Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Sport
Tom Malley

Bruno Fernandes branded a "problem" as star overlooked as Man Utd's only "guarantee"

Manchester United produced another poor performance to draw 0-0 with Premier League relegation battlers Watford on Saturday, in what marked their third stalemate in five games.

The Red Devils have also dropped points against Newcastle United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Aston Villa, Burnley and Southampton since Ralf Rangnick took charge, in games they were either leading or were expected to win.

And the German’s side have often been criticised for not playing as a team or having too many individuals on the pitch who throw their toys out of the pram.

One such player accused of this is Bruno Fernandes, who has been branded a “problem” by former United defender Paul Parker.

And the 57-year-old was also keen to point out that there is only one player in the current side who will give a ‘guaranteed’ performance on a weekly basis, as United’s squad struggle for consistency.

How many Man Utd players do you think perform on a consistent basis? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.

Bruno Fernandes has been labelled as a 'problem' at Man Utd (Jan Kruger/Getty Images)

Speaking to bettingexpert , Parker feels that there are a lot of problems with the individuals in United’s midfield, specifically Fernandes.

He said: "You look in the midfield, you just have a lot of energy. You've got (Bruno) Fernandes, who keeps wanting to throw his dummy out of the pram all the time.

"Fernandes, at the moment things aren't going right for him when he plays the game for himself, not for the team, so that's a problem."

The Portuguese international has been a fantastic signing since joining the Red Devils in 2020 and has tallied nine goals in 26 Premier League appearances this term, but he has often shown his frustrations on the pitch.

Parker feels as though the team is full of too many individuals who only play for themselves or like to moan at their other teammates when something goes wrong.

The Premier League winner has been quick to point out that despite having the likes of Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo in the side, there is only one player who can be ‘guaranteed’ to perform on a consistent basis - Victor Lindelof.

Both Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are big personalities in the squad and often express their frustrations on the pitch (Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images)

The Swedish defender has faced his fair share of critics during his United career but has produced a number of good performances over his 25 appearances this season.

Parker said: "Nothing is guaranteed defensively, still, it's not right, there's no balance. (Rangnick) doesn't know which full-backs to play. He ended up playing Lindelof at full-back (against Atletico Madrid), which was madness.

"Keep Lindelof where he's doing okay, in the middle."

"I think the one defender you know a hundred percent what you're gonna get is Victor Lindelof. You know what you're gonna get from him."

Paul Parker believes Victor Lindelof to be the only 'reliable' player in the United squad (Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Parker added: "You've got two right-backs and all of a sudden both of them are sitting on the bench. What's going on there?"

Next up for United is a daunting away trip to rivals and league leaders Manchester City on Sunday, knowing that a defeat could see them drop out of the top four once again.

United have won on their three previous visits to the Etihad Stadium, but they won't have any chance of making it a fourth if they don’t sort out personality issues within the squad.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.