Club legend Bryan Robson has backed Bruno Fernandes to be a success as Manchester United captain but has urged the playmaker to cut out a frustrating part of his game
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Updated 11:47, 25 Mar 2025
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes has been told to cut one particular aspect of his game out
(Image: Getty Images)
Manchester United legend Bryan Robson has urged Bruno Fernandes to cut out the playacting amid fears he's setting a poor example as captain. Despite Fernandes being in fine form with six goal contributions in the last four Premier League matches, there are concerns over his suitability as skipper.
Robson, himself a former Red Devils captain, said he was impressed with how Fernandes had grown into the role, but insisted he still had one or two creases 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.
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"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."
He 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."
After taking over the captaincy from Harry Maguire in 2023, Fernandes has been something of a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy period for the club. And while he's been far from perfect, Robson believes he's making "a massive difference", with Ruben Amorim's team showing signs of improvement after winning back-to-back matches against Real Sociedad and Leicester City by three-goal margins.
Bruno Fernandes reacts while on the ground
Robson thinks Fernandes needs to stop "rolling" around on the floor
"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."
Optimism aside, the Red Devils are still 13th in the league and have a tough run of fixtures coming up. Next week they face high-flying Nottingham Forest before welcoming neighbours Manchester City to Old Trafford.
Bryan Robson
Robson spent over a decade as United skipper(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
After that, they have a clash with Carabao Cup champions Newcastle sandwiched between both legs of their Europa League quarter-final clash with Ligue giants Lyon.
Fernandes is currently enjoying his most prolific scoring season since netting 28 goals in the 2020/21 campaign, having already scored 16 times in all competitions this term. He's just five away from hitting a century for United, which would put him on par with Robson, who scored 100 goals in 465 appearances for the club.
Robson, who transferred from West Brom in 1981 for a then-record British transfer fee of £1.5million, was a fixture in United's line-up for 13 seasons. During his tenure, he helped the club secure six major trophies, including two Premier League titles and three FA Cups.
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