Bruno Fernandes has been going missing for Manchester United in their moment of need – it’s time for him to step up.That’s the view of talkSPORT’s Andy Townsend, who has called for the Red Devils’ captain to do more after his side’s poor start to the season continued on Saturday against Tottenham.Fernandes failed to register a goal involvement for the fourth league game in a row against SpursGettyUnited were unable to see off Spurs at Old Trafford despite taking the lead with fewer than 20 minutes remaining.After Bryan Mbeumo‘s opener was followed by a red card for Rodrigo Bentancur just five minutes later, Spurs managed to snatch a 1-1 draw thanks to Dominic Solanke‘s stoppage-time equaliser.The disappointing result piles the pressure on Michael Carrick, whose side have won just one of their first six Premier League games so far.United currently sit 12th in the table, with the club enduring their worst start to a campaign in 40 years.And while skipper Fernandes has been hailed for carrying his team throughout challenging seasons in recent years, his commitment to the cause has been questioned after the Spurs draw.The Portuguese enjoyed a historic 2025/26 campaign by breaking the Premier League record for the most assists in a single season.At a glance, he looks to have kept up his impressive numbers this term, with three goals and an assist in six league games, although all of these came in United’s 5-2 thumping of Ipswich – their only three points of the season so far.Fernandes impact questionedFormer Chelsea midfielder Townsend has criticised Fernandes after United’s late collapse against Spurs, hitting out at his body language and insisting he must be a better leader in difficult moments.Speaking on talkSPORT Breakfast, Townsend said: “Too many of their boys at the minute need to get going. “Bruno – listen, when it’s all going well he looks a hell of a player. When it isn’t going quite so well, you don’t see him. Fernandes was unable to help his team get over the line against SpursGetty“So he needs to step up and do a little bit more now, rather than flap his arms about, pointing at one or two, he’s got to start doing a bit more.”Continuing to discuss United’s problems, Townsend questioned their inability to see out results and pondered whether they lack experienced leaders, namely after Casemiro’s departure this summer.He continued: “They are too inconsistent. “When they find their best game, they’re more than a match for most. But when they’re a bit below par, they can’t get over the line, they can’t seem to win enough matches.“Whether they’re missing Casemiro, because he kind of finished his time at United better. But he had a big chunk in the middle where he looked, he didn’t just look a yard slow, he looked two yards slow. And so I think it was the right time for him to move on.”Petit: Fernandes is ‘not there anymore’Townsend wasn’t Fernandes’ only critic – Arsenal great Emmanuel Petit also questioned whether United’s skipper has grown tired of carrying the team as it continues to face familiar problems.Rodrigo Bentancur’s red card incident sparked a mass brawl on Saturday, but Fernandes was nowhere to be seenGettyFernandes’ took until the 23rd minute to complete his first pass against TottenhamGettyHighlighting his point, the Frenchman pointed to the huge ruckus that broke out after Bentancur’s red card, where Fernandes opted to sit down away from the drama while the chaos ensued.Speaking on talkSPORT, Petit said: “Some body language on the pitch that I didn’t like – especially from Fernandes.“He’s probably the leader of the team, one of the best players for years at Manchester United. “But I think it affects him as well. I think the whole case has an impact on him because you could see that he’s not involved anymore sometimes – the fight on the pitch, he’s so far away. “I’ve seen so many pictures of it [the game] and I was thinking, ‘He’s not there anymore’. Maybe he’s tired of the whole situation.”Fernandes joined United from Sporting CP for around £46.6million in January 2020.The Red Devils have failed to win any of their last four league matches since beating Ipswich 5-2Since his debut, the skipper, with 111 goals from 335 appearances, has become only the fourth overseas player to score 100 times for United.His record-breaking assist exploits last season saw him scoop both the Football Writers’ Player of the Year and PFA Men’s Player of the Year awards.