Bruno Fernandes explains why he owes Erik ten Hag ahead of FA Cup final

Bruno Fernandes has explained that he owes Erik ten Hag after the trust he has put in him at Manchester United.

Sunday, March 5 2023 is a date that will be burnt into the minds of Manchester United fans and players for all the wrong reasons.

That Sunday evening was the fixture where Erik ten Hag‘s men suffered an embarrassing 7-0 defeat to Liverpool in what was one of the most shocking Premier League results to date.

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One key talking point from that fixture was the antics of Bruno Fernandes – captain on the day, the Portuguese midfielder was seen to be throwing an attitude, with some calling that he should be stripped of the armband.

Speaking on the day, Fernandes explained that he owes Ten Hag for showing empathy and trust to continue playing him, despite pressure from pundits and fans.

“I’m aware that he’s really happy with the way I train, the way I play, the way I show my emotions and the way I show my passion for the game,” Fernandes told BBC Sport.

“He knows I care. That’s why probably sometimes it makes you do some things that you should not do.

“But I will never do anything to make the team look bad, make my teammates look bad, or (do) something that is not good for the team. He knows that, so that’s why it protects me.

“I think that’s good because he shows you the respect, he shows you the protection, but always with the demands behind that because obviously when you protect someone you want them to give you some back, so he can have his reasons to protect you.”

Fernandes further explained that although Ten Hag is very supportive, he does not give him any free passes.

There have been multiple points when the Dutchman has demanded at seeing Fernandes express his displeasure, however, Ten Hag keeps the topics and words of those conversations private in order to maintain trust.

Fernandes explained: “He has called me to his office two or three times and said ‘Look, we have to change this, we have to change this, I think you could do it in a different way’. We had many conversations this season.”