Rio Ferdinand Praises Bruno Fernandes, Mocks Unai Emery

Rio Ferdinand has heaped praise on Bruno Fernandes and brutally mocked Aston Villa head coach Unai Emery after Manchester United beat his side 1-0 at Old Trafford on Sunday. The victory was crucial for Erik ten Hag’s team as they look to secure a top-four finish and qualify for next season’s Champions League, with United now seven points clear of fifth-placed Liverpool with a game in hand. Ferdinand said about United’s win over Villa on his FIVE Podcast: ‘We stopped their 10-game unbeaten run, Unai Emery was producing miracles, and who steps up to stop him? Bruno. Sit back down, Unai. Have a reality check and know your place.’ Speaking more about vice-captain Fernandes, Ferdinand added: ‘We deserved to win the game. Did you see Bruno’s numbers? Wow. The guy… it’s remarkable what he is doing. If he was at Arsenal he’d probably have a statue now at the Emirates with the numbers he has done! ‘Does Bruno take the captaincy next year? 100 per cent, I think he does. Since Bruno signed [for Man Utd] he has been the most impactful player we have had. He’s wearing the armband while Maguire doesn’t play. I think it is natural progression for him to be captain next season.’ Fernandes has registered 61 goals and 53 assists across 178 games for United since he joined the club from Sporting Lisbon in 2020, making him the most likely player to be handed the United armband next term with Nigel Winterburn predicting that Maguire will be stripped of the captaincy.