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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes on him getting distracted by Tottenham goalkeeper while missing a sitter
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes explained the reasons why he got distracted and missed a sitter against Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday.
Although Spurs won the game 2-0, United had enough chances to score multiple goals. One such chance fell to Fernandes in the first half when the score was goalless.
A delightful cross was lifted into the box and the United captain was free inside the six-yard area with no Tottenham defender marking him. But, for some reason, the Portuguese international did not hit the target.
Here’s what the 28-year-old said when asked about that bad miss (h/t Manchester Evening News):
“We had many chances to score [a] goal. Myself in [the] first half, I had a big chance that I have. I have to score in one [or] another way. I have to find a way to score that header.
“I looked too much at the goalkeeper instead of [focusing] on the ball and obviously, after the movement of the moment, I was too quick and I didn’t get the ball the way I should get. But either way, I have to get that ball at least on the target.”
It seemed like he had taken his eyes off the ball. Had he scored then, United could have gone at half-time with a lead and the game would have had a different feel in the second half.
If we look at the first two games of this campaign, there is a clear pattern emerging. The Red Devils are creating a lot of chances but failing to convert them.
Looking at the numbers, Erik ten Hag’s men are joint-top in the league when it comes to missing big chances so far this season (five).
It is such a shame that new striker Rasmus Hojlund is not fit yet to start games and eradicate this issue. Anthony Martial is definitely not trusted to do the job in the Dane’s absence.
Apart from getting overrun in midfield, United are not helping themselves by missing the big chances. This needs rectifying soon, otherwise, we would see games like the one on Saturday many times this season.
More Manchester United News
- Erik ten Hag reveals Manchester United contract talks ongoing with Jonny Evans
- Manchester United striker Anthony Martial is attracting interest from the Saudi Pro League
- Manchester United star Raphael Varane has rejected an offer from Al Ittihad
It is back to the drawing board for Ten Hag after an encouraging pre-season. It shows he still has a lot to do to make this team a genuine title contender.
