Fernandes: Klopp is off target with penalty gripes
▶ Ahead of Liverpool clash at Anfield, midfielder insists clubs simply pay the penalty for United’s pace in attack
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes insists there is no justification for Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp’s complaining about the number of penalties given to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side.
United have been awarded 20 spot-kicks in the Premier League since the start of last season, while title rivals Liverpool have had just 10.
Klopp highlighted the large number of United penalties after his side had two appeals turned down in their recent 1-0 defeat at Southampton.
United manager Solskjaer responded by saying Klopp and other Premier League managers were trying to influence referees not to give his team penalties.
Now Fernandes, ahead of Sunday’s top-of-the-table clash at Anfield between the bitter rivals, has highlighted what he feels is a simple reason for the number of penalties his team receive – the raw pace and skill of United’s attack.
“You always see what people say, but I really don’t care. I’m not focused on what they’re saying. We have really quick players up front,” said Fernandes, who has scored 14 penalties for United since moving to England a year ago.
“Anthony Martial is one of the best players one-against-one in the box, Marcus Rashford is another one who is quick and has quick feet, who can take the ball away from the defender at any moment.
“It’s normal that sometimes, because of that, they will be tripped and will fall and they gain penalties. People can talk and say what they want. But for me and the team, the main point is continuing to do the right things and when we get a penalty, just scoring.
“I played in Portugal and when you play for Sporting Lisbon, Benfica and Porto are always talking about that kind of stuff – sometimes to put pressure on the referee.”
United are top of the table – three points clear of Liverpool – at this stage of the season for the first time since their last title-winning campaign in 2013.
That was the last year of Alex Ferguson’s trophy-filled reign, but it is champions Liverpool who are the dominant force now.
Klopp, though, does not consider United underdogs in this season’s title race.
“I have been in England five years and United was never an underdog. They cannot be,” he said. “It is just like it is: always good teams, always great players, always really good managers and coaches.
“It was always there and now they are top of the table. That is how it is.
“They cannot be underdogs but we play at home and we don’t see ourselves as an outsider or whatever just because they are ahead of us.
“We have to be dominant in the games. Usually, they change system against us. They played 10 times with four at the back and against Leipzig they played with 5 at the back, maybe they will change that.
“Those are things we have to think about – not who is the outsider. It is Liverpool v United and that in itself is a massive game.
“Wherever I would be in the world I would watch it definitely. This is the game.”
United have 36 points from 17 games, are unbeaten in 11 league games and have dropped only four points in that spell. “We know that we can beat anyone, anywhere on any given day,” Solskjaer said at Friday’s news conference.
“So to be able to go into a game like this, feeling if we play to our best that we can win, is a good feeling.
“It’s a test and reality check for where we are really at because Liverpool at Anfield is one of the great challenges. We have won many tight games, scored a few goals in injury time.”
Liverpool have not lost at home in the league since April 2017 and Solskjaer is aware of the challenge United face, having beaten the Merseyside club only once in their last 10 meetings.
“We have not really set the world alight too many times. To win away at Anfield you really need to be at your best level. I would rather be on top and have the points than chasing,” Solskjaer said.
“But we are the challengers, we are the hunters chasing the champions. It’s over the course of a long season and they’re the ones that everyone would like to beat.”
It’s a test and reality check for where we are really at because Liverpool at Anfield is one of the great challenges OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER Manchester United manager