Rio Ferdinand has rubbished talk that Bruno Fernandes is the wrong choice as Manchester United captain, insisting that ‘nobody is near him’ in terms of influence on Erik ten Hag’s side.
Fernandes wore the captain’s armband a number of times last season with first team captain Harry Maguire restricted to a bench role for large spells after falling out of favour.
Maguire has since been permanently stripped of the responsibility and upon news it was being handed to Fernandes, there was some criticism that Raphael Varane, Casemiro or Lisandro Martinez would have made a more sensible selection.
For Ferdinand he is convinced Manchester United’s critics would have found fault in anybody appointed in the role and that he personally is ‘delighted’ to see Fernandes lead United into the new season, starting at home to Wolves on Monday night.
'People are nit-picking,’ Ferdinand, a pundit for TNT Sports, said.
‘Look at Bruno and look at his output since he’s been at the club. No-one is near him in terms of numbers, in terms of influence and consistency. He’s been that guy. He’s been rewarded and rightly so I think.’
But what about his on-pitch demeanour? Gary Neville last season labelled Fernandes ‘disgraceful’ for his actions in United’s humiliating 7-0 drubbing against Liverpool at Anfield - but Ferdinand believes Fernandes will mature now that he is setting the standard full-time.
‘I think there are elements in his game, or his demeanour maybe, that as a captain just having the armband and the responsibility will sort itself out because he’s mature enough to understand his actions have consequence, or an impact, on other people.
‘When you get the armband, and I’ve experienced that, you self regulate anyway and I think he’ll do that.’
Fernandes, one of United’s on-field ‘lieutenants’, will be tasked with setting the Ten Hag culture on the pitch, but Ferdinand knows it can’t start and end with the Portuguese midfielder.
‘When you create a culture, it's not just a manager that does that,’ he added.
‘I have always said, it is on the lieutenants underneath to implement the changing room culture as well.
'You would like to think that Bruno, Casemiro and Rashford would all be part of that. They are three names that jump off the page to me. Eriksen I would say, too. Some of them are experienced players that know their way around the block.
‘But the manager can't do it on his own. You need to have those players available to do that as well.’
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