Bruno Fernandes, Manchester United's midfield maestro, has commended his teammates for their gritty display in the loss to Tottenham Hotspur. But he pointed out that their upcoming European encounter with FC Porto won't be a walk in the park.
Despite United's setback, suffering a thumping at the hands of Spurs at Old Trafford after being reduced to 10 men post-Fernandes' contentious red card, the Portuguese stepped up to speak to Sky Sports post-match, apologizing to his squad while contesting: "It was never a red card".
Before visiting an Aston Villa side that has made a solid start in the Premier League, Ten Hag's side is gearing up for a crucial Europa League clash with Porto adding pressure to turn around a disappointing week.
Reflecting on Sunday's stinging defeat during a chat with MUTV, Fernandes didn't shy away from acknowledging the difficulty of the upcoming fixture against the Portuguese giant and took a moment to express pride in the team's resilience despite the numerical disadvantage.
"It was really difficult and the result shows that," expressed a somber Fernandes. "After the incident of the red card, I just want to say something about my teammates. They did show character and wanted to win. It wasn't possible and we ended up conceding another two, but I think the resilience and the character from the team was always there."
Fernandes weighed in on the upcoming Porto match, highlighting their European prowess: "It's a side that always does really well in Europe, we have to be aware of that. They have great spirit."
He also touched upon Porto's evolution, even after a loss in Europa League: "They have been improving a lot in the last few games, even if they lost their last game in the Europa League, they are a team that's been improving under their new manager also."
On United's mindset, Fernandes added: "We expect a really difficult game there but we go there to win because it's everything we have to think about."
Liverpool.com says: It was a poor result for Manchester United this weekend but that shouldn't come as a huge shock. Erik ten Hag has struggled to get the best out of his players since he arrived from Ajax and there are few signs of that turning around.
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