Gary Neville has drawn a stunning comparison between Bruno Fernandes and Manchester United icon Eric Cantona following the Portuguese maestro's pivotal role in Saturday's derby victory over Manchester City.
Carrick's Interim Reign Starts with Statement Win
The legendary former United defender turned pundit was full of praise for Fernandes after watching Michael Carrick's first game as interim head coach yield a dominant 2-0 win at Old Trafford on the afternoon of Saturday, January 17, 2026.
United delivered one of their finest performances of a turbulent season, thoroughly outplaying their local rivals. The hosts scored twice in the second half after Amad Diallo had a first-half strike disallowed for offside. They also hit the woodwork twice, with Mason Mount seeing a late effort chalked off.
'Outstanding' Duo Spark United Revival
Neville, speaking on Sky Sports during the match, specifically highlighted the contributions of Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo, who was straight back into the starting line-up after returning from the Africa Cup of Nations.
"Bruno Fernandes and Bryan Mbeumo have both been outstanding," Neville said. "They haven't quite connected perfectly, but now they do. It is absolutely electric in this ground." He did, however, caution supporters about potential "false starts," noting it was just "three days of pretty good work" from Carrick.
The tactical shift, with Mbeumo leading the line, allowed Fernandes to return to his favoured number 10 role. The pair combined brilliantly for United's opening goal, a moment Neville found particularly stirring.
A 'Cantona-esque' Display from Fernandes
Expanding on his thoughts after the final whistle on his podcast, The Gary Neville Podcast, Neville elevated his praise for Fernandes to legendary status.
He described the midfielder's performance as 'Cantona-esque', emphasising that playing close to the striker is where Fernandes inflicts maximum damage. "That's where he's got to play, be near to goal, be where you can hurt them, because he's a great player," Neville stated. "We don't want to see him back in a midfield two."
Neville explicitly linked Fernandes to a lineage of iconic United players who have thrived in the second striker role. "I've always said Manchester United's system is such, you have a forward and then you have a No 10, it can be Yorke, it can be Cantona, it can be Rooney, it can be Tevez, it can be Berbatov," he explained.
"Those players that just drop in off a striker... We've always had that most talented player close to our striker and feeding them, and that's what made me a little bit emotional on that goal."
The victory provides a massive boost for Michael Carrick at the start of his interim tenure and offers United fans a glimpse of the team's potential when its key talents, like Fernandes, are deployed in their optimal positions.
