MMA fighter Paddy Pimblett once claimed that he wanted to fight Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes and Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva.
Pimblett competes in the lightweight division in the UFC and is a Cage Warriors Fighting Championship winner. He has won 20 of his 23 fights so far, facing no knockouts.
Being a Liverpool fan, Pimblett certainly has bones to pick with Manchester United and Manchester City. In an interview with Ray Parlour and Alan Brazil on Pub Talk in 2022, he was asked which footballer he would like to fight against.
He named Bruno Fernandes, stating that the Portuguese midfielder is ‘overrated’. Pimblett then also slammed Bernardo Silva, calling him ‘horrible’.
“Last season, when he first got signed, it was Bruno Fernandes because of how overrated he was,” Pimblett said.
“But now, it’s Bernardo Silva. I don’t know anyone who likes Bernardo Silva… He is a horrible wrong’un. He’s a piece of sh*t, yeah. That time when they gave us a guard of honor and he just stood there,” he added.
Fernandes and Silva are both incredible footballers but are infamous for their off-the-ball actions at times like constant complaints or cynical fouls.
Fernandes joined Manchester United from Sporting CP in January 2020. He has contributed 64 goals and 54 assists in 185 games for the Red Devils, winning one Carabao Cup.
Silva, meanwhile, joined Manchester City from AS Monaco in 2017. He has registered 55 goals and 59 assists in 306 games, winning five Premier League titles, among other honors.
Ex-Manchester United midfielder urges club to learn from Manchester City
Former Manchester United midfielder Gordon Strachan believes that the Red Devils need to admire and learn from Manchester City. He stated that instead of hating their city rivals, United should look to get closer to competing with them.
In an interview with Genting Casino, Strachan said:
“If I was a Manchester United player, I wouldn’t look at them and think, ‘I hate everything about them,’ I’d look at them with admiration. United need to look at City and figure out what they are doing differently.”
He added:
“Are they working harder than them? Are they fitter? Have a look at them and analyse what you can do as an individual player to get closer to that level.”
Strachan clarified that he doesn’t want Erik ten Hag to copy Pep Guardiola’s playing style. He admitted that the Red Devils cannot play like Manchester City due to the difference in their personnel.
However, he hopes to see more creativity from United’s midfield and believes Mason Mount’s signing will help with that.