Roy Keane has expressed concerns regarding Bruno Fernandes' leadership following the Manchester United captain's recent apology to Erik ten Hag.
After United's 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford, Fernandes shared that he reached out to his former coach, Ten Hag, to personally apologize after the Dutchman’s departure last week. In his comments, Fernandes emphasized that the challenges faced by the club during the 2024-25 campaign cannot be attributed solely to the manager.
Bruno's gesture didn't impress club legend and pundit Roy Keane. Keane felt that the apology was inadequate and came too late. He explicitly questioned the Portuguese midfielder's leadership abilities, arguing that he has failed to lead the team effectively.
Keane's take on Bruno Fernandes
Keane contends that while Bruno has shown flashes of potential in his performances, he has consistently failed to show true leadership. Keane believes that players often act selfishly, and in his view, Bruno has not done enough over the past year or two as the captain of Manchester United to support the manager; he has often been absent in crucial moments.
Keane insists that Bruno fell short of displaying the necessary leadership when the team's performance faltered. "These are always awkward interviews for players but I wouldn’t have much time and patience for the player to say, ‘Listen, sorry, we let you down’. Too little, too late. We’ll judge what you’re doing on the football pitch. I don’t think Bruno has done enough in a lot of the games already. He didn’t show that leadership. So it would be interesting to hear what Ten Hag has to say about it. But you also have to move on." Keane said.
"A lot of players don’t care that much when a manager goes. They just focus on the next manager and get ready, and look after themselves. Players can be selfish, we know that, but I don’t think Bruno has done enough as a captain of Man United over the last year or two to help the manager out. Far from it." Keane added.
"The proof’s there with all the results. It’s not just on Bruno, of course, but I don’t think he showed enough leadership skills when the going got tough with some of the performances. I don’t think Bruno should be too proud of himself, of what’s happened to the manager of the last week or two. I think the players let the manager down ultimately." he explained.