A fortnight on from the 5-0 home humiliation by arch-rivals Liverpool, United were totally outclassed at Old Trafford once more; Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under fresh scrutiny and pressure after Manchester City won in a far more comfortable manner than the 2-0 scoreline suggested
Sunday 7 November 2021 11:06, UK
Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United are making it "too easy" for opponents as the frustrated midfielder reflected on all too familiar issues in the chastening defeat to Manchester City.
A fortnight on from the 5-0 home humiliation by arch-rivals Liverpool, their near neighbours came to Old Trafford and inflicted another home loss on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side.
The Norwegian is under fresh scrutiny and pressure after City won in a far more comfortable manner than the 2-0 scoreline suggests, with United struggling in and out of possession.
Poor defending led to Eric Bailly's own goal and then Bernardo Silva scoring on the stroke of half-time, leaving Fernandes to fume about costly traits.
"Obviously everyone is frustrated about the result, about the performance too," the Portuguese said.
"We know we can do much better and we know this is not enough for a player who is representing this big club. We have to look at the mirror.
"I'm saying again the same things probably from the last interview, but that's it.
"We have to look at ourselves, everyone at his home, understand what they can do better to help the team.
"We just have to apologise to the fans and that's it, because it was not good enough from us.
"Great atmosphere they create. They pushed us until the end, they tried to give that energy to us but from us, it was not enough."
City opened the scoring seven minutes into proceedings when Bailly turned home a cross from Joao Cancelo, whose hopeful clipped cross late in the first half Luke Shaw thought he was seeing out until Silva nipped in.
There were countless poor defensive moments by United throughout a match that would have got far uglier had David de Gea not produced a string of superb saves between the visitors' goals.
"It's always a bad time to concede a goal," Fernandes said. "The problem is the way we concede goals. It's too easy.
"As I said many, many times, if it was not David again, the result could be much more higher and worse for us.
"We have to protect better, David, because he is protecting us a lot and we have to help him because he cannot make every game eight, nine saves and then still concede goals."
United had only been three points behind City going into the match, but the loss means they ended Saturday as close to Burnley in the final relegation spot as Premier League leaders Chelsea.
"City was much better than us," Fernandes told MUTV. "They go around the pitch, they touch the ball many times, they make us run.
"It's hard to play against them. They are good and we knew that.
"Obviously when they go up with the result, it's even worse. They played much better than us today and that's it."
The international break comes as welcome respite to those connected to United, who return to action after the international break at Watford.
"Yeah, it will be long but now it's time for everyone to focus on the national team who goes on the national team," the Portuguese added.
"The ones who stay here try to work hard, recover well and be ready for the games that are coming."
Gary Neville has conceded that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is under "massive, massive pressure" following Manchester United's 2-0 defeat to Manchester City but insisted the United boss is unlikely to be sacked mid-season.
After a relatively stabilising week - United beat Spurs 3-0 and grabbed a last-minute 2-2 draw with Atalanta - they were back in the doldrums with just four touches in City's box on Saturday.
"Ole is under massive, massive pressure but the first thing that has to happen is that he needs a team with courage," said Neville.
"Up to the end of last season, the feeling here [at Old Trafford] was that there was progression because they finished second in the league. Everyone then thought that they got their recruitment right in the summer.
"So the club has not planned for this. I know there are some United fans who think the club should have acted two weeks ago because Antonio Conte was available but this club was never going to appoint Conte and they are not prepared for this moment because they have the plan behind Ole.
"I don't think there is any chance there will a decision [on the manager] during this season unless it gets so bad and it is getting to the point where it is so bad. They are 11 points off the top of the league if Chelsea win today [Chelsea drew, so United are 9 points behind] and this United squad should not be [so far] off the top. Nobody has expected this. Nobody would have expected United would sink so low at this point in the season.
"I think he has a few weeks to sort it out."
