Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is getting love from (almost) all angles after striking the winner at Fulham on Saturday.
The Portugal star led as a skipper should after stepping up in injury time to give United all three points at Craven Cottage. However, some eyebrows were raised with David de Gea's response to the playmaker's post celebrating his success in the aftermath.
Replying to an Instagram post featuring pictures of him and team-mates revelling in the late victory, De Gea wrote: "You are not the right captain." Accompanying the response was a zipped-mouth emoji, which led some to believe the Spaniard was confessing he didn't feel his former team-mate was the right man for the armband.
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And it led to confusion among the fanbase, with one supporter commenting: "No way he really just said that." Others were similarly incredulous at De Gea's reaction as another typed simply: "Damn bruv."
But others were more certain the words were actually in defence of Fernandes, whose place as captain was recently questioned by Sky Sports pundit Roy Keane. The Old Trafford legend and treble-winner insisted the playmaker be stripped of the armband following the recent 3-0 loss in the Manchester derby, calling Fernandes "the opposite to what you want in a captain."
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Under-fire manager Erik ten Hag, for one, is overjoyed with how Fernandes has performed in his more official leadership position. Speaking to reporters after Saturday's win, the Dutchman said: "From the moment I made him captain he did this [win games].
"Always when he is playing, he is giving energy and setting the example. And you see the way he is pressing, the way he is counter pressing. The way he makes recovery runs. He is absolutely the example and he is taking responsibility all the time. On and off the pitch.
"He takes responsibility by scoring important goals but also in how he is always wanting the ball and always wanting to create. I'm happy with my captain."
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It's almost certain De Gea was in fact telling Fernandes' critics to be quiet, with the two former team-mates known to be good friends off the field. The pair were recently pictured together when De Gea made a return to Manchester, with Fernandes helping to promote the goalkeeper's Rebel Gaming team.
And many of the club's supporters appear content with Harry Maguire's successor in the role, despite Keane's insistence he's "not captain material." The Red Devils aren't where they want to be, sat eighth in the Premier League and with their Champions League prospects looking uncertain, but Fernandes could hardly have responded to the recent criticism in stronger fashion.
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