Bruno Fernandes Takes Responsibility for Ten Hag’s Dismissal, Criticized by Roy Keane for Lack of Leadership
Bruno Fernandes Takes Responsibility for Ten Hag's Dismissal, Criticized by Roy Keane for Lack of Leadership
- Ten Hag was let go on Monday following United's 2-1 defeat to West Ham
- Ten Hag appointed Fernandes as captain
- Fernandes indicated that he had foreseen the turmoil
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has revealed that he spoke with sacked manager Erik ten Hag and expressed regret for not doing more to prevent his dismissal.
Ten Hag was let go on Monday following United’s 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which left the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.
Despite a 1-1 draw with Chelsea at Old Trafford on Sunday allowing them to climb one spot in the standings, the outlook remains bleak as Ruben Amorim prepares to take over from Sporting during the upcoming international break.
Ten Hag appointed Fernandes as captain and stood by the midfielder amid intense criticism. Reflecting on the situation, Fernandes acknowledged that the players share the blame for the team’s struggles. He noted the pain of not having scored until converting a penalty against Chelsea, emphasizing his sense of responsibility.
“It’s not good for anyone at the club when the manager goes,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “You have to take some of the blame on yourself because it’s the team that is not doing well, and it’s easier to get rid of a manager than 15 players. I spoke to the manager and apologized. We are not scoring goals, and I feel responsible. I usually score a lot, but I always give 100%, and he knows that.”
In a separate interview with BBC Sport, Fernandes indicated that he had foreseen the turmoil, predicting that people would suggest the players wanted Ten Hag gone. “I said everything will come to us, and people will say we wanted the manager to be sacked,” he added.
Former United captain Roy Keane, however, was critical of Fernandes’ comments, showing little sympathy for claims of loyalty to Ten Hag. “If you want loyalty, get yourself a dog,” Keane said on Sky Sports, dismissing Fernandes’ remarks as “too little, too late.” He expressed concerns about the lack of leadership within the squad, stating, “I wouldn’t want to be in the trenches with these players. A lot of them don’t care that much; they just focus on the next manager.”
Throughout the season, Ten Hag had highlighted the team’s inability to convert chances into goals, a problem that persisted against Chelsea. Alejandro Garnacho missed several opportunities, while Marcus Rashford hit the woodwork, and substitute Joshua Zirkzee squandered a clear chance on goal.
