"Everyone has to take the blame" - Bruno Fernandes on Ten Hag's sacking

Man United captain Bruno Fernandes reflected upon former manager Ten Hag ahead of Ruben Amorim's second game in charge. The ex-Sporting boss will lead the Red Devils on Thursday for their Europa League showdown against Bodo Glimt at Old Trafford, which also marks his first fixture at home.

"Everyone has to take the blame," the midfielder said as he spoke about Ten Hag's sacking. "If you change a manager mid-season it's because things are not going as you want, and if the things are not going as you want, everyone has to take the blame." Fernandes insisted that the switch in head coaches represented an "easier" option for the board, as opposed to revolutionising the whole squad by "getting rid of 15 to 20 players". 

That said, the Portuguese has now turned pages and is solely focused on the present and future of Man United with his compatriot at the wheel. "Our focus is now on what the future can bring and get as soon as possible and as quick as possible under the new ideas of the new manager," he told reporters on Wednesday. Amorim has been trying to implement his 3-4-3 formation, which is a complete shift from Ten Hag's usual 4-2-3-1. Although United looked shaky under the new tactics, Fernandes believes having "a base and a foundation" is the key for players to get used to the new tactics.

"I think it could be worse for the younger players because for me, I know what the Sporting players were doing,” the United skipper said. “I wasn't reading what the manager was doing there, I was watching their games. When I go to the national team, sometimes we play with a back-three, sometimes I play as a No.10, sometimes I play wide. You always have to move. I don't think age should be a problem, either older or younger. It is about carrying the most you can from the dynamics. As the manager has said, you do not need to overthink things, you just need to know you have a base and a foundation," he concluded.

 

November 27, 2024