Bruno Fernandes wants to do too much as Manchester United captain, leading to him being in the wrong position on the pitch, believes Patrice Evra.
The 31-year-old has become an iconic figure at Old Trafford since his move from Sporting in January 2020.
The Portuguese star has been remarkably consistent, making 306 appearances in all competitions and scoring 102 goals.
During the recent win over Crystal Palace, Fernandes went past Paul Scholes for number of Premier League assists, now with 57 to his name.
Evra is not questioning the impact Fernandes has for the Red Devils, but does think his desire to influence the game means he drags himself out of position.
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‘It’s always sensitive to talk about Bruno. It depends what people call a real captain,’ Evra told GOAL, via Stake.com. ‘With a captain, sometimes you can have someone like Roy Keane or a different one.
‘Bruno is giving assists and scoring goals, this has never been the issue. The issue, for me, is for him to control the team and the tempo when he gets the ball.
‘You couldn’t tell me where he’s playing because he’s everywhere. So sometimes maybe as a captain, you want to do extra, you want to do too much. And at the end, you’re not even at your right position.
‘But United wouldn’t be where they are in the table if Bruno wasn’t playing.’
Despite his issue with Fernandes’ positioning, the Frenchman feels he is still the right choice to wear the armband for Manchester United.
The former full-back feels taking the captaincy off Harry Maguire was helpful for the centre-back, who has improved since the change in 2023.
‘I don’t question the fact about Bruno being a captain – he deserves to be captain because [Ruben] Amorim has chosen him,’ said Evra.
‘Look at what’s happening to Maguire. They got rid of the armband and he now plays like a United player. You saw how people were bullying him on social media or whatever. But he said, I’m staying here.’
Scholes is clear on Fernandes’ best position
Scholes has spoken out about where he feels Fernandes should be playing and it is not where Ruben Amorim is deploying him this season.
‘He is the most creative player on the team, he should be playing as the No 10, there is no doubt about that,’ Scholes told Sky Sports in September.
‘But he is being asked to do something different. It is normal for a No 10 like he is to be able to do it for two or three games, to fill in when a midfielder is injured or suspended or something. But then you get a little bit bored of going back into position to defend.
‘I did both roles. As a No 10, the last thing you want to think about is defending. Once you go back into a two in midfield, all of a sudden you are thinking about defence, about what your runner is doing. It’s a totally different mindset.’
