BRUNO: Pen jibe’s just bid to sway refs
BRUNO Fernandes has suggested Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp is trying to influence referees with his complaints about the number of penalties United have been awarded.
Since VAR was introduced at the start of last season, the Reds have won 20 penalties and Liverpool have earned 10, although United have had just one penalty more than Jurgen Klopp’s men this season.
The Anfield boss was seething after Sadio Mane was denied a spotkick in their 1-0 defeat at Southampton.
Klopp carped United have ‘had more penalties in two years than I had in five-and-a-half years.’
Fernandes, who has converted 15 out of 16 penalties since he joined United, has little time for grumbling.
“I don’t care, honestly,” he said of the focus on United’s penalty record. “I played in Portugal and when you play for Sporting, Benfica and Porto are always talking about that kind of stuff sometimes to put pressure on the referee, sometimes just to make some noise in the press.
“But, for me, the main point is when we have a penalty, if I go to take the ball to the penalty spot, I have to do my job.
“I saw that Raheem Sterling has missed his last three penalties. So it shows it’s not as easy to take a penalty as people say. You have to work on that, you have to be focused, you have to do your job.
“It doesn’t mean Raheem Sterling is not a good penalty taker because he missed three in a row. It can happen. It could maybe happen to me, but the important thing is to score and not to listen to what people say because penalties are part of the game, for everyone.
“We have really quick players up front. Anthony (Martial) is one of the best 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. 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.”
Liverpool have not lost at home in the league since May 2017 and tomorrow’s fixture is exactly five years on from United’s last win at Anfield, when Wayne Rooney fired in the winner.
The Reds are unbeaten in their last 15 away fixtures in the league and undefeated in their last 20 domestic away matches as they prepare to return to Anfield, the scene of their last defeat on the road in England on January 19 last year.
Victory for United alone would be seismic, but it would also take them six points clear of Liverpool as they approach the halfway stage of the league campaign.
And Fernandes believes Liverpool are due a home defeat in the league.
He said: “I’ll go there to try to beat them, of course, I want to win the game.
“We know Liverpool are a really good team and haven’t lost a home league game for so many years, but we’ll go there to do our best and try to win the game as we always do.
“After, whether it can be a problem for them, I don’t know.
“Liverpool will be ready to lose one game at home I think.
“I don’t think one defeat would make Liverpool worse than before.”