Bruno Fernandes Demands High Standards at Manchester United

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes sets high targets for the team, saying they must win every game to meet the club's expectations.

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has emphasized the importance of maintaining high expectations at the club, despite their struggles this season. Fernandes, who scored a stoppage-time winner against Rangers in the Europa League, stressed that the team's fans should not lower their standards. He believes that the club's rich history and tradition of success demand that the team strives to win every game.

Fernandes' comments came after Manchester United's hard-fought 2-1 victory over an under-strength Rangers side on Thursday. The win has brought United closer to securing direct passage to the Europa League last 16. However, the team's recent form at Old Trafford has been a concern, with four losses in their previous five home games. Manager Ruben Amorim had even described the team as “the worst” in the club's history, highlighting the need for improvement.

In an interview with TNT Sports, Fernandes reiterated the importance of winning every game at Manchester United. “At this club, you need to win every game, you know that if you don't win games here it is going to be difficult, there are going to be tough moments,” he said. Fernandes wants the team's fans to maintain high expectations and demand success from the players. “This is a massive club that is used to winning games. I hope that our fans never get used to losing games, even in this tough experience. I want them to feel like this team has to win every game,” he added.

Manchester United's Europa League campaign is nearing a crucial juncture, with a point away to Romanian side FCSB next week likely to secure a top-eight finish and avoid the playoff round. Manager Ruben Amorim has been eager to advance directly to the last 16, as this would provide him with valuable time on the training ground to implement his ideas. However, United captain Bruno Fernandes has set his sights higher, targeting victory in the competition's final in Bilbao in May.

Fernandes emphasized the importance of securing a win against Rangers, stating: “Today was important to get the win because we want to get through in the Europa League, we want to go to the final.” He also highlighted the benefits of finishing in the top eight, saying: “We want to be in the first eight so we avoid playing two more games.” United's recent form has been marked by late heroics, including a comeback victory over Southampton last week. Amad Diallo's hat-trick helped United recover from a 1-0 deficit to win 3-1.

“He’s eager to learn, eager to listen and he has big, big qualities.” 📈@B_Fernandes8 had a lot to say about that Toby Collyer performance last night 👏#MUFC || #UEL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 24, 2025

Fernandes has called for his side to demonstrate greater consistency throughout matches, rather than relying on late surges to rescue results. “It is not about proving the character, we have to prove that in the 90 minutes, we can't only bring that out when we concede a goal or something goes against us,” he said. Fernandes emphasized the need for United to maintain a high level of performance throughout the entirety of a match. “We need to be consistent through the 90 minutes, it does not matter about the result, we always have to be trying to find a way to win the game. Unfortunately for us, we conceded a late goal and had to score a late winner,” he added.