Eddy
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes gave a definitive response when questioned about his team’s tactical setup during their 3-0 defeat to Manchester City.
City ran out convincing winners at the Etihad Stadium, with Phil Foden scoring an early header before Erling Haaland netted a brace.
Foden was left unmarked in the area for City‘s first, while a misplaced pass from Luke Shaw allowed Haaland
The Norwegian had earlier missed an opening goal after Manuel Ugarte’s backward pass was too short for Matthijs de Ligt, leaving the centre-back having to stretch but only succeeding in giving the ball away.
Fernandes had little influence on the game going forward, with the midfielder once again playing in a more defensive role alongside Ugarte.
The result piles more pressure onto manager Ruben Amorim, who is still yet to win consecutive Premier League games as United boss since taking over in December of last year.
“What we did today was not enough to get the result, and that’s all we have to take from this game,” he told Sky Sports reporter Patrick Davison.
“We need to score goals and not concede – that’s the main thing of football. We keep creating chances to score but we’re not able to score as many as we wanted, and I think we have to be more in control in certain situations. We gave three goals away that we have avoided.”
When Davison questioned whether Fernandes sensed that City were trying to ‘overwhelm’ United’s midfield pairing, he replied: “No, because we play with a back five, or sometimes with a four or a three, whatever you want to call it.
“We need people to be very aggressive in the moment of pressure. We need to get the moments of jumping because if not, the midfielders get under load.
“That’s what makes the spaces very narrow to play against a team that is very aggressive to play on the front foot. If you’re not brave enough to do that, they will find the spaces to play because we’re playing against a top opponent.
“The result is very bad, and it’s very bad on us, but I think it’s two ways of looking at the game. The goals could have been avoided on our side, but on the ball we were very positive, very brave, playing the ball forward.
“When we created our chances, we could have been a bit more clean. You don’t get anything from that. We wanted what City got, which was three points
Paul Scholes has made a brutally honest admission about Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes despite the Portuguese scoring the winning goal during the Red Devils’ 3-2 win against Burnley on Saturday.
Fernandes made no mistake from the penalty spot in the dying embers of Man United’s Premier League clash against Burnley at Old Trafford on Saturday to hand the Red Devils their first win of the 2025/26 campaign.
Despite a positive result, pressure remains on Ruben Amorim with some questioning his position following last week’s Carabao Cup exit against League Two Grimsby
Amorim, 40, will be hoping this summer’s arrivals – Matheus Cunha, Enzo Kana-Biyik, Diego Leon, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens – can improve his side’s fortunes after the international break, but not everyone, including Scholes, is convinced by the current system employed by the Portuguese.
During Tuesday’s episode of the Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet, Scholes discussed United’s current predicament with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher.
Bruno Fernandes scored against Burnley (Credit:Getty)
“I think a lot of good teams have the midfield sorted…” Scholes said.
“There’s too much indecision in the midfield area, you think of Casemiro – he’s been a brilliant player, but we know his deficiencies, don’t we?
“Fernandes (and Casemiro), they’re the two he’s going with, and Fernandes for me, he’s someone who fills in as a midfielder – he might get away with it for one, two or three games.
“He’s not got the discipline to be a central midfield player.”
Both Fernandes and Casemiro have started all three Premier League matches so far this campaign, while Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte have been forced to watch from the bench
He added: “Bringing two numbers tens (Cunha and Mbeumo) was that really necessary? You think you’ve got Mason Mount, Kobbie Mainoo can do that… If you’ve done that and wasted a bit of money and not been able to get a midfield player or a goalkeeper, it’s not great recruitment-wise is it?
Paul Scholes gave his honest thoughts (Credit:Getty)
“I can’t make better what a lot of the problems are in the team, which are two central midfield players, and the goalkeepers are massive.”
Despite Scholes’ take, on Tuesday, the MEN reported that United “did not consider” signing a midfielder during the summer transfer window.
Sources reportedly stated that “the midfield was never a priority due to already having options that the club views as strong and versatile”, – although United did enquire about Carlos Baleba’s availability.
United will now have a two-week break before their Premier League season resumes with a trip across Manchester to the Etihad, where they will face Manchester City on September 14
Bruno Fernandes has denied claims that he’s ‘close’ with Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim and given an insight into their relationship.
Fernandes is fresh off inspiring Man United to a hard-fought point against Arsenal in Sunday’s Premier League clash, which ended 1-1.
He opened the scoring with a fantastic free-kick, but there was controversy surrounding his goal as Christian Eriksen made a big claim about the distance of Arsenal’s wall
Fernandes, who joined the Old Trafford club in January 2020, has been incredibly instrumental since arriving at Man United from Sporting CP.
And he has continued his influential ways under Amorim, who replaced Erik ten Hag last November.
However, despite their Sporting connections and Portuguese heritage, Fernandes has refuted the suggestion that they are ‘close’.
Speaking to CBS Sports, the Red Devils skipper revealed that he didn’t know Amorim personally and had only met him once before his Man United appointment.
“I wouldn’t say we’re quite close. We don’t speak that much to be honest,” he explained. “Obviously we have a good relationship, but I wouldn’t say that it’s different to any other player.”
Fernandes registered his 12th goal of the season in his side’s draw against Arsenal, with Amorim praising his star player.
Asked whether Man United need to bring in players with the level of quality like the 30-year-old midfielder, Amorim replied: “I think any coach when he wants to bring players, he expects the best, but sometimes they have to adapt and sometimes you have luck with the character of the player or not. Even with all the investigation that all the coaches do before signing players. What I can say is that we need more Brunos.
“That is clear. Not just the quality, the character, not some mistakes, but the character that he has, the availability in this league, is so important and he’s so decisive with the ball and without the ball.”
Bruno Fernandes’ interview after Manchester United’s draw against Liverpool has gone viral, with fans hailing the captain’s honesty.
United’s defeat to Newcastle United on 30 December was a fourth on the trot and many supporters feared the worst against league leaders Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday.
But the Red Devils claimed a 2-2 draw and produced a much-improved performance against Arne Slot‘s side. United took the lead through Lisandro Martinez‘s thunderous strike before Liverpool turned it around with goals from Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah.
Amad Diallo grabbed a deserved equaliser, which was the least United deserved after an impressive display which was completely different to anything seen under Ruben Amorim so far.
United climbed up a place to 13th ahead of West Ham on goal difference and remain seven points above the relegation zone.
United skipper Fernandes spoke to Sky Sports about the game and delivered an honest interview, claiming he is “pretty upset” over his team not producing these levels “every week” whilst also being critical of his own displays this Season.
“Obviously we’ve been criticised, and fairly, because the position in the table says it all,” he told Sky Sport
“We’ve lost too many points. Even today, we can’t be happy with the draw, because we need points more than they need.
“It’s a really good result and a fair result, both teams played good football and it was intense. I’m pretty upset because we can show this against Liverpool at Anfield, first in the league, the outstanding team in the Premier League this season, why can’t we do this every week?
“It frustrates me, first because I think finally I did a proper performance overall. We need to be aware that we need much more from ourselves to get something from this season.
“We need to put some pride out because it isn’t enough for us
United return to action on Sunday when they travel to the Emirates Stadium to take on Arsenal in an exciting FA Cup third round clash as they look to defend their crown claimed after beating Manchester City at Wembley in last year’s final.
Ruben Amorim and Bruno Fernandes could not hide their frustration at Joshua Zirkzee after he lost possession 11 times in the opening 33 minutes of their Europa League clash against Viktoria Plzen.
It wasn’t exactly an eventful half of football at the Doosan Arena as the home side set up with five at the back. United, meanwhile, struggled to keep possession throughout.
Marcus Rashford, who has been tipped to complete a shock transfer away from Old Trafford, was guilty of losing the ball on multiple occasions on Thursday night.
But it was Zirkzee, a £36.5 million summer signing from Bologna, who arguably struggled the most.
In fact, captain Bruno Fernandes is said to have expressed his frustrated at Zirkzee after he lost possession on multiple occasions in the first-half, according to The Athletic’s Carl Anka.
He added: “29 touches so far for the Dutchman. Lost possession 11 times. #MUFC have been ponderous in possession so far. They rarely get Plzen defenders turning to retreat.
The Mirror’s David McDonnell also noticed Ruben Amorim‘s reaction when Zirkzee was found out. He wrote: “Amorim can’t hide his dismay at Zirkzee continually losing possession, often under little pressure.”
After scoring on his debut against Fulham, Zirkzee has failed to build on what was a dream start to life at Old Trafford.
He was brought on in the 68th minute of Ruben Amorim’s United bow against Ipswich Town but the Dutch forward was singled out by his manager after the full-time whistle.
“I think that [decision-making] is a concern, you don’t need to coach them at this level,” said Amorim.
“You have to keep the ball and know the momentum to put the ball in front. Sometimes you feel that you can’t keep the ball and you [have to] put the ball in front.
“Then you have like we are in the end of the game, we were around the box with two strikers. Josh [Zirkzee] has to understand that he has to go to the box to have the crosses.”
Zirkzee struggled against Plzen. Image credit: Getty
Amorim added: “So we are doing some things that were not at the right moment, so that is something we have to address.
“Sometimes people talk about the 3-4-3, that is not the concern, the system is the system but the understanding of the game is what we have to improve.
Eddy
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