In dire need of a real captain

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes moans a lot. — AFP Photo

Paul Kennedy

I was fortunate enough, hang on, scrap that, UNFORTUNATE enough, to have seen some fabulous captains at Manchester United over the years.

In my early days watching football, it was Bryan Robson. United’s longest serving club captain who, in 2011, was voted their greatest ever player. A decision I can’t argue against.

Although for most of his career he played in what wasn’t the best of United teams, whenever Liverpool faced them, I was always fearful of the number seven.

I’ve a very early memory of him being injured for a Milk Cup final (yes, I said Milk Cup, it was a thing back in 1983) and that was enough for me to realise Liverpool would win. We did.

Steve Bruce was another. The type of player who would run through a brick wall if he had half a chance of blocking a shot.

Bruce played more than 300 times for Manchester United, but remarkably, never once for England.

Eric Cantona was United’s first ever non-British/Irish captain for a short spell. Temperamental, sure, but the Frenchman is widely regarded as playing a pivotal role in reviving the team’s fortunes.

Roy Keane came next. A fierce player, utterly ruthless. Someone who would send shivers down your spine just by looking at you. I loved Keane as a player. One of the greatest midfielders I’ve ever seen.

The Irishman passed on the captain’s armband to Gary Neville, whose unwavering hatred of all things Liverpool was enough for him to forever be idolised by United supporters.

Nemanja Vidic was United’s last captain in the Sir Alex Ferguson era. A tough-tackling Serbian who wouldn’t look out of place playing a hench man in a James Bond movie.

Fast forward nearly ten years, and the man currently leading the (used to be) great Manchester United is Bruno Fernandes.

To me, the Portuguese is about as inspiring as a blunt pencil. On the pitch, he behaves like a moody teenager whose parents won’t let him go out until he’s cleaned his room.

A petulant child who doesn’t get his own way.

And for me, that is one of United’s biggest problems. They need a leader, not a whiney, spoiled brat, crying and spluttering akin to a toddler who’s not allowed his dummy.

Against Bournemouth at the weekend, United were spanked three nil at home.

The midfielder was shown a yellow card late in the game for complaining to the referee. The booking is his fifth in the league this season and means he will have to serve a one-match suspension, ruling him out of the trip to Anfield on December 17.

That for me speaks volumes. Booked for basically moaning. And as a result, he’ll miss the game against Liverpool, a fixture they lost seven nil last season.

Begs the question did he do it on purpose? A chance to sit out what could be a dire afternoon at Anfield?

You’d hope that’s not something any captain of Manchester United would ever do.