Micah Richards, for all of the laughter and joking, has actually carved out a career as a pundit that means he is both watchable and worth listening to, so when he takes aim at Man United, it’s a fair bet that there’s a good point to be made.
The former Man City star hasn’t gone after a member of the Red Devils first-team squad for the sake of it either.
Speaking on the Rest Is Football podcast alongside Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker, Richards had a fair bit to say about the style of captaincy from Bruno Fernandes, in response to a question from a listener.
“It’s getting embarrassing now,” he said. “The young lad Pellistri comes on. Fernandes is trying to get his team playing and I totally understand he’s frustrated.
“Pellistri made a run, Fernandes didn’t see him and [so] he made a different run but because he wasn’t where [Fernandes] wanted him to be, he’s going off at Pellestri.
“It’s every time. I saw an interview with him the other day and he said he needs to be emotional when he performs because it makes him play better.
“But I feel like his body language on the pitch is disturbing the rest of the team and it’s just not a good look at all. It’s pathetic at times.”
It isn’t the first time that the Portuguese has been criticised.
When United lost 7-0 at Anfield last season, Fernandes was called out for his gesticulating and pushing of a linesman, though as the Daily Mail report, he wasn’t punished for the incident.
It does leave a clear question mark over the player’s continued ability to lead the team.
Leading by example isn’t something that can be said to be Bruno’s forte at this stage, though Erik ten Hag is hardly likely to make another change to who wears the armband after unceremoniously dumping Harry Maguire.
In future, the captain has to be more considered in his appraisal of his team-mates. There’s a very fine line between motivating them and irritating them, and Bruno is veering quite far over to the latter right now.
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