Fernandes pulls no punches in damning verdict of Man United collapse

‘We have to be smart… everyone has to step up and take responsibility of their own mistakes’: Bruno Fernandes pulls no punches in damning assessment of Man United’s Champions League collapse against Galatasaray

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Bruno Fernandes warned his wounded Manchester United team-mates they must ‘step up and take responsibility of their own mistakes’ after Erik ten Hag’s side threw another two-goal lead away in the Champions League.

A goal and an assist from Fernandes set United on their way with a 2-0 lead inside 18 minutes.

But things would unravel as goalkeeper Andre Onana made two mistakes on two Hakim Ziyech free-kicks and now United’s Champions League hopes hang by a thread at the end of a 3-3. draw. 

‘It’s really hard. We conceded really bad goals. We have to take control of the situations in all of them,’ a frustrated Fernandes told TNT Sports.

‘We were on top of the game twice and we had far too many chances to have the game closed. We were not clinical enough.’

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was exasperated that another lead was let slip

Kerem Akturkoglu came off the bench to punish Manchester United in a thrilling 3-3 draw

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Pressed on how another two-goal lead escaped them on a night where they needed to win, Fernandes was out of explanations. 

‘It’s too hard to be honest, I don’t want to be too negative,’ he continued. 

‘But what we have been doing in the Champions League is not enough. It is not the first game we’ve had like this. We have to secure the result.

‘We have to understand in these types of games and stages we have to be smart enough and manage the game better. 

‘Everyone has to step up and take responsibility of their own mistakes. Now we don’t depend on ourselves but it is what it is.’

The draw means United’s destiny is now not in their own hands heading into Matchday Six, where they host runaway group winners Bayern Munich. 

Andre Onana made two mistakes in a nightmare evening for the goalkeeper in Istanbul

It was a frustrating night for Manchester United though, particularly given two of the three goals were lifted via mistakes. 

Galatasaray’s first was a free-kick that went in goalkeeper’s side after Onana miscalculated the trajectory and stepped to his left as it went in to his right. 

The second, also scored from a free-kick by Ziyech, was even more egregious as Onana spilled into the net from close range. 

Akturkoglu’s equaliser was a stunning strike but it left a lot to be desired about Manchester United’s defending down the left. 

The whole episode evoked memories of their collapse in Copenhagen, and how they threw the game away at home to Galatasaray. 

But Fernandes was out of ways to explain mistakes. 

Fernandes called on his team-mates to stand up and take ownership of their own mistakes

‘I have nothing to explain,’ he said.

‘We concede the two goals and there’s nothing we can do now. Obviously we could have done better with those two goals but it is what it is.

‘Every time we conceded a goal we had many chances to score again. At the end of the game we had four chances. 

‘We have to lift our heads up and try to get the best players in the best positions and not take chances ourselves. 

‘We need to put the team first. It was mistakes by ourselves on the goals we conceded.’

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