17 December 2023 , 17:16
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Dwight Yorke and Andy Gray had a heated disagreement over Bruno Fernandes' absence from the Manchester United squad for their trip to Liverpool on Sunday.
Fernandes was suspended for the game at Anfield after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season in last weekend's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth. With United already soundly beaten at Old Trafford, Fernandes was booked in the 83rd minute, thus incurring a suspension.
Former United striker Yorke, part of the 1999 Treble winners, suggested that manager Erik ten Hag could have taken steps to avoid this. He argued that Ten Hag should have removed the Portugal international with the game gone, saving him for Anfield.
But speaking on beIN Sports, fellow pundit Gray, the ex-Everton and Scotland striker, disagreed. He countered: "But you don't take your captain off, do you? Not if you trust him not to be stupid."
Yorke hit back, insisting: "In that situation you take him off!" However, while ex-Liverpool man Jason McAteer agreed with Yorke, Gray stood his ground, questioning Fernandes' responsibility as a captain.
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"No, that's a cop out," he declared. "He knows as captain of his club, the biggest game in the country is coming up. Why is he captain if he can't have the responsibility of behaving himself?"
Yorke continued to argue that Ten Hag should have taken action, given Fernandes' temperament. "He's obviously a bad loser, he loses it," he said. "At 3-0 down, you normally won't take your captain off, I get it. Taking your top striker is off is the same as taking your captain off."
Again Gray responded: "No it ain't! But Yorke continued: "I've seen Roy Keane and other people be substituted towards the end of the game. I think it just comes down to game management."
Presenting host Richard Keys went on to explain that in this calendar year, four out of five times Fernandes got booked was when United were trailing, two of which were due to dissent.
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