Bruno Fernandes sounded like a man who’s been wounded by Manchester United’s big losses to Liverpool this season, but he resisted the chance to just hope for the clean slate of a new season.
The United star apologized to United’s fans after a 4-0 loss at Anfield joined a 5-0 beatdown at Old Trafford in giving the Red Devils the highest combined goal total conceded to a single team in a single season in the club’s history.
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It was an absolute show for force from Liverpool, who had two players complete more than 100 passes on the day (Virgil van Dijk and Thiago Alcantara). Since Opta started tracking data in 2003-04, only four players have achieved that feat against United. All four were this season.
Often this season, David De Gea has emerged from the team room to assure Man United fans that the team understands its failures. This time, it was Bruno Fernandes. He’s definitely signing from the same choir sheet as his goalkeeper.
Bruno Fernandes apologizes to fans
“We have to look at ourselves, inside from the top to the bottom,” Fernandes said. “We represent a big club. We are competing until the end and we have to compete. If someone doesn’t want to compete, they have to stay out, straight away. No one can put their head down and just want to go on vacation. Everyone should understand we have something to fight for, at least for the badge.”
Fernandes says he recognizes the gulf between United and their historic rivals Liverpool, but says this wasn’t about the desperation of trophy-chasing hosts against sleeping visitors (even if it often looked the way).
“Not much that I can say,” Fernandes said. “I apologize to the fans. It will never be enough. They don’t deserve that we play in this way, They deserve much more. The way they support us until the end, stay after the whistle to applaud us, we must the lift the standard much more higher.