Bruno Fernandes DEFENDS his arm-waving rants at Man United team-mates

Bruno Fernandes has defended his mid-game ranting as 'intensity' and a leadership strategy - as opposed to the fury and shirking some see it as.

The Manchester United captain feels he is misunderstood and explained that he openly rebukes others 'for the benefit of the team'.

He also opened up on his leadership style behind the scenes in a bid to justify his ways to the world.

His performances have picked up but in the past he has faced intense scrutiny with some, including Roy Keane, feeling he should be stripped of the United armband.

'This [being demanding] often conveys the image of bad temper, because it comes from the way we experience the game, from how we are so intense... and intense players are difficult to understand,' he told A Bola.

'I have this notion that there are probably a lot of people who don't like certain things I do, but in every locker room I go to, I always say that if a player doesn't feel comfortable with the way I talk to him, with the way I I convey the message to you, I am open to not doing it or to trying to do it in another way.

'But have you ever had these episodes in the locker room, have they ever come to you and told you directly, for example, "don't talk to me like that"?

'I never had that "don't talk to me like that" confrontation. I have had the perception of players who feel very down if someone talks to them or if I talk to them.

'It's a little natural. I don't think much about this issue. Many times it goes well, many times it goes badly. There are people who like it, others who don't like it. There are people who see pointing as bragging, because for us in the field it is difficult to convey messages in the way we are here talking. It's practically impossible.

'Normally, we have to use our arms more, gesture. We are too far away from each other to be able to understand the messages we want to convey to each other.

'It's like I say. It comes a little natural to me, it's not because I want to be more of a leader. It's part of my game. I never hid, regardless of whether I was with older or younger players.

'If I think I have to convey a message, I will always convey it for the benefit of the team and the player I'm sending it to as well.'

His credentials took a boost during the 4-3 FA Cup quarter-final win over Liverpool on Sunday, when he played 120 minutes in an inspired comeback performance.

The Portuguese playmaker even filled in as a makeshift centre-back in the dying embers of the game, assuming new responsibility as Erik ten Hag piled on attacking substitutions.

Following the game, fans hailed him as a 'proper captain' for consoling Marcus Rashford after one of his misses - only for the forward to go on and score a critical leveller in extra-time before Amad Diallo's winner.

However, his captaincy has often attracted ire and Keane, who skippered United to the Treble in 1998/99, is among his most vocal critics.

Earlier this season, he said: 'The first thing I would do is take the captaincy off him. I know it's a big decision but Fernandes is not captain material.

'He's a talented player, but what I saw today, he's whingeing, he's moaning, he's throwing his arms up in the air constantly.

'It really isn't acceptable. When you're talking about where do they make changes - board level, managers - I'd start with that because the manager is capable of doing that.

'Fernandes is a brilliant footballer but he's the opposite to what you want in a captain.'