion about Fernandes on Sunday, writing to X: “To avoid confusion, I’ll say it again. Fernandes knew he would miss the game at Anfield if he received a yellow.
“He didn’t want to play in it. 0-3 down and he’s in a mood. Captain? The manager? Others should call him out on it. Neville, meanwhile, insisted the sacking of manager Erik ten Hag was not appropriate – should United have pulled the trigger during the Dutchman’s tenure.
“The first thing they can’t do is sack the manager – they did that. I was part of David Moyes’ staff – David Moyes came in on a five-year contract and was sacked 10 months later,” said Neville.
“I saw firsthand – I was a player there, I had a good time there and I saw what it was like with a great manager – and then when I went with him (Moyes) I was absolutely blown away. – the recruitment process and the fact that they were interested more the business side and making money than the pitch. “Then Mourinho, Van Gaal, Solskjaer. I remember when Ralf Rangnick left and he said the club will not succeed until they put things right. And I think United have to put things right.
“It’s not just the manager, the manager is the last thing they have to deal with. The stadium is old, the training ground is falling apart, the owner wants to sell, but only a little. “It is fundamentally wrong to get rid of Ten Hag now. He is trying to change the culture at United.