Ten Hag given Man Utd captain option as stars "will never accept" Fernandes
Erik ten Hag should name David de Gea as his captain with the Manchester United squad unable to accept Bruno Fernandes ' antics, according to Paul Parker.
The former Red Devil, like many onlookers, has taken issue with the way in which Fernandes conducted himself during the loss to Liverpool on Sunday. The Portuguese star, who has previously been called on for moaning at his team-mates, cut a frustrated figure at Anfield.
Gary Neville was among those to hammer the playmaker, who donned the armband, with questions asked over his long-term suitability in the role. Parker has highlighted De Gea as a potential replacement as he doubted whether the squad would tolerate Fernandes' behaviour.
He told Apostagolos : “Wearing the armband is about getting the other players to calm down. Imagine if he told Casemiro to calm down. He would just shake his head. No one would ever accept anything coming from him because of the way he conducts himself.”
“He prefers to walk around and kick people, complain and give up. He gave up against Liverpool, which is miserable. He was not the only player who gave up and it was wrong by all the players. But as a captain he should make sure that it wasn't happening and he is never doing that.”
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On a potential replacement Parker added: “David De Gea should be the captain. He is acting like a captain and he is actually trying to calm people down. Just like a captain should do. It was wrong that Harry Maguire was given the armband just because of the price tag that was around his neck and it was wrong that Fernandes was given it.”
Bruno Fernandes' actions were heavily criticised at Anfield (Manchester United via Getty Images)Who should be Man Utd's captain? Share your thoughts in the comments below
Ten Hag has maintained that Fernandes will continue as the team's vice-captain and thus will deputise accordingly. The midfielder has also received the backing of Marcus Rashford, who underlined the qualities of his team-mate.
"I love playing with Bruno, as you can imagine," he said. "He's the perfect player to play with. He's been a good leader for us, even when he's not captain, which is always a good sign. He's helped other players become better leaders and the reality is that we can't be an organised team in terms of just one leader being captain.
"He's done a lot for us. I don't have anything negative to say about Bruno. As the manager said, nobody is perfect. I support him and I'm 100% behind him."
Parker also claimed he didn't believe a new arrival should be handed the armband. “You should never give a new player the armband and that is why I'm not advocating for Casemiro. Could he be a future captain? Definitely. But it has to be given to someone who has shown loyalty and consistency over a longer period of time," he added.
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