Bruno Fernandes shared that he reached out to Erik ten Hag following the Dutch coach’s dismissal as Manchester United manager.
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Ten Hag’s departure came after a 2-1 loss to West Ham last weekend, leaving United 12th in the Premier League standings. His sacking was confirmed on Monday. ..Continue Reading
The club acted quickly, appointing Ruben Amorim as the permanent replacement. However, Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue as interim manager until Amorim joins on November 11.
In United’s first league game since Ten Hag’s exit, Fernandes scored a goal, only to have it equalized by Moises Caicedo’s volley, leading to a draw at Old Trafford.
After the match, the United captain reflected on his former manager, admitting that his performances hadn’t met his usual standards before Ten Hag’s departure.
‘We know that Erik [ten Hag] has gone, it is not good for anyone at the club when the manager goes,’ he told Sky Sports. ‘It means the team is not the best, the results are not the best and he is the one who pays for it.
‘Whenever you see a manager go you have to take some of the blame on yourself and look in the mirror first because it is because the team is not doing so well.
‘We all know that when the manager leaves everyone is involved but only one pays because It is easier to get rid of a manager than 15 players.
‘I spoke to the manager [Ten Hag] and apologised to him if there was something I could have done better for him. I was disappointed he has gone and I tried to help him.
‘I wasn’t scoring goals, we are not scoring goals and I feel responsible because I normally score a lot of goals but I always gave 100% to help. The main thing is that he is aware of that.’
Former United skipper Roy Keane, meanwhile, felt that the Portuguese midfielder’s words rang hollow and said the 30-year-old had shown a lack of leadership during Ten Hag’s final months.
‘Too little, too late,’ Keane said on Sky Sports when asked about Fernandes’ comments. ‘You are judged for what you have done on a football pitch.
‘I don’t think Bruno did enough in a lot of those games, he didn’t show that leadership, but you also have to move on.
‘A lot of players don’t care that much, they just focus on the next manager. I don’t think Bruno has done enough as captain over the last year or so to help the manager out.
‘He has not shown enough leadership skills when the going has got tough with some of his performances. I don’t think he should be too proud of himself with what’s happened with the manager – I think the players let the manager down ultimately.’
