As Manchester United's rough season continues, fans and pundits alike search for reasons as to why the Red Devils are struggling on all fronts.
Their most recent loss was a demoralising 4-3 defeat to FC Copenhagen earlier this week in the Champions League, in which the Danish side scored twice in the final 10 minutes to secure the victory. That result dropped United to dead last in Group A with just two matches remaining, and it followed a run of games in which the Red Devils lost back-to-back 3-0 games before grabbing a 1-0 victory over Fulham in stoppage time.
As the poor results pile up, more observers are looking at Bruno Fernandes' role as captain as part of the problem at Old Trafford. However, Fernandes has found an unlikely ally amid the scrutiny, as former Manchester City and Arsenal defender Bacary Sagna has thrown his support behind the Portugal international.
Speaking to Paddy Power, Sagna said that Fernandes gets flack due to his on-field demeanour, which may not be a fair assessment of his leadership skills.
“The one person who decides who the captain should be is the manager, and Erik ten Hag sees Bruno Fernandes on a regular basis, and he knows him better than anyone," Sagna said.
"He’s the best person to assess the ability of someone to be captain.
“He chose Bruno Fernandes as captain because he saw leadership qualities and he’s a winner.
"He might have the wrong body language and gets upset sometimes but that’s because he’s looking for perfection.
"Can we criticise a player for not being happy if another player isn’t performing?"
While some may not like Fernandes' method of communication on the pitch, Sagna feels the way the United captain vocalises during matches is appropriate.
“Fernandes is trying to push everyone on, and no one likes bad body language, but I try to look at it from another point of view.
"It’s important to have a captain who is vocal and talks a lot when things aren’t going well – that's why they are captains."