Manchester United’s humiliating defeat to Bournemouth sparked strong reactions from both players and fans. Bruno Fernandes, the Portuguese midfielder and team captain, apologized for the disappointing performance and admitted that he and his teammates had fallen short.
In a frank statement, Fernandes said: “I want to apologize for this performance. It was not acceptable, starting with me. I’m not talking about others, but I think everyone can agree in the locker room to say that our performance was not up to par and that we need to do much better.”
He highlighted the team’s lack of effort, quality and aggression in this match, compared to their previous meeting against Chelsea. He added: “If you don’t do your job, you won’t win the game.”
This defeat is part of a chaotic season for Manchester United, who have already lost 11 of their 23 matches this season in all competitions. Coach Erik ten Hag even admitted that he didn’t believe his team had the quality to be consistent at the highest level.
Fernandes himself admitted to being perplexed as to the reasons for this inconsistency. He said: “I don’t know why it’s been so different to Chelsea, but it’s been a constant for us. When we win one game, the next one we don’t perform in the same way. I don’t know not if it’s a lack of concentration or focus, but we have to realize that after a victory we have to keep this consistency of winning matches, even if sometimes we are not at our best.”
The stakes continue to rise for Manchester United, who face Bayern Munich on Tuesday in a crucial Champions League match for their qualification. Then they travel to Liverpool for a Premier League derby the following Sunday. However, Fernandes will be suspended for this match after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season against Bournemouth.
Despite these challenges, Fernandes remains optimistic about the team’s chances of bouncing back. He said: “We know that the next match will be really difficult. We have to win and hope for a good result in the other match. But above all we have to do our job and be aware that it will be a difficult match for us. But we are capable, more than capable, of achieving the desired result.”
The defeat against Bournemouth was a blow for Manchester United, but it could also serve as a catalyst for awareness and improvement in the team’s collective performance. Only time will tell if these apologies will have any effect on the ground. Fans are now expecting a positive response from their players in the upcoming matches.