Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag has praised Bruno Fernandes for his performance in the win against Real Betis in the Europa League. During United’s 7-0 thumping at Liverpool on Sunday, Fernandes was singled out for harsher criticism than his teammates, with a number of moments of petulance raising questions about his eligibility to wear the captain’s armband. He had been defended in the build-up to Thursday’s Europa League last-16 game by both Ten Hag and Marcus Rashford, and he replied in the best manner possible with a player-of-the-match performance at Old Trafford in which he scored one goal and assisted another.
“He was the best player on the field, which reflected his personality. He was terrific in a somewhat deeper position he played tonight,” Manchester United head coach Erik ten Hag said about Bruno Fernandes. “He was a pioneer in playmaking from deep and managing the game’s rhythm. He made a number of fantastic passes between the lines, and we generated a lot of chances from there. I’m thrilled because he led the team from the first minute with his game, with possession, setting the flow of the game, and scoring a goal.”
United’s collapse at Anfield last Saturday was their third in the Premier League this season, following thrashings at Brentford and Manchester City earlier in the season. On each occasion, they have overcome adversity to win their next encounter, and they demonstrated their mettle once more to withstand Betis’ building momentum after their first-half equalizer, responding with three consecutive goals after the interval. Ten Hag claimed that he had already conveyed his displeasure with his players’ recent performances prior to the Liverpool game, but that the outcome at Anfield proved what he had been saying.
“It’s not about ignoring [Sunday’s game]; we made errors and were punished for them. We have no influence over the standards we have,” he added. “If you want to suggest we were complacent, you can’t do it in top football. I was unhappy with my performance against Newcastle in the weeks leading up to [the Liverpool defeat], and I was unhappy with my performance in the first half against Leicester. Sometimes it takes a horrible outcome to wake everyone up.”
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