Erik ten Hag’s side suffered a record-equalling defeat at Anfield which all but ended their feint hopes of mounting an unlikely title challenge.
Fernandes’ histrionics compounded a dispiriting afternoon for a United side which had only celebrated ending a six-year wait for a trophy the previous weekend following their Carabao Cup final success against Newcastle.
The Portugal international was heavily criticised for remonstrating with his teammates and appearing to give up on chasing after Liverpool youngster Stefan Bajcetic during the closing stages.
Fernandes will avoid a Football Association charge for appearing to shove assistant referee and is reportedly set to keep the captaincy despite his various acts of petulance.
Wright, however, believes the former Sporting Lisbon star’s long-term future in Ten Hag’s set-up are likely to be limited given the way the Dutchman wants his side to play.
He told Premier League Productions: ‘When you look at the capitulation of the team it’s a reflection of the captain. When I saw Bajetic go past him and he stopped that was the last straw because when you look at his histrionics he’s someone who wouldn’t last (in the dressing rooms I played in).
‘The captain is a special person in there. When you watch someone like Roy Keane, a performance like that must hurt him deeply with what he’s had to go through to get to that accolade, to see a Man United captain do that playing as if he’s got the world on his shoulders and not inspiring his teammates to try and salvage something.
‘To see the captain like that, he cannot be… the way Ten Hag has setting that team up he doesn’t fit in the mold of Ten Hag and how he wants his team to go forward.’
Fernandes has shared leadership duties with club captain Harry Maguire this season and believes the 28-year-old’s change in attitude has coincided with the high-profile departure of Cristiano Ronaldo.
‘I think his histrionics have kicked on a bit more since Ronaldo is not in the dressing room. Maybe he would look across and see Ronaldo and not act as openly as that.
‘He seemed to quieten himself down when Ronaldo wasn’t there and now Ronaldo’s gone he feels he’s the boss of that dressing room. I look at that dressing room and try to think what player would walk up to him to eyeball him to put him in his place.
‘It looks to me like that captain needs that. There’s a lot of problems to me when you look at that performance from him. I don’t know who is going to bring that guy in line.’
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