Ex-England ace says ‘diving’ Man United star needs to be ‘called out’ for antics

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Ex-England ace Danny Murphy reckons Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should ‘have a word’ with Portuguese star Bruno Fernandes for ‘diving’ in United’s Premier League game against Tottenham, according to the Daily Mirror. 

Late on in the game, Fernandes went down on the deck while Spurs defender Eric Dier was close to him despite Dier pulling out of the tackle.

Referee John Moss then immediately pointed to the spot, only for VAR to correctly rule out the penalty despite Moss’ initial call.

Now, former Liverpool player Danny Murphy has singled out Fernandes for his role in trying to win the penalty.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, about Bruno Fernandes as cited in the Daily Mirror, Murphy said:

“Bruno Fernandes was the best player on the pitch for Manchester United against Tottenham on Friday,”

“But if you hate diving with a passion like I do, he has to be called out for conning referee Jonathan Moss by leaning into Eric Dier and then falling over.”

“From a football point of view, Bruno was terrific again.”

“I’ve eulogised about his quality before and it didn’t look as though the break had hampered him at all. You could clearly see how important he’s already become to this United team, pulling the strings.”

“But no matter how good you are or how well you speak off the pitch, if you make a habit of trying to win penalties and free-kicks, you won’t be admired in the same way.”

“At Spurs, he deserved a yellow card for his tumble and as a fan of his, I don’t want to see him start doing that. I’m sure Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will have a word with him about it, and he should do.”

“It was right VAR overturned the original penalty decision that would have given United the chance of a late winner, but I agree with Jose Mourinho and don’t know why action wasn’t then taken against Fernandes.”

“I’m hoping he will be embarrassed if he looks back. He doesn’t need to indulge in diving and gain a reputation for being public enemy No 1. He is talented enough to win matches and make himself a hero without such antics.”

It’s certain that while Bruno Fernandes has quickly become a key figure at Manchester United since his move from Sporting Lisbon, his antics of allegedly diving need to be addressed by his manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Murphy has reiterated that Fernandes won’t be as appreciated by his peers, managers and fans if he is labelled as a diver and it’s clear that the Red Devils midfielder should exercise some restraint in such scenarios going forward.

More Stories Bruno Fernandes Danny Murphy Jose Mourinho Ole Gunnar Solskjaer