Keane Owes Fernandes An Apology After Masterclass Against Palace

Manchester United trudged through the opening half against Crystal Palace with all the urgency of a team sleepwalking through a pre-season friendly. Then Bruno Fernandes decided he'd had quite enough of the lethargy and took matters into his own hands.

The Portuguese captain's intervention proved decisive. After 30 minutes of stodgy football, Fernandes began orchestrating play with the kind of commanding presence that should silence his critics once and for all. His dipping free-kick drew a fingertip save from Dean Henderson, while a Sesko header from his cross forced another Palace stop. Casemiro headed wide from another Fernandes set-piece delivery.

It was pure "right then, I'll handle this myself" football—the mark of a leader who recognises when his team needs rousing from their slumber.

The second half brought the moment that changed everything. Fernandes' first-time pass to Matheus Cunha caught Maxence Lacroix flat-footed. The Brazilian's movement was sharp enough to roll the Palace defender and draw contact, earning a penalty and a red card for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity. Fernandes converted from the spot, and suddenly Palace found themselves chasing shadows against a United side now fully engaged.

Sesko's finish from a Fernandes cross sealed the victory, moving United up to third in the Premier League.

This performance deserves particular attention when considering Roy Keane's withering assessment of Fernandes' captaincy. Nearly a year ago, Keane branded him a "fucking imposter," insisted that "talent isn't enough," and questioned whether he was genuinely a fighter. It's been a curious crusade from one of United's greatest captains against his successor, one that's persisted since Fernandes inherited the armband from Harry Maguire in summer 2023.

But here's the crucial distinction between now and what Fernandes endured previously: the supporting cast has improved dramatically. Sesko, Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo represent a calibre of attacking talent that actually rewards leadership. Previously, Fernandes often found himself dragging inferior forwards through performances, a thankless task that inevitably ended in frustration and recrimination.

On this evidence, with players capable of rising to his standard rather than dragging him down, Fernandes' captaincy takes on an entirely different complexion. His willingness to drive proceedings and lift his teammates from their torpor didn't result in hollow gestures but in concrete goals and three points.

Leny Yoro's performance in Lisandro Martinez's absence offered a more cautionary tale. The young Frenchman, signed as a major coup despite Real Madrid's interest, continues to struggle for consistency. His defending on Lacroix's goal was particularly poor—caught watching the ball rather than maintaining close contact with his marker, he found himself stranded as Palace's centre-back nodded home. Even in his better moments, few watching would believe they're witnessing the future of Manchester United's defence as hoped when the club invested heavily in him last summer.

For Michael Carrick, though, the overriding positive remains clear: United won when they looked vulnerable, they won ugly, and they won with their captain dragging them across the line. That's the kind of leadership Keane should recognise.