LET’S FORGET DERBY DAZE SAYS BRUNO

BRUNO FERNANDES urged Manchester United’s flops to put the derby horror show behind them and reconnect with the positive progress they showed last month.

United’s Portuguese midfielder

(top) admitted the mood in the camp was low after Sunday’s 6-3 thrashing at the Etihad.

But he insisted one bad result did not mean the club had stopped moving in the right direction under new manager Erik ten Hag.

“Obviously we are really disappointed, but now it’s time to focus on the next game and understand we have to get back to the performances that we did before,” he said.

“We have to get the belief and everything, the togetherness principle — and understand this defeat cannot get us down. It has to make us improve for the future.”

United’s squad paid for the shock 4-0 defeat at Brentford in August with a day off being cancelled and gruelling punishment runs.

Yesterday the squad had a pre-planned team meeting at Carrington to go over what they believe went wrong in an effort to draw a line in the sand.

Ten Hag is understood to have encouraged his players to speak candidly and openly about a performance, which he had branded “unacceptable”.

The Dutchman has demanded a reaction in the Europa League against Omonia Nicosia on Thursday and in the league against Everton at Goodison Park on Sunday.

That could mean a start in Cyprus for Cristiano Ronaldo (above), who cut a dejected figure on the bench during the Manchester derby.

Anthony Martial increases Ten Hag’s options up front having returned to the side with two goals late in the game on Sunday.

And the French striker is keen to make up for lost time.

“I feel very good but, unfortunately, I was injured and could not play a lot of games this year,” he said.

“I would have preferred not to score and win the game, but it’s always good to come back on the grass and score.

“We are really frustrated and that’s not what we wanted to do. But we are going to give everything to come back and be ready for the next game.”