Alan Pardew Urges Man United to Strip Captaincy From Bruno Fernandes

Former Premier League manager and pundit Alan Pardew has explained why he feels Manchester United need to strip Bruno Fernandes of his captain’s armband. His comments come in the wake of the 3-0 home loss to Liverpool.

It’s been a tricky start to the new season for Erik ten Hag, leaving his position as manager of the club already at risk. After beating Fulham on the opening day, the Red Devils lost away at Brighton.

Adding to the misery, they were then trounced at home vs familiar enemies Liverpool. Luis Diaz opened the scoring after a mistake from Casemiro and the Brazilian made another error, allowing the Colombian to make it 2-0. Mohamed Salah then put the icing on top with a third, after Kobbie Mainoo lost the ball cheaply.

All in all, it was a dismal day for the home team at Old Trafford. In the aftermath, former Newcastle United and Crystal Palace boss Pardew told talkSPORT why it could be time to change the club captain.

Pardew Says Fernandes Shouldn’t be Captain

“How can he lead?”

Fernandes was named club captain at the start of the 2023-24 season, replacing defender Harry Maguire. But Pardew believes the attacking midfielder just isn’t the right sort of player to wear the armband:

“You’ve got your skipper out there, you’ve got a technical skipper, when you’ve got a technician as a skipper, I think it’s always dangerous because they’re going to have off games.

“Even (Christian) Eriksen in his prime, (Michel) Platini in his prime, they’d have the off day. They were technical players.”

He went on to explain how Fernandes often can’t show his best for Man United as a leader, as proven by the fact that against Liverpool they had so much defensive work to do, which is not his game. He then said taking the armband off him could actually help him relax and play better, saying:

“Defensively, he’s not been called upon. How can he lead the team? It’s a very difficult one for him.

“I actually think it would be better for him as a footballer to take it off him. I think it might free him up a bit, let him be a bit more free-minded. He’s probably worrying about the back four, worrying about the wingers. You don’t really know how to deal with it.

“I don’t know, I think it’s a hamper to him.”

Fernandes Questioned By Micah Richards and Graeme Souness in the Past

“Obviously not a leader”

This is not the first time Fernandes has been questioned in his role as a leader for Man United. For instance, after a 2-0 loss against Tottenham Hotspur in August 2023, Micah Richards claimed: “His body language on the pitch is disturbing the rest of the team and it’s just not a good look at all. It’s pathetic at times.”

In May of the same year, Graeme Souness stressed that the Portuguese star is “obviously not a leader”. However, the 29-year-old does at least regulatory contribute to the attack. He scored 15 goals and picked up 13 assists last season, which included setting up a goal as he captained the Red Devils to FA Cup glory against bitter rivals Manchester City.

As one of the few players who regularly delivers for the club, it seems unlikely that Fernandes will lose his spot as captain under Ten Hag. But with doubts over the Dutchman’s future, perhaps a new man in change would to Pardew’s advice on board and look to mix things up.