Fernandes Expresses Responsibility and Apology Following Ten Hag’s Dismissal

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes netted his initial Premier League goal since April 24 during Sunday’s match against Chelsea. Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United’s captain, stated that he communicated with the recently dismissed manager Erik ten Hag, offering an apology for his perceived failure to prevent the manager’s job loss. Ten Hag, a Dutchman, was relieved of his duties on Monday, subsequent to United’s 2-1 loss to West Ham, a result that positioned the team 14th in the league standings. The 1-1 draw against Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday resulted in the team moving up one position, though the outlook is not expected to be favorable upon Ruben Amorim’s arrival from Sporting during the upcoming international break this month. Ten Hag had appointed Fernandes as United’s captain and continued to support the midfielder even amidst periods of significant criticism. The Portuguese midfielder indicated that the players should accept a portion of the responsibility. Fernandes expressed a heightened sense of disappointment, particularly as he had not scored this season until converting a second-half penalty that gave United the lead against Chelsea. He conveyed to Sky Sports, “It is not good for anyone at the club when the manager goes. You have to take some of the blame on yourself because it is the team that is not doing so well and it is easier to get rid of a manager than 15 players. I spoke to the manager and apologised. We are not scoring goals and I feel responsible. I normally score a lot of goals but I always give 100% and he is aware of that.” In a distinct interview with BBC Sport, Fernandes mentioned discussing the week’s events with friends and anticipating the probable sequence of outcomes. He further stated, “I said everything will come to us and people will say we wanted the manager to be sacked.” Former United captain Roy Keane, as might be expected, expressed dissatisfaction with these remarks. He demonstrated minimal understanding for declarations of loyalty towards Ten Hag. Keane informed Sky Sports, “We mentioned loyalty last week. If you want loyalty, get yourself a dog.” Keane characterized Fernandes’ statements as “too little, too late”. The Irishman further commented, “He has not shown enough leadership when the going has got tough.” “I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with these players. A lot of them don’t care that much. They just focus on the next manager,” he concluded. Throughout this season, Ten Hag consistently stated that his team had failed to convert a sufficient number of their opportunities into goals. This pattern continued in the match against Chelsea, where Alejandro Garnacho missed several opportunities, Marcus Rashford struck the woodwork with a first-half shot, and substitute Joshua Zirkzee lost possession after seemingly having a clear path to goal. Observing these events would likely be particularly difficult for interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, who famously scored 150 goals for United across five highly productive seasons. Nevertheless, he identified indicators of optimism. He remarked, “The last games we lost some points because we didn’t take our chances.” “The good thing is we create a lot during the season so far. When the players get in the flow with results coming, goals will come also,” he added. It is uncertain whether Van Nistelrooy will still be in his role to witness this development. He disclosed that he has not yet communicated with Amorim, and no discussions are planned before his interim period as manager concludes following upcoming home matches next week against Greek team PAOK in the Europa League and Leicester in the Premier League. Fernandes, a lifelong supporter of Sporting, departed the club to join United in January 2020, two months prior to Amorim’s arrival from Braga. The 30-year-old has since observed the significant changes at his former club. He further commented, “I watch a lot of Sporting games. Ruben Amorim brought excitement back to the club. It was a little bit split when he came but he transformed everything and brought everyone together.”