Bruno Fernandes has opened up about what he thinks Manchester United lacked in their derby day loss.
Speaking to MUTV, the (substitute) captain gave his thoughts on their 6-3 loss against Manchester City.
“The attitude and belief from the beginning was not the best and I think that’s what caused us a lot of problems.
“We conceded early goals and after that we had to get the result back.”
Fernandes’ assessment of the start of the game will likely do little to embolden fans, with many leaving at halftime after seeing their team go down 4-0 in the first 45 minutes.
But an improved second half at least separates this match from the humiliations that became all too common against United’s rivals last season.
Unfortunately, Antony’s goal shortly after the break wasn’t enough to turn things around, although two goals from Anthony Martial did at least keep the scoreline a bit more respectable.
For Bruno it was about having to take risks and leave gaps elsewhere:
“The second half was much better, we kept more control of the game. Every time we had the ball, we were more courageous, but obviously we were disappointed with the result, so we had to take some risks.
“Obviously you take that risk, you score immediately and then you concede more goals against a team like City. You can’t give them that much space.”
Looking ahead, the United playmaker is keen to put an end to a miserable afternoon, saying: “We have to get back to the performances we had before.”
But the disappointment is clear, as Fernandes lamented the lack of faith, particularly in light of United’s recent victories as an underdog.
“We knew this was going to be a tough game, but we’ve had tough games before and won them, so I think it’s about mindset, attitude and belief in the process.”
The Portugal star now looks ahead to a tight October schedule in which United play nine games in four weeks and Fernandes has asked his team-mates to see the grueling encounter and quick recovery as an opportunity to put things right.
“It’s a good thing. We don’t have that much time to recover, but at the same time you have to understand that it’s an opportunity to get a good result.”
