Bruno Fernandes Talks About Erik ten Hag's Impact On Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes Talks: In advance of the Manchester derby, Bruno Fernandes, who is approaching his third anniversary at Man United, spoke to the MEN about the club’s metamorphosis under Erik ten Hag.
Bruno Fernandes was not the only Manchester United player tossing and turning in the sweltering heat of August while fuming at an impromptu run that came less than a day after Brentford’s generational low point.
Why do we have to proceed in this manner? Fernandes moaned. On that run, Fernandes turned to look behind him and noticed Erik ten Hag striding among the players.
According to Fernandes, “when a manager administers the punishment—because that’s what you have to call it, it was a punishment—obviously it makes us feel he knows he was a contributing factor to that poor outcome and he wants to convey to us that we are all in this together in the good and the bad, in the good moments and in the bad moments.
“Suddenly, you turn around to see your manager jogging alongside you. Although I am unsure of the actual measurement, the distance was considerable.
At United’s Carrington training facility, Fernandes is presiding in a sparse, windowless room tucked away on the top floor of the main structure. He is dressed in his workout gear and prepared for the last practise before the 189th Manchester derby.
Fernandes, a native English speaker, is one of United’s most captivating players in recent memory. Every query deserves a detailed response that is full of context and candour.
The Premier League trophy, FA Cup, European Cup, and Uefa Cup are displayed in an illuminated cabinet for individuals with access to Carrington’s private area. Over three years into his United career, Fernandes hasn’t won a single trophy.
When he tweeted about losing to City in the League Cup semi-final in January 2021, he touched a nerve with supporters “We must realise that we must stop making the same errors in the future. We must work hard to continue to get better so that we can compete for awards!”
Fernandes has taken on the role of de facto captain for United and has started all but one of their 17 Premier League games (he missed one due to suspension). Fernandes, one of a select group of unquestionably successful United signings in the past 15 years, has a long list of individual honours and made league history by being the first player to win four Player of the Month awards in a single season.
Thoughts were given to United’s last season as an also-ran, though. On April 1, Fernandes signed a renewal, but the term was only prolonged by a year. The rumour was that he had simply gotten a pay raise at a doubtful moment. Following Fernandes’ discussions with football director John Murtough and technical director Darren Fletcher, United would lose five of their following nine games.
Thus, Fernandes emphasises, “Playing for the club is such an honour and a dream come true for me. Nonetheless, I came to the club with the goal of winning trophies because I am aware of how big the club is and how much more we can grow to be and accomplish.
“Therefore, last year, when everyone was aware that Ralf (Rangnick) would not be the coach moving forward, I had a discussion with the club. And when the club decided [who the manager would be], I met with the club and said I wanted to be a problem-solver for the club, I wanted to be helpful for the club, but I also wanted to know where we were heading. Is there a strategy or a future here?
“Money is definitely vital—no one can deny that—and it’s always necessary to earn more and more and more in football or in life, I told the club before I signed my new contract. No matter what you do for a living, you always want the best for yourself.
“But at the time, I stated that even though I was making decent money, I didn’t want to sign a new deal until I was certain that the club had a bright future. I’m curious to know our destination.
Bruno Fernandes Talks:
“I don’t need to know who the manager is; instead, I’m just curious about the club’s future. Do you have any future plans? What do you think should be our next destination? What desires the club? Does the team want to win titles or is its primary goal to develop a team that can compete in the Champions League? Because for me, that’s not enough.
Bruno Fernandes Talks:
“The club requires more than just being here and competing for fourth place, the history of this club, the calibre of the players we have. It needs winning, or at the very least competing for victories. We don’t have to win all the trophies but we have to fight for the trophies and as a club and the quality of players, we have the quality to do that and we’ve been showing that, so I just want to know if this is the future.
“And the club has indicated that they have a plan, that’s what they want, and that they agree with you that the club’s level needs to be higher than it has ever been because we can accomplish so much more than we have in the past.
The club is still moving in the same direction it was when I signed, so that is why I have never considered leaving.
Ten Hag had to like working with a football player as determined as Fernandes. Although Ten Hag is not as fond of hugs as Jurgen Klopp or as camera-conscious as Pep Guardiola, he frequently hugs Fernandes, one of his assistants on the field.
Fernandes led United for the first time this year in the crucial win over Liverpool. The following United training session was scheduled for two days later, which Fernandes thought was more telling than the punishing running session.
“We arrived at practise and you could see how focused, angry, and eager everyone was to respond in the next game,” he adds. Even though you knew it was Liverpool, a huge game, and a difficult game, you were still unsure whether it was the correct time to play Liverpool at the time. It will be more challenging than it is currently.
Bruno Fernandes Talks:
But I think everyone also agreed that facing Liverpool at home would be the ideal opportunity to respond because, like with Man City, we are aware of the significance of this match for the supporters.
“I think everyone agreed that we needed to turn around our season because what we have been doing is insufficient, and this game is definitely the one to do it. I believe the current turnaround was responsible.
The last time United played in front of a large crowd at Old Trafford was on Fernandes’s debut in the Manchester derby. When Scott McTominay’s caressed curler put the ball in the Stretford End net in the 96th minute, a chorus of whistles turned into the loudest, most ecstatic applause. The roar was so thunderous the old tunnel linking the dugouts – the only surviving artefact from before the Second World War – was in risk of crumbling.
The harsh exchange between Fernandes and Guardiola, which he concluded by putting his finger to his lips, is equally unforgettable. Fernandes says, “That was how I felt at the time. We had a little bit of, not a dialogue there, but some shouting at each other.
“I occasionally cross the line. Because I didn’t feel disrespectful at the time of the game and because I believe I didn’t enjoy what he said to me, I don’t believe that was inappropriate. He probably didn’t like it that I treated him that way. Nonetheless, it’s all in good fun, and I have nothing against anyone.
“I appreciate every person involved in the game, including the officials and managers. I myself cross the line. It’s not that I’m disrespecting the officials; rather, it’s the way I occasionally feel alive while playing the game that drives me over the line.
“But, after games, if I feel I have gone a little too far, I go to the referees and apologise for what I have done incorrectly. When I don’t do it sometimes, it’s either because we lost a game or I saw some options for that I didn’t like! Yet, I typically attempt to treat everyone with respect.
Fernandes believes that people’s impressions of his combative style have changed. “I am a person who is vocal on tune, and occasionally you can [go] over the line. But I believe that everyone in the changing room is aware of how I tend to push both other people and myself.
“I sense myself coming to life in the game. Since I arrived, and even from that first day, I have been the same. Also, I’ve always been outspoken and occasionally raise my arms.
“Everyone, including those outside the club, initially found it to be quite attractive since it resembled me accepting responsibility. People want to put it in a different way now; it is no longer the same. Yet since that is just who I am, I am perfectly fine with it.
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