Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has shrugged off comments by Roy Keane, saying “criticism is going to be always there”.
The midfielder was speaking after his hat-trick in Thursday’s Europa League last-16 second leg 4-1 win over Real Sociedad that sealed United’s passage to a quarter-final against Lyon.
Last month, former United captain Keane criticised Fernandes’s leadership, telling the Overlap podcast that “Bruno is not a fighter”.
“Everyone has an opinion and that’s fine,” the Portugal international said. “I can’t change the mind of people. Roy Keane was an amazing captain for the club, one of the best. He’s massively respected and has all my respect. He has to give his opinion in a programme and this is what he thinks about me. What I’m doing on the pitch is to try to change his mind, or do something he probably sees as a good thing. Obviously I do it in my own way, I don’t want to copy anyone.
Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Ruben Amorim respond to criticism from Roy Keane
Drogheda and Waterford showing way to end Dublin dominance of League of Ireland
Unruffled Hallgrímsson calls up potential ‘game-changer’ for Ireland
‘In the media, it feels like it’s a fight’: Heimir Hallgrímsson addresses disconnect between national team and League of Ireland
“I try to be the best captain that I can for my team-mates. I try to help everyone in the best way I know. I have a lot of things to improve, not only as a captain but as a player, as a person, as a human being and that’s fine.
“Criticism is going to be always there and it’s going to make me grow and understand that there’s still a long way to go.”
[ Manchester United to build new 100,000-capacity stadium next to Old TraffordOpens in new window ]
United’s head coach was less accepting of the critique, with Amorim urging former Manchester United players criticising Fernandes to stop seeing his performances in “black and white” and appreciate the colours that paint the overall picture.
Keane added that “talent is not enough” in a withering appraisal of Fernandes’s leadership.
Amorim said his opinion of the Portugal playmaker was more important than Keane’s and described him as the “perfect captain”.
“I think he’s so important for this team,” he said. “And you can see it by the numbers, and you can see from these last games, he’s always the guy that scores.
“It’s not the most important thing, it’s not the only thing, but he’s always there.
“When you play for this team, you have to be prepared for the critics and I understand that former players had a lot of success here and the standards for them were so high that they see the things like that sometimes as black and white.
[ Time running out for Liverpool to make themselves serial winnersOpens in new window ]
“In life sometimes it’s not just black and white, there is some other colours and you have to understand the context.
“Again, he’s always there, trying his best, so I’m really proud to coach a player like him.”
Fernandes’s availability for United is almost as important as his others qualities, especially given the Red Devils were without 11 players for a third straight game.
Those issues could ease slightly when the Red Devils head to struggling Leicester on Sunday, with Manuel Ugarte returning to the bench against La Real as Harry Maguire pushes to return from an issue of his own.
Fernandes also took the chance after the win over Sociedad to aim a barb at Jim Ratcliffe, by stating no player wants to be told they are “not good enough or overpaid”, as Manchester United’s co-owner said this week about some of the United squad.
On Monday Rasmus Højlund, André Onana and Casemiro were among players Ratcliffe referenced as “not good enough” and “overpaid”.
“It’s not nice to hear certain things obviously,” Fernandes said. “I don’t think any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about; that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever. Everyone has their own contract. The club agrees to the contracts at the time you come here, or at the time you do a new contract, and it’s about proving that you can be important for the club.
“We can’t relax at this club. There’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media. You need to realise that sometimes you need to put your focus on your game, trying to improve yourself.” – Guardian
