Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim defended skipper Bruno Fernandes on Friday, saying critics of his on-field demeanour need to consider the Portuguese midfielder's passion as well.
Fernandes scored a last-gasp winner to secure a 2-1 victory over Rangers in the Europa League at Old Trafford on Thursday.
The midfielder has admitted his gesticulating and complaining can rile up both teammates and opponents, and his captaincy has been called into question by critics, but Amorim had virtually nothing but praise for his compatriot.
"I think he's a top player and then people talk a lot about his frustration, always with his arms in the air," Amorim said ahead of their mid-table Premier League match at Fulham on Sunday.
"Sometimes it's not a good thing to see, but you have to see the other side. When you are under pressure, he's always the guy that wants the ball, he's always available, and that is so important – especially in the Premier League.
"Then he can run, and he runs a lot. He fights a lot. You have two sides and I have to help him manage both situations. But we are lucky to have a player like Bruno Fernandes."
United are languishing in 13th in the Premier League table with just one victory in their last six league matches, closer to the relegation zone than the top four. Fulham are seven points above them in 10th.
Amorim raised eyebrows last weekend when he called United possibly the worst team in the club's history on the heels of their 3-1 loss to Brighton. He referenced that comment when discussing Fernandes.
"Sometimes he makes mistakes, like me last week," Amorim said with a grin. "But he's really important and he has passion. This is so important to be a football player."
Amorim had little to say when asked about Marcus Rashford, who has not played since December 12 and has strongly been linked to a move away from Old Trafford.
"Guys, it is eight days (left of the January transfer window). Eight days," Amorim said. "We'll see in the end of the window what happened, and then we'll talk about that."
United have given winger Antony permission to travel to Seville to complete a loan move to Real Betis, a team source confirmed to Reuters. The Brazil international has featured in just 14 games this season.