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Marcus Rashford defends Bruno Fernandes following the heavy criticism the Portuguese star received for his antics in the 7-0 defeat against Liverpool.
Manchester United's stand-in captain, Bruno Fernandes, came under heavy criticism following his antics in their heavy defeat against Liverpool.
Marcus Rashford has now come to his defence, saying the desire to win can bring out the worst in people; otherwise, Bruno is a good leader.
Harry Maguire is still the club's captain; however, he has since fallen down the pecking order for his playing position, and in his continued stint watching from the bench, Bruno Fernandes has served as captain for the Red Devils.
Marcus Rashford defends Bruno Fernandes
Rashford was speaking at the pre-game press conference for their Europa League round of 16 clash against Real Betis when he was asked questions about Fernandes, who is under scrutiny.
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Bruno has been accused of lashing out at his teammates during the loss against Liverpool and was even said to have requested a substitution during the 7-0 loss.
During the presser, Rashford spoke in his defence, saying he is an outstanding leader, and that his much-maligned actions in their crushing defeat against their bitter rivals last weekend were uncharacteristic.
Rashford believes Bruno has taken the mantle of leadership well, and he has been one of their best performers this season, helping them to their first trophy since 2017.
He explained that the actions of the Portuguese playmaker were driven by the desire to win and were not at all malicious, as he has been otherwise impeccable.
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"I don't have anything negative to say about Bruno," he said in the press conference, per Sky Sports.
"I support him, and I'm 100% behind him.
"I think for a forward like me, he's the perfect player to play with.
"I think he's a good leader for us, even when he's not been captain, which is always a good sign. He has helped some of our players become better leaders.
"He has done a lot for us in terms of bringing his leadership skills in, and that was from the moment he arrived.
"Sometimes you want to win so badly, you end up doing things out of character."
Why Bruno is facing heavy criticism
As explained here previously, Bruno Fernandes has seen his captaincy status for Manchester United come into question following some of his displays in the 7-0 thumping at the hands of Liverpool.
Bruno was reported to have gestured to be substituted, which he has denied; however, he was visibly frustrated at his teammates and stormed into the dressing room. Actions tagged disgraceful by Manchester United legend Gary Neville.
The Portugal international also shoved the assistant referee during the match; however, a retrospective action from the FA is not expected.
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