Paul Scholes has conceded that Bruno Fernandes is not suitable to captain Manchester United in the long run - just days after defending the Portuguese playmaker in the wake of calls for him to be removed from his role as club vice-captain.
Fernandes was heavily criticised for his behaviour during last Sunday's shambolic 7-0 defeat at the hands of arch-rivals Liverpool. The 28-year-old was slammed for his negative body language and several pundits analysing the game, including former United favourite Gary Neville, insisted that he should not represent the club in a leadership role again.
Harry Maguire is the club's official captain, but Fernandes has donned the armband more often than not this term as his English teammate is out of favour.
Although Scholes admitted that Fernandes didn't enjoy his "greatest afternoon" at Anfield, he was one of the few people who tried to defend him and pointed out that he was being played out of position in the chastening defeat.
Speaking after Sunday's result, Scholes told Premier League Productions of the Portuguese: "I actually feel sorry for him when he’s played. He’s been pushed out to many positions to do a job for the team. He was on the left today, he’s been on the right, he’s played through the middle, he has been a little bit all over the place.
"You can’t say any of the players performed the way they should have done, but I thought he was especially poor today. It wasn’t his greatest afternoon."
Fernandes responded to his critics emphatically by producing an impressive performance in the first leg of United's last-16 Europa League tie against Real Betis on Thursday night. The playmaker - as expected after receiving Erik ten Hag's backing - wore the captain's armband and was influential in a central role as United cantered to a comprehensive 4-1 win.
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But while the midfielder's goal-scoring performance was praised by Scholes, the Old Trafford legend admitted that he has serious reservations about Fernandes' suitability for a long-term leadership role at the club.
Speaking on Thursday night, Scholes told BT Sport: "Your captain has to be a calming influence, really. He almost has to be the one who calms characters like him down. I worry about him [Fernandes] if Manchester United, in March or April time, are going for a league title.
"I don’t think having Bruno as your captain would be ideal. But we know he’s only the vice-captain at the minute, we know Harry Maguire's not playing. Going forward, bigger games, bigger parts of the season, going for trophies and big Champions League finals and stuff, I think a captain who’s less emotional might be better."
