Bruno Fernandes 'unfair' slander at Man Utd blasted by his manager – 'Very emotional'

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Portugal boss Roberto Martinez believes Bruno Fernandes ' contributions at Manchester United have been underappreciated. Fernandes, 31, has been spearheading the Reds' push towards the top four since Michael Carrick took charge as interim manager.

His displays have indicated United supporters should be thankful he didn't relocate to Saudi Arabia , as the midfielder acknowledged he came close to doing. His future remains unclear, having entered the final 18 months of his deal at Old Trafford.

Despite registering 104 goals and 99 assists across 316 appearances for United, Fernandes has frequently been a focal point for criticism . Martinez, who will oversee the former Sporting midfielder at this summer's World Cup , considers much of the criticism directed at him unjustified.

Speaking on The Overlap , Martinez said: "I think he's very unfairly assessed. I think if we are all very objective, to be the captain of Manchester United in the last three or four years, I bet it's been incredibly tough at every level.

"What I appreciate from him is that he never hides. He never hides. I'm not going to value if he makes the right pass or the right execution, but whatever happens, in any action, he's back.

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"He's the one, he's the leader. He's very emotional, but in a very respectful way by his team-mates.

"When his team-mates see that Bruno is upset, they react. They know that that's something.

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"It's not like he's an emotional player who just has emotions for emotions and I think that's the difference with other emotions."

When questioned by Gary Neville about whether he considers Fernandes' emotional character to be beneficial, Martinez responded: "This emotion is for a reason. There are players who are emotional because that's the way they cope with it.

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"That's completely different. I think that can affect other players. When Bruno reacts emotionally it's because there is something that's not right and it's almost a message to somebody.

"He looks after every player. He would never ever let anyone down. But what I appreciate is the consistency. Last season, he was the player with the most minutes in Europe.

"If you are the captain of Manchester United, in a tough period, it's difficult to be available all the time and always be there. I think that's what Bruno has done."

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This campaign, Fernandes has registered six goals and 13 assists across 26 outings in all competitions. It represents a remarkable contribution, considering he spent the opening two-thirds of the season deployed in a deeper role under Ruben Amorim.

Following Michael Carrick's installation as interim boss, Fernandes has recorded four assists and one goal whilst featuring in every single minute of action.

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