According to former midfielder Roy Keane, the first thing Manchester United should do after their 0-3 defeat to Manchester City is to strip Bruno Fernandes of the captaincy.

“He’s just not captain material in my eyes,” Keane added on Sky Sports. “Fernandes is always moaning, throwing his hands up in the air with an unacceptable attitude. He may be talented, but he’s not the right captaincy material. The first thing Manchester United should do is take the captain’s armband away from Fernandes. It’s a difficult job, but manager Erik ten Hag will have to do it.”

Fernandes was appointed as the captain of Manchester United for the 2023-2024 season after Harry Maguire was ousted. However, his performance with the “Red Devils” this season has not been impressive, with just two goals and three assists in 13 matches across all competitions. In the match against Manchester City, he also expressed his frustration towards his teammates on multiple occasions, which did not sit well with Keane.

Keane served as the captain of Manchester United from 1997 to 2005, leading the team to numerous titles during that period. He believes that stripping Fernandes of the captaincy alone is not enough to address the current situation. “The problem with Ten Hag is that he still hasn’t figured out his preferred starting lineup,” the 52-year-old former midfielder added. “Manchester United have had several ιnjury setbacks, and Ten Hag is also grappling with personnel issues, such as the goalkeeper position, Harry Maguire’s role, or Jonny Evans today.”

Manchester United currently sits in eighth place with a goal difference of -5. Their issue lies in the attacking department, having scored only 11 goals, with center forward Rasmus Hojlund struggling in the Premier League. Keane criticizes the team’s attacking strength and believes that Manchester United is being physically dominated in all positions. “Ten Hag won’t be able to sleep well tonight,” he emphasized.

Hojlund missed a good opportunity to score in the 31st minute when he dribbled past the goalkeeper but failed to find the net. Keane suggests that Hojlund should have gone down in that situation to give his team a chance to win a penalty. “I’m not saying he should dive, but any player would have gone down in that situation,” the Irish football legend remarked.