Former football player turned pundit and commentator Gary Neville has criticized Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes for reportedly being frustrated at not being substituted during their 7-0 loss to Liverpool. The match saw Manchester United trail 1-0 at half time, but they were blown away in the second half as Liverpool hit an extra six goals. Cody Gakpo opened the scoring, and he later got another goal, while Mo Salah and Darwin Nunez both scored a brace each. Roberto Firmino, who will leave Anfield at the end of the season, scored the seventh goal of the evening.
Co-commentator Gary Neville noticed Fernandes' body language during the game and suggested that the Portuguese midfielder was struggling to hide his discontent at being left on the pitch when Anthony Elanga replaced Marcus Rashford in the final minutes. Neville commented, "Bruno Fernandes is stood in the centre circle with his arms raised saying 'why is it me not coming off?' Honestly, I have to say some of his behaviour in the second half has been a disgrace. I've had enough of him throwing his arms about, not running about. That wasn't a captain's performance by him."
Former Manchester United teammate and fellow pundit Roy Keane also criticized Fernandes, saying, "Fernandes' body language today was disgraceful. Players will no doubt feel ashamed. They went missing in the second half. But I have to say Liverpool were absolutely amazing. Their energy, decision-making... Liverpool were back to their very, very best."
Sky cameras did not capture Fernandes' supposed outburst, but footage from the stands has since emerged showing the midfielder's reaction. In the video, Fernandes can be seen gesturing towards the bench and appearing to say something to his teammates before holding up two fingers, which some have interpreted as a request to be substituted. However, some fans on social media have defended Fernandes, claiming that he was not asking to be substituted but rather trying to communicate with his teammates. The incident has sparked debate among football fans and pundits, with some criticizing Fernandes for his behavior and others defending him.
Watch the video below to see Fernandes' reaction:
Bruno Fernandes going mad he wanted to come off WTF 😳 pic.twitter.com/1ytYt6jkD5
— shab (@shabbiar) March 5, 2023
[p]Apparently this was Bruno Fernandes BEGGING