"He never stops moaning and gets on people's nerves" – Paul Parker says Manchester United superstar shouldn't be captain in Harry Maguire's absence

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has stated that Bruno Fernandes should not be handed the captain's armband in Harry Maguire's absence from the starting lineup.

Fernandes, 28, has often been scrutinized due to his questionable body language and constant moaning on the pitch.

During Manchester United's 1-0 Premier League home victory over Aston Villa last month, Jadon Sancho told Fernandes to "stop moaning" after a passage of play. A clip of the incident also went viral among fans on social media.

Speaking to MyBettingSites, Parker shared his thoughts on the recent incident. He said:

"The situation about Sancho telling Fernandes to stop moaning blew up because of social media. It happens a lot in football, and I have said it to even Roy Keane, Paul Ince and Peter Schmeichel when I played. It's one of the things that you say on a pitch and when you're in the dressing room, you laugh about it 99 times out of a 100."

Suggesting Erik ten Hag should strip the vice-captaincy from Fernandes, Parker added:

"I think that everyone knows that Fernandes moans a lot. He never stops moaning and he must get on people's nerves. Sancho might be feeling it more than other players because Fernandes is getting at him all the time. But Sancho needs to treat him like a club captain, however, he shouldn't be the captain but that's how it is now."

Offering a different method of handling on-pitch disputes, Parker concluded:

"So, next time Sancho is going to deal with Fernandes, it might be better to pull him aside, put his arm around and say it. Football has changed and to do it in front of everyone is probably not the best decision. Because the mentality of the players has changed, and they might feel embarrassed when a teammate says something like that."

With Maguire losing his starting place this season, Fernandes has often taken the armband for the Red Devils this season. The Portuguese midfielder has registered 11 goals and 14 assists in 54 games across all competitions.

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Manchester United advised to offload Anthony Martial

Speaking after Manchester United's 1-0 Premier League loss at West Ham United last Sunday, Newcastle United legend Alan Shearer advised the Red Devils to sell Anthony Martial. He told Premier League Productions:

"Martial has had enough time at Manchester United. You don't need to make any big decision on him because I think the decision has already been made or it should already have been made. He has had enough chances."

Martial, 27, has blown hot and cold under the helm of Red Devils manager Erik ten Hag in the ongoing 2022-23 season. He has started just 14 games due to injuries, registering seven goals and three assists in 1222 minutes so far.

Manchester United are likely to cash in on Martial as he is in the final 14 months of his contract at Old Trafford. They are currently on the hunt for a first-choice striker with Harry Kane and Victor Osimhen reportedly on top of their shopping list.