Bruno Fernandes criticised referee Chris Kavanagh for bumping into him before he missed a penalty as Manchester United were held at Fulham on Sunday.
The United captain admitted he was upset that Kavanagh didn’t say sorry for disrupting his penalty-taking routine in the 1-1 draw at Craven Cottage.
Although Fernandes refused to blame the incident for him firing over the bar, Sky Sports pundits Gary Neville and Ashley Young claimed that it put him off.
‘I was upset,’ said Fernandes. ‘That was because the referee didn’t apologise, and that was what triggered me in the moment.
‘Obviously, as every penalty taker, you have your own routines, you have your own things that you do. That’s not the excuse to missing the penalty. I just had a bad hit on the ball.’
Fulham defender Calvin Bassey said Fernandes’ miss was ‘justice’ because he had been unfairly penalised for a foul on Mason Mount. Bassey also claimed that Leny Yoro pushed him in the back when United took the lead from a corner.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes collided with the referee before his penalty
Fernandes threw his arms in the air before angrily confronting Chris Kavanagh
He then blasted his spot-kick over the bar as the Red Devils were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham
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‘Come on, it’s a foul,’ he said. ‘He’s got two hands (on me). He pushed me to stop me from getting to the ball. When the ref looks back on it, he will be disappointed. I can’t say too much before I get a fine.’
Ruben Amorim refused to be drawn into the debate over whether the referee was partially at fault for the costly miss, adding: ‘He knows the importance that every moment in this context can have a huge impact on the team.
‘And I felt that during the game, he was like, not so happy, not so involved, because he has so much responsibility. I think he felt that missed penalty, it was huge for us.’
Neville had delivered his verdict on the nudge during the game, saying on Sky Sports: ‘The referee gives him a little bit of a bump by accident, unnerving him maybe. Fernandes then has a go at the referee for being a bit clumsy.
‘Maybe that’s what put him off?’
However, supporters quickly took to social media to slam Fernandes, claiming he should have done better despite the distraction.
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One posted on X: ‘Completely pathetic from Bruno Fernandes. Was he actually trying to get the referee to book himself for accidentally bumping into him? Crying like a little baby before skying his peno. Generation of absolute soft lads ruining football.’
Another wrote: ‘If Bruno Fernandes had concentrated on taking the penalty rather than whining because the referee brushed against him? He might have scored. Petulant child. Pathetic!’
A third added: ‘Gary Neville can’t blame the referee for Bruno Fernandes taking a penalty with a 9 iron.’
Fernandes and Kavanagh have clashed before, with the referee controversially sending him off against Tottenham last season – a red card that was later overturned.
On the draw with Fulham, Amorim said: ‘We have to grow up a lot as a team. I think we scored the goal and then we forgot about how we play.’