Fernandes request speaks volumes amid Ten Hag's Man Utd captaincy dilemma
Manchester United coach Benni McCarthy has praised Bruno Fernandes for driving standards in training after revealing that the Portuguese midfielder requested extra finishing drills.
Fernandes, 28, quickly established himself as one of United's most influential players after joining the club back in January 2020 and enjoyed a standout season under Erik ten Hag, often donning the captain's armband in the absence of Harry Maguire.
The playmaker has even been tipped by some to take on the role full-time given there are serious doubts over Maguire's long-term future at the club.
Ten Hag has already hinted that Fernandes would be a natural successor to step in as captain if Maguire, as expected, departs Old Trafford this summer.
And McCarthy has now spelled out the positive influence that Fernandes has had on the training ground by highlighting how the midfielder's participation in extra training drills rubbed off on his teammates.
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Speaking on 947 Joburg, McCarthy said: “I just put on [tranining drills] I would have loved when I was a striker. Put up these kind of specific drills the strikers love. Sometimes we go in games without touching the ball a lot, but you get that one opportunity and you stick it away. So not the most complicated drills – just simple drills strikers face seven out of 10 times in the games.
“The more consistent you become, the easier it becomes in the game. Bruno was the one who told me he wanted to stay behind. After a while, it started catching on and half the team was coming, even the midfielders, even the defenders, to do finishing drills because it was fun and exciting.
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“There was a lot of repetition and we started making it into competitions, so every day we need to have a winner and that’s how I got everyone engaged. Bruno is there every single day and Rashy [ Marcus Rashford ] followed. We created that culture where the finishing drills were about competitiveness and the consistency of hitting the target or making the goalkeeper move.”
After a disappointing 2021/22 campaign, Fernandes was one of a number of Manchester United players who were back to their best this season after working with Ten Hag.
Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Maguire, who is now fifth-choice after dropping behind Victor Lindelof and Luke Shaw in the pecking order and has been urged to kickstart his career away from Old Trafford.
Ten Hag has been coy over the former Leicester man's future, but it is believed that United would be open to selling Maguire this summer. The club captain was restricted to 16 Premier League appearances last term and started in the league just eight times.
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