Nani defends Bruno Fernandes and insists Manchester United teammates are not matching his effort levels
Former Manchester United winger Nani has defended Bruno Fernandes and claims his teammates aren’t matching his effort levels. United’s current slump continued on Wednesday evening as they were dumped out of the Carabao Cup following a 3-0 defeat to Newcastle at Old Trafford.
Fernandes, meanwhile, faced criticism for his performance in United’s 3-0 loss to Manchester City last weekend, with Roy Keane claiming that the Portugal international should be stripped of the captaincy. Gary Neville also believes Fernandes would be better off without the United armband as he said in an interview this week that the midfielder is ‘trying to be everything’.
But Nani, who made 230 appearances for United, is adamant that Fernandes is leading by example and feels his teammates should be doing more to follow.
Nani: “Bruno Fernandes is Leading by Example”
‘When we used to play at Manchester [United], one of the things that defined the club was that you could be losing 3-0 with 15 minutes, 10 minutes left in a game, and that’s when you saw what mental strength means,’ Nani told 1 PARA 1.
‘It’s no longer about talent, it’s about pushing the ball into the goal. We did that, we did what was necessary. Now, when you watch Manchester play, you see a lot of talent, maybe more talent than in our time in terms of technique, and they’re all technically gifted. But when you watch the game, there’s no spirit of sacrifice, no fighting spirit… a real player, a star, at Manchester, has to unlock the game – if they don’t, it won’t work.’
Nani went on to praise Bruno Fernandes for his effort and commitment on the pitch. ‘Manchester already has great players. We have Bruno Fernandes. If Bruno Fernandes wasn’t playing well, I’d criticise him too, but for example, the sacrifice and effort he puts into the game, he does it. We see it. He works hard, gives his all, and contributes. It’s just that many others don’t keep up with it.’
Manchester United Need to Step Up
It is clear that Nani believes Bruno Fernandes is leading by example at Manchester United and that his teammates need to step up and match his effort levels if they are to turn their fortunes around. The Red Devils have been struggling for form in recent weeks and have failed to win any of their last four games in all competitions.
The pressure is now on manager Erik ten Hag to get his side back on track and if he is to do so then it will be down to his players to match the commitment and effort levels of Bruno Fernandes. Only then will they be able to start climbing up the table and competing for silverware once again.
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