Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane said that he would strip the captaincy from the current holder of the role, Bruno Fernandes.Â
United were beaten by their cross-town rivals Manchester City 3-0 at their home ground on Sunday evening. A brace from Erling Haaland and a late strike from Phil Foden compounded further misery for the red side of Manchester.
The display angered many United fans at home, and the debate around whether Fernandes should be United's captain once again became a talking point after another mauling.
Fernandes was appointed club captain in the summer when United boss Erik Ten Hag stripped former skipper Harry Maguire of the role amid his poor run of form and his demotion to the United bench.
"He's the opposite to what I would want in a captain!"
Roy Keane says he would take the captaincy off Bruno Fernandes 😳 pic.twitter.com/r8ynceAum8— Sky Sports Premier League (@SkySportsPL) October 29, 2023
Keane, who was doing punditry work for United on Sky Sports, was part of a debate on how to fix United and named the changes that needed to be made, with particular emphasis on taking the armband off Fernandes.
"After today, watching him again today, I would definitely take the captaincy off him. 100 per cent. I know it's a big decision; they changed it with Maguire, but Fernandes is not captain material," said Keane on Sky Sports.
"He's a talented player, no doubt about it, but I think what I saw today with him again, he's whining, he's moaning, he's throwing his arms up in the air constantly. It really isn't acceptable.
"What we saw today, I would take that off him. You have to start somewhere. We talk about board level managers; I would start with that because the manager is capable of doing that and holding his hands up and saying: 'Look, I got it wrong.'
"Fernandes is a brilliant footballer, but in terms of captain material, he's the opposite of what I'd want in a captain."
United's next game will be against Newcastle United on Wednesday in the Carabao Cup. The game kicks off at 8pm.
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