Bruno Fernandes insists the scathing criticism he faced from Gabriel Agbonlahor will not impact on him and revealed he has received support from his former teammate Juan Mata over the course of a testing week.
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The Portugal international suffered an alarming dip in form last season and has begun the current campaign in equally frustrating fashion as he struggled to get to grips wit the demands of his new manager.
Given the credit he has in the bank with United fans given the impact he made in the 12 months that followed his arrival from Sporting Lisbon, Fernandes has largely escaped the sort of criticism the likes of Harry Maguire, Fred and Scott McTominay, in particular, have been subjected to.
Escaping the spotlight again following the 4-0 defeat at Brentford, former England international Agbonlahor noted: ‘It’s easy to point the finger at Maguire, Ronaldo, Rashford, Sancho.
‘For me, Fernandes… Since he arrived in the Premier League, yes he has had great goals and assists, but he looks like the worst teammate.
‘Whenever a player or himself loses the ball, he raises his arms towards his teammates and the bench.
‘I played with players like that, we would be furious with him, with that pressure. If it was Pogba? He’d be crucified in the press. But he gets away with it, he gets away with murder.
‘Have you seen him do anything? It’s easy to talk about Maguire, Ronaldo, Rashford, Sancho… I can’t remember the last time Fernandes played a decent game.
‘Even when he gives you the ball, he blames you. This is the type of player, Bruno Fernandes. He is the worst possible teammate.’
Speaking to Record in his native Portugal, Fernandes insisted the words of a player he has never met have no impact on him and would far rather focus on the support he has received from Mata this week.
He said: ‘It’s honestly not something that worries me too much. He’s never played with me, he doesn’t know how I am.
‘Just yesterday I told my wife, who spoke to me in this interview and I said ‘you know what calms me down?’ It’s just that two days ago a person called Juan Mata, world champion, European champion, winner of the Champions, all in England, said to me ‘you were the best people I’ve met in football, continue like that, being yourself, with that honesty , this ability to work’.
‘If someone says that… you know how I am. Boring, because I demand it, but because I am demanding with myself and I also demand it from others.’
