Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has shared that he reached out to Erik ten Hag to apologize on behalf of the players after Ten Hag was let go as manager this week.
Ten Hag had a mixed tenure, winning two trophies in his two full seasons but leaving the team in a tough spot, sitting 14th in the Premier League and struggling in the Europa League with no wins in their first three matches.
Fernandes, who was made captain by Ten Hag, acknowledged that the players have to take some responsibility for the situation.
"When a manager gets sacked, you have to look at yourself as well," he told Sky Sports after scoring in a 1-1 draw against Chelsea.
"It’s easier to change a manager than to let go of 15 players. I spoke to him and said I was disappointed that he’s gone and that I tried to help him. I know I haven’t been scoring, and I feel that’s on me."
In the previous League Cup match, Fernandes had a strong performance, scoring twice in a 5-2 win over Leicester City, just days after Ten Hag`s departure.
He reflected on that match, saying, "When the goals came, I joked with friends that people might think we wanted the manager to be sacked.
But we need to acknowledge that we are not doing well in the league.
Fernandes is looking forward to working with the new permanent manager, Ruben Amorim, who will officially take over on November 11.
Amorim, who previously managed Sporting Lisbon, has had success there, winning two league titles in the past four seasons. Fernandes, who left Sporting shortly before Amorim took charge, expressed admiration for him: "I’m a big fan of Sporting and watch a lot of their games. He really brought excitement back to the club."
In the match against Chelsea, Fernandes scored a penalty to give United an early lead, but Chelsea quickly equalized through Moises Caicedo.
The draw allowed Chelsea to move into the top four, while United remains in 13th place, six points behind.
With just 12 points from 10 games, this has been United`s worst start to a league season since 1986/87, largely due to struggles in scoring, with only nine goals in total.
Interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, a United legend known for his goal-scoring ability, remains optimistic. He believes the team will improve under Amorim as players regain their confidence.
"In recent matches, we’ve dropped points because we haven’t converted our chances," Van Nistelrooy said. "I’m confident that as we create more opportunities, the results will come."
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