Krishnan Sreekumar
Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes says improvements are needed ahead of massive Manchester derby
Speaking after his side’s 0-0 draw against Watford in the Premier League (h/t Independent), Manchester United star Bruno Fernandes has urged his teammates to put this draw behind them and give it their all against rivals Manchester City next weekend.
The Portuguese star was himself at fault for not finishing a couple of golden opportunities to hand his side all three points at home, as the Red Devils were held by a Watford side battling relegation at the moment.
Fernandes called on his team to look forward to the Manchester derby next weekend, saying it was a massive game not just for themselves but also for the fans as they look to solidify their hold on fourth place in the Premier League table.
“But it is the moment to look forward to the next game. We understand the next one will be massive for us, for our fans and for what we want to do in the league too.”
The first half of the game saw United tear up the Hornets defence countless times, as the Manchester club created chance upon chance. However, all their forwards failed to make the most of the situation, and were unsuccessful in their attempts to put the ball in the back of the net against a resolute Ben Foster.
“One of those days”
Fernandes was guilty of missing some one-on-one situations against the Watford keeper in the game, especially one chance after a flowing team move which heavily involved youngster Anthony Elanga to tee up the Portugal international, but he hit the ball straight at Foster instead of finishing the move in style.
The 27-year-old said that it was one of those days where the team could play for hours on end and still not find the back of the net, and instead focussed on what to do for the next game against Manchester City on Sunday.
“We have to look straight away to the next game, understand what we can do better, what didn’t work then do it better in the next one. We had big chances to score. Myself, I think I had at least two big chances to score a goal. But it was one of those days that you can be here for another hour and a half and you will not score.”
The former Sporting Lisbon man was appointed captain for the day in place of the rested Harry Maguire, but could not lead his team to a victory that was sure to solidify their grip on fourth spot in the league table. The Red Devils are currently two points ahead of fifth-placed West Ham United.
However, it is not West Ham but other London clubs in Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur that the club need to be wary about, with the north London sides having a couple of games in hand to make up the deficit and overtake United in the top four of the league.
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United have to ensure that they win all their remaining games to make sure that fourth spot is theirs, starting with a win against City on Sunday. The defending champions have only lost thrice this season in the PL, so it will be no easy task.
The Manchester derby has always produced some memorable moments for the Old Trafford side in the past, and this time around, Fernandes will hope that he can be the main man to beat the Cityzens as he looks to make up for his glaring misses against Watford the previous weekend.
