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Sunday 13 April 2025 18:59
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has commended our travelling supporters after a disappointing 4-1 defeat to Newcastle United on Sunday.
The Portugal international spoke candidly following the game, recognising the unbreakable support throughout the season and asserting that Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon at Old Trafford is a chance to repay the fans’ commitment, in the wake of a tough afternoon on Tyneside.
“It’s a bad defeat,” he told MUTV. “I think in the first half, it was a very good first half from ourselves, second half we didn’t play as much as we should and as we could. We did some mistakes trying to play out.
“It’s big [the Lyon game now] because we’re going to play in front of our fans,” the skipper said in another post-match interview with Sky Sports. “And being in the position we are, they’re being so supportive of us today, again, and in the game.
“They were all there, waiting for us to try to cheer us up, to try to make [us] understand that they will be there for us on Thursday, and I’m pretty sure they will be there.”
High in the St James’ Park stands, our fans could indeed be heard until chanting for their team until the very end of the game, and it’s moments like those that makes the captain determined to turn things around against Les Gones.
“They’ve been there all season, through all the bad moments,” Fernandes continued with Sky. “And it’s time for us to understand that we need to give something back.
“The Europa League, it’s a chance now to get into the semi-final. This team will be putting everything out, as we always do, even if the results are not always on our side, we always do.
“It’s difficult for everyone when you are in these kinds of positions, because they want so much to give to the club, they want so much to win with this club, because they know how much they will be remembered if they win something with this club.”
The 30-year-old was then asked whether his fellow Reds have the character to bounce back from a result like Sunday’s against Newcastle. There wasn’t a twitch of doubt from Fernandes.
“I don’t need to believe,” he said. “I need to see what we’ve done in the past and, in tough moments, we have come out and done a great performance again, against the biggest clubs.
“[It is] probably where we play our best football, in decisive games where everyone is watching, and this is going to be one against Lyon: big team in France, big team with a lot of history in European competitions.
“But we are Man United, so we have to step up. We have to do everything we can to win the game, and I’m pretty sure that my team-mates and myself, together with all the staff, together with all the fans and the club.
“We’ll be together to win that game.”
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Sunday 13 April 2025 18:59
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