Bruno Fernandes apologised to Manchester United fans after his team lost 4-0 to Liverpool on Tuesday, while also questioning their late-season motivation compared to their rivals.
The midfielder said a key difference between the sides was that Liverpool are fighting for a Premier League title while Manchester United are “fighting for nothing”.
The Red Devils are long-shots at qualifying for a Champions League place with five matches to go and Arsenal and Tottenham in superior positions with games in hand.
What did Fernandes say?
“I apologise to the fans. It will never be enough but it’s all we can do,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “They deserve much more from us.
“I think everyone gave 100 per cent and put the effort in, but we did not play well enough.
“Liverpool are fighting for the title, that’s the difference. We’re fighting for nothing. We have to look inside and try to understand what is going wrong.”
The bigger picture
It was a nightmare from the opening whistle for the Red Devils, who opted for Phil Jones in defence in a surprise gambit, conceding after five minutes and seeing Paul Pogba walk off with an injury after 10 minutes.
Manager Ralf Rangnick called the performance embarrassing, while former captain Roy Keane said the Red Devils were unrecognisable from the team he used to play for.
Fernandes’ apology was just the latest sorry from the team to supporters amid a season that has them on the brink of missing the 2022-23 Champions League.
Similar comments to the ones the midfielder made on Tuesday night were given after a 5-0 loss to Liverpool six months ago, when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was still in charge.
However, little has seemed to change for United as they stumble towards the end of the campaign.
