Manchester United legend Paul Scholes has offered his opinion on current skipper Bruno Fernandes’ explosive comments after the 2-0 defeat to Hull City. The Red Devils suffered a shock defeat at the hands of the Tigers on opening day at the MKM Stadium on Saturday, 22 August.
United registered 21 shots in the game, only five of which were on target, but were undone by two set-piece goals. After the game, the Portuguese ripped into his team, stating: “Every away game we give too much of the ball to them. In the first 20 minutes, the goalkeeper was the one with the most touches.”
“We needed to press more, be more aggressive, and then again we need to work on set plays and not concede these types of goals. Against these types of teams, they are waiting for that moment.”
Fernandes’ words did not sit too well with Scholes, who has now provided a response.
Bruno Fernandes Stats: 2025/26 Season
| Competition | Appearances | Starts | Goals | Assists | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Minutes Played |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Premier League | 35 | 35 | 9 | 21 | 5 | - | 3,068' |
| FA Cup | 1 | 1 | - | 1 | - | - | 90' |
| EFL Cup | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | 45' |
| Total | 37 | 36 | 9 | 22 | 5 | - | 3,203' |
Source: Transfermarkt.
Scholes unimpressed by Fernandes
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes hit back at Fernandes for his comments, pointing out that the United skipper had also struggled against Hull City. Scholes said: “I’d be interested to know what he means by them. What mistakes were they giving away?”
“Especially when you perform the way he did as well, I think it’s probably best to keep your mouth shut. He didn’t have his best performance either.”
Luke Shaw had also pointed fingers at his own team-mates at the end of Saturday’s game, adding: “It’s not us and we knew it was coming. I think as a whole, as a group, collectively, we could prepare better. Especially knowing how good they are at set plays and what their dangers are.”
Scholes was not too pleased with Shaw either, stating: “Luke Shaw always says something. And that’s a slight on your staff. That’s a slight on your manager. If one of your players is saying that you’d be like f***ing hell, you’d have them in on Monday morning.”
Former United striker Dion Dublin explained the ideal response from players in such a situation, adding: “You want silence. If your skipper has to speak then he has to speak, but then you make sure he says the things that don’t open a can of worms. You just don’t give anyone any ammunition because the ammunition is there from your performance.”
Comments reflect poorly on manager and staff
Scholes also explained how all hell would have broken loose had they made such comments during their playing days under the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson. He said: “Those comments are not so much about respect but you speak about fear of managers and the things they’ve said, they’re a slight on the manager and staff.”
“As a player if we did that about Sir Alex, ‘we weren’t prepared’, f***ing hell, you’d be right in and he’d probably single you out in front of the full team.”
Carrick urged to stamp his authority at United
Dublin went on to explain how Carrick may have to sacrifice his close bond with players to stamp his authority on the squad. He said: “The friend or colleague issue that he had as an interim, the hardest thing now that he is permanent is that he is going to have to sever those connections, which I think will be hard for someone like Michael because he’s a nice bloke.”
“But now he’s the manager he’s going to have to (stop) the ‘how are you doing pal’, ‘how are you doing mate’, ‘do you fancy going for a beer’. You can’t do that anymore. (Now, it’s) I’m the manager, you’re that. Do as you’re told.”
Final Thoughts
Fernandes is known to wear his heart on his sleeve, and Scholes’ criticism is unlikely to force a change. United fans, however, will hope that the newly crowned PFA Player of the Year will be back to his best against Ipswich Town this weekend and inspire the team to victory.
Featured image by Molly Darlington/Getty Images
