Bruno Fernandes accused of not being in his 'right position' and 'wanting to do too much' as Patrice Evra explains key issues affecting Man Utd captain

Fernandes rejected a highly-lucrative offer from Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal in the summer to stay at United but has experienced mixed fortunes in a hit-and-miss season for the Red Devils. Fernandes has contributed to 10 of the team's 26 goals in the Premier League, scoring twice and getting an assist in their last game against Wolves. 

The captain, however, has been blamed for United's inconsistent results such as losing at home to 10-man Everton and failing to beat a poor West Ham side in the last three weeks, having pulled off impressive wins over the likes of Liverpool, Chelsea and Crystal Palace.

And former United left-back Evra said Fernandes' tendency to play all over the pitch rather than focus on his central midfield role is preventing him from controlling the team's play as he should.

Evra told GOAL, via Stake.com: "It’s always sensitive to talk about Bruno. It depends what people call a real captain. With a captain, sometimes you can have someone like Roy Keane or a different one. Bruno is giving assists and scoring goals, this has never been the issue. The issue for me is for him to control the team and the tempo when he gets the ball.

"You couldn't tell me where he's playing because he's everywhere. So sometimes maybe as a captain, you want to do extra, you want to do too much. And at the end, you're not even at your right position. But United wouldn't be where they are in the table if Bruno wasn't playing."

Looking for smarter football bets? Get expert previews, data-driven predictions & winning insights with GOAL Tips on Telegram. Join our growing community now!

Evra said he has no issues with Fernandes being United's skipper. But he noted how Harry Maguire had a burden lifted from him when he had the captaincy taken off him by Erik ten Hag in 2023. Maguire - who is currently out injured - has changed the narrative around him in the last two seasons with much-improved performances in defence, proving well-suited to Amorim's back three. 

He has scored six goals since the start of last season, including handing United their first victory at Anfield in 10 seasons and grabbing the famous last-gasp winner against Lyon in the Europa League. 

Evra explained: "I don't question the fact about Bruno being a captain - he deserves to be captain because Amorim has chosen him. Look at what's happening to Maguire. They got rid of the armband and he now plays like a United player. You saw how people were bullying him on social media or whatever. But he said, I'm staying here."

United climbed into sixth place in the Premier League after beating Wolves and the challenge is to move into the top four and return to the Champions League after a two-year absence. Evra said United should have no excuse for not qualifying for Europe's top competition, which they did in all but one of his nine seasons at Old Trafford as a player.

"Under the previous manager, we won the FA Cup and EFL Cup, but you lose a lot by not being in the Champions League," Evra said. "It’s going to be tough. You’ve got Arsenal, City, Chelsea and Aston Villa giving it a real go. If United do not finish in the top four then it’ll be a massive disappointment - a failure. 

"When I played for United, the goal was winning four trophies per season and now we’re talking about qualifying for the Champions League. Our wages went down by 30 per cent if we didn’t qualify for the Champions League, but we never had that issue."