Bruno Fernandes slammed for 'going missing' in tough games

GRAEME SOUNESS has slammed Bruno Fernandes for "going missing" in big games.

It comes as the Manchester United team arrived at the airport for a private flight to Gatwick Airport ahead of their Premier League clash against Brighton tonight.

The Red Devils will be hoping to pick up a win to put a seven-point gap between themselves and fifth-placed Liverpool.

With few games remaining of the season, a win against the Seagulls would almost guarantee United a spot in the Champions League next season.

However, if they lose, it could open the door for the Reds to try and catch up with them before the end of the campaign.

And Brighton will be up for the match as they will be seeking revenge for their FA Cup semi-final defeat last month.

Ahead of the big game, pundit Souness ripped into United's stand-in captain, Fernandes, for lacking leadership when things get tough.

Speaking to William Hill's Up Front with Simon Jordan, he said: “Bruno Fernandes is obviously not a leader, it's as plain as the nose on the end of your face.

“His attitude when they went 3-0 down at Liverpool was appalling.

“You certainly would not want to be in the trenches with him.

“When you become a captain of a football team it's about setting an example on the pitch and off it.

“To have a successful football club, you need good senior players and professionals. I look at myself when I walked through the door in Liverpool, how I changed in the seven years I was there, and what I was like when I left.

“I wasn't the best player when I walked through the door, but I learned from some very serious football players, and seven years later when I become a senior, I like to think that I passed that information on.

“In the case of Bruno, you'll see him be a star when you're on top of the opposition and on the front foot, and he can be a real talent, but he showed a side to him that day at Anfield which was very unattractive.

“Erik ten Hag has then chosen to overlook it because he knows going forward that Bruno will win him games and score goals.

“But he'll think, the next time he comes up against a really difficult situation, is he going to go missing? I think he already knows the answer to that.”