According to reports by Daily Post on Wednesday November 4, 2026, former West Ham United midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker has urged Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes to give up the club's captaincy and allow another player to take over the leadership responsibility.

Reo-Coker believes that removing the captaincy from the Portuguese international could help improve his performances by taking away some of the pressure that comes with leading a club as big as Manchester United.

The former midfielder made the suggestion following United's dramatic 3-2 Champions League victory over AS Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday night.

Manchester United entered the encounter under pressure after struggling to secure victories in their previous matches. Their situation became more difficult when Roma scored twice within the opening 17 minutes, leaving the home supporters concerned about another disappointing result.

However, Michael Carrick's side produced an impressive second-half comeback to secure all three points.

Fernandes played an important role in the victory, scoring a penalty, while Matheus Cunha completed a brace to help United overturn the deficit and record a memorable win.

Despite the captain's contribution, Reo-Coker believes Fernandes should consider stepping away from the leadership position to concentrate more on his football.

Speaking during CBS Sports Golazo's coverage, the former West Ham midfielder questioned whether the responsibility of being captain was helping the Portuguese midfielder deliver his best performances consistently.

He told Fernandes: “You [Fernandes] are a great player, but you're not going to be the leader.”

Reo-Coker went further by suggesting that another player should take over the responsibility at Old Trafford.

“Give it [Man United's captaincy] to someone else who you can be consistent with, and just take that burden of pressure off you,” he added.

The comments have introduced another debate about Fernandes' role at Manchester United, particularly given his importance to the team and the responsibility he carries as captain.

Fernandes has remained one of the club's central figures since joining from Sporting CP, contributing goals, assists and leadership in important matches. However, Reo-Coker's argument is that the pressure associated with the captaincy could be affecting the midfielder's ability to concentrate entirely on his performances.