‘Not acceptable’: Bruno Fernandes sorry for latest Manchester United slip
Bruno Fernandes has apologised for Manchester United’s display in their 3-0 home defeat by Bournemouth on Saturday and called for greater consistency from his side before a daunting set of fixtures in the next week.
United face Bayern Munich in a must-win Champions League game on Tuesday, followed by a trip to Liverpool in the league five days later. Erik ten Hag’s side appear unlikely to triumph in either fixture if their weekend display is any guide, with United booed off by their own fans after a seventh defeat in 16 league games. That the result came only three days after a 2-1 win against Chelsea only further highlighted the unpredictable nature of the Old Trafford side.
“[I want] to apologise,” Fernandes said. “The performance was not acceptable, starting on me. I’m not talking about anyone else.
“When we win a game, the next one we don’t perform in the same way we did before. I don’t know if it’s like a lack of concentration or focus or something else, but it’s something that we have to be aware [of] that after winning a game we have to get that consistency of winning games. [Against Bournemouth] it was underperforming on quality-wise, on effort-wise and not aggressive as we did it in the last game against Chelsea. We want to be more consistent.”
Defeat against Bournemouth has increased the pressure on Ten Hag but his position is understood to be safe at present, with United’s ownership in a state of flux as Sir Jim Ratcliffe prepares to buy a stake in the club. That could all change, however, if United lose their next two games.
Even victory against Bayern would not guarantee qualification to the knockout stages, with United requiring a draw in the other Group A fixture between Copenhagen and Galatasaray to progress to the last 16. Meanwhile they face a Liverpool side now top after beating Crystal Palace 2-1 on Saturday and who beat United 7-0 at Anfield last season.
“We know that now the next game is going to be really tough,” Fernandes told MUTV. “We have to win and obviously waiting for a good result on the other game for us. But we have to do our job first of all, and thinking and understanding that it is going to be a tough game for us. But we are more than able to get the result.”
United have yet to draw in the league this season, with nine wins and seven losses reflecting their lurches from one extreme to another.