Roy Keane has issued a scathing assessment of Manchester United's current standards, arguing that Bruno Fernandes is only being considered for the PFA Player of the Year award because expectations at Old Trafford have plummeted. The former United captain made the comments during a discussion on the Stick to Football podcast, where Gary Neville had suggested Fernandes was his pick for the accolade.
Keane, who was known for his high standards during his playing days, scoffed at Neville's reasoning that United's third-place league finish relative to their previous struggles justified Fernandes's candidacy. 'But when your standards are really, really low and you go up a little bit...' Keane said, sarcastically adding 'amazing' when Neville confirmed United are third. He argued that Fernandes is benefiting from a team with minimal expectations.
Fernandes has been statistically outstanding this season, leading the Premier League in chances created and assists. He has won the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year four times and the Premier League Player of the Month six times. However, Keane's point highlights the contrast between individual honours and team success: since joining in January 2020, Fernandes has only won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup, never challenging for the league title.
Fernandes himself acknowledged the club's prolonged title drought in a recent interview with the Telegraph, stating: 'It’s 2013 that they last won the Premier League. That’s too long for a club like Man United.' He added that the fans' expectation is always to win the league, a standard United have not met for over a decade.
