Manchester United legend Bryan Robson has called on Bruno Fernandes to cut out the theatrics amid concerns he's setting a bad example as captain. Fernandes has been in scintillating form with six goal contributions in his last four Premier League games, but has, at times, had his captaincy credentials questioned.
Robson, who skippered the Red Devils for over a decade, admits he's been impressed with how Fernandes has grown into the role, but insists he still has a crease or two to iron out. "I hope that he stays away from the rolling over when he gets tackled and that sort of thing," Robson told the Manchester Evening News. "But he's coming into his own as a captain. I think the manager has told him you've got to be a leader on the pitch. You can see him talking to people now, saying, 'this is what we're doing because this is what the manager wants'.
"He looks as if he's encouraging the players and saying, 'you should be in this position or that position'. I hope he keeps continuing to do that because you've got to."
Robson added: "If you've got a football brain and you're playing well, and the manager has made you captain, you've got to try and get the best out of the players around you and make sure that they do what the manager asked them to do.
"I think Bruno has done what I'd expect of a United captain, to a degree. Unfortunately for Bruno, the team hasn't been good enough to win as many or major trophies as Manchester United should win."
Fernandes, 30, took over the captaincy from Harry Maguire in 2023, becoming the club's fifth permanent skipper in as many years. Since then, he has been a rare bright spark in an otherwise gloomy period for the Red Devils.
While the Portugal international hasn't been flawless, Robson believes his confidence is making "a massive difference", with Ruben Amorim's side gaining momentum after securing consecutive three-goal victories over Real Sociedad and Leicester in recent weeks.
"He [Fernandes] has been in fantastic form in the last two months," Robson, 68, said. "He is so confident at the moment. You can see it in his game.
"He's just loving his game at the moment, and he's making a massive difference. And that's what sometimes confidence can do. Players need confidence. And if they've got the ability, then it can make a major improvement on their game."
United are 13th in the league, and while there might be a little optimism in the air, a challenging streak looms with matches against Nottingham Forest and Manchester City to come after the international break. United then have a trip to St. James' Park to face Carabao Cup champions Newcastle, sandwiched between the two legs of their Europa League quarter-final clash with French titans Lyon.
Fernandes is currently enjoying his best scoring season since his 28-goal tally in 2020/21, having netted 16 times in all competitions so far. He is just five goals away from reaching a century of goals for United and equalling Robson, who scored 100 goals in 465 matches for the club.
Robson, who joined United from West Brom in 1981 for a then-record British transfer fee of £1.5million, was a stalwart in the team for 13 seasons. He securing six major trophies during his iconic stint, including two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.