That is the view of his former teammate Phil Jones, who came to defend Fernandes this weekend.
The Portuguese has not been at his best this season, but he did score a penalty in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea on Sunday.
"I think he most certainly can," Jones told Match of the Day 2 when asked if Fernandes is a captain who can improve his teammates.
"I almost get the impression he is misinterpreted at times and I can only go off my experience in the dressing room that I spent with him and the time I played with him.
"He is a leader in that dressing room, he is really good with the young lads and we all have different captains but he is a leader on the pitch in terms of the quality he brings.
"He is a player you build the team around. He has bags of ability, his range of passing is superb."
When asked if Fernandes cares too much, Jones replied: "Would that be a problem? I would rather that than the other way. I like that.