Ten Hag, the boss of Manchester United has responded to criticism leveled at Bruno Fernandes following his team’s 7-0 loss to Liverpool by describing the Portuguese international as a “inspiration” and urging the midfielder to keep the captain’s armband in the absence of Harry Maguire.
Gary Neville called Fernandes a “disgrace” and “embarrassing” for his petulant behavior at Anfield on Sunday, when United suffered their biggest defeat since 1931.
Ten Hag described his team’s performance as “unprofessional.” But, Fernandes received special criticism, with some suggesting that the midfielder should not be permitted to lead United again following the debacle.
Before to Thursday’s first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals against Real Betis, Ten Hag pushed United to “reset and bounce again” and said the 28-year-old Fernandes will “definitely” lead the team in the absence of the team captain Maguire.
Ten Hag said, “I believe he’s having a tremendous season, and he’s playing a huge role in our current condition. ” He gives the squad energy by running a lot with effort and in the appropriate way. He is directing and instructing players, and he is an inspiration to the entire squad.
“Nobody is flawless, and everyone makes errors. Bruno Fernandes is a welcome addition to my team, and I’m happy to have him lead us in Harry’s absence.
United’s utter collapse in the second half against Liverpool after an outstanding run under Ten Hag in which the squad won the Carabao Cup and overcame Barcelona to advance in Europa.
Erik ten Hag defends Bruno Fernandez and Manchester United after Anfield Humilation
The Dutchman stated that his players “reflected well” on the loss and challenged United to respond when they return to Old Trafford on Thursday night to resume their European campaign.
“We know failures will always happen during the season,” Ten Hag added.
“This was obviously a major setback, but we had a run of 23 games with one loss, and this was the second.
“It has a lot of lessons in it and it can benefit us in the future. We were well below average, especially mentally and we want to win trophies, thus you must act differently. We got a significant lesson after Sunday, and we have to move on and look forward. Utilize all of your energy and concentrate on the next game.”