- Manchester City defeated Manchester United last year
- Bruno Fernandes was unimpressed by his teammates
- Pep Guardiola did not like what he witnessed that day
Bruno Fernandes was not best pleased with his Man United teammates during last year’s derby fixture, but his response was out of order in Pep Guardiola’s eyes.
Man City did not make a good start to their Premier League campaign, suffering two defeats in their opening three matches.
However, the Manchester derby became a turning point, as the Sky Blues thrashed their rivals by a three-goal margin at the Etihad Stadium.
Phil Foden opened the scoring in the 17th minute, and this sparked a response from Bruno Fernandes which ultimately did nothing to assist his team.
Pep Guardiola was not impressed by Bruno Fernandes’ behaviour
According to The Athletic, Pep Guardiola addressed his players one day after the 3-0 victory, and he highlighted how Fernandes acted towards his teammates.
Showing them the clip, the manager made it clear that this manner of beratement would not be accepted in his team.
Guardiola had no intentions to disrespect Fernandes, it was simply about showing his squad that this kind of conduct is unacceptable.
Team unity leads to success
The Red Devils have been a team divided for a number of years, and one look at their trophy cabinet shows why this is a problem.
Whereas City, ironically, have a squad where every player is united. When a player makes a mistake, they are comforted.
Just look at Marc Guehi’s error against Everton. Ultimately, that led to a goal which severely diminished Man City’s title hopes, but laying into him was never the answer.
And just look at how things ended for City. They had two pieces of silverware to celebrate, and look like they could come back even stronger next season.
Being a great leader is different to being a good player
Credit where credit is due. Fernandes may play for the wrong side of Manchester, but he is an exceptional talent.
His chance creation this season has been second to none, and that is a big reason why United have qualified for the Champions League.
But being a good leader requires more than just putting in good individual performances. It is about getting alongside other players and working out what they respond to the best.
That is something Bernardo Silva has done well this season, and City’s next captain needs to have these same qualities.
