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Manchester United fans lose patience with Bruno Fernandes after Fulham draw: ‘Overrated, overpaid, selfish player…’
The miss, which came in the first half at Craven Cottage, left fans fuming, with many taking to social media to call Bruno Fernandes out for his performance.
Social media, especially fans of Manchester United, did not hold back after Bruno Fernandes blasted a crucial penalty over the bar in the team's clash against Fulham on Sunday, in the English Premier League (EPL). The moment, which came in the first half at Craven Cottage, sparked an avalanche of reactions online with fans venting their frustration at the club captain. While some questioned his ability to step up in big moments, others went as far as calling for the club to sell him.
The penalty incident itself was chaotic. As Bruno was preparing to take the spot kick, he ended up colliding with referee Chris Kavanagh, who was attempting to move around him. The midfielder, visibly irritated, threw his arms up to complain before returning to place the ball down again. He took a few moments to compose himself but then launched the ball high over the crossbar, leaving the score goalless at halftime.
Speaking after the game, Fernandes admitted the referee’s involvement unsettled him. “I was upset. Obviously, as every penalty taker, you have your own routines. You have your own things that you do. It upset me because the referee didn’t apologize, and that was what triggered me in that moment,” he told Sky Sports. However, he was quick to take responsibility, adding, “But that’s not the excuse to missing the penalty. I just had a very bad hit on the ball. I got my foot too (much) under the ball, and that’s why the ball went over the bar.”
The miss appeared to linger over Fernandes’ performance in the second half. Cameras caught him in conversation with Kavanagh before play resumed, but he struggled to impose himself on the game. United manager Ruben Amorim felt the penalty miss weighed heavily on his captain. “He's not used to missing a penalty,” Amorim said. “He knows the importance, that every moment in this context can have a huge impact in the team and I felt during the game he was not so happy. Not so involved because he has so much responsibility.”
The match eventually ended 1-1, but for fans online, the draw was secondary. Their focus remained firmly on Fernandes’ costly miss and whether he should continue being the club’s designated penalty taker.
