Bruno Fernandes rubbishes rift in Man United dressing-room; says more identity under Rangnick
Bruno Fernandes believes Manchester United have "more identity" under interim boss Ralf Rangnick and insists stories of dressing-room unrest are nonsense.
FollowManchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes has dismissed rumours of a rift in the dressing-room and insisted that the team have 'more identity' under interim manager Ralf Rangnick.
The German replaced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in November last year and has led the Old Trafford side to a recovery in the Premier League, having picked 25 points from 12 games and taking United to fourth spot from sixth. Only league leaders Manchester City have picked up more points in the same period.
Although United has seen a marked improvement in their performance, speculation of discontent in the dressing-room continued to do the rounds, prompting several players, including captain Harry Maguire and forward Marcus Rashford, to speak out in the open.
Ahead of United's trip to Atletico Madrid for their first leg of the Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday, Fernandes rubbished such speculations and highlighted the team's unity in the weekend's 4-2 win over Leeds United.
Addressing the media, the Portuguese said, "We have to follow what the manager and staff think is the best way for us. Here at this club, I have never heard anyone complain about the tactics, and I hope no one would do."
"That doesn't respect the coach's ideas because I think we have been doing so well since he arrived. We have more identity as a team," the 27-year-old added.
"I don't know what people mean by (these reports) honestly. I was doing an interview, and they asked me about Jadon (Sancho) doing my celebration. I don't think that is something that is going in different ways. I saw the goal of Maguire, and I saw Paul (Pogba) behind him, sliding on his knees. I was slapping Maguire's head and saying, 'how can you score with that big head?" Fernandes stated.
"So, I think honestly it's just people trying to complain and make up stories about this club because we know when someone talks about us, they go around the world with their voice, and that's something they want. For us, it means nothing. We stick to the plan, and we stick together. That's the main thing - sticking together and winning together," the midfielder concluded.
Meanwhile, in the same press conference, Ralf Rangnick was asked if Champions League could derail United's efforts to finish fourth in the Premier League. Insisting that Europe's elite football competition is 'never a distraction', the German added, "That's why every team qualified, and we're desperate to qualify for next season's Champions League."
"If we want to qualify for the Champions League next season, how can it be a distraction? This is why we are playing here and why we are all here working for this club. We want to play in the Champions League, and we're playing against one of the best teams in Europe. Of course, we want to show everybody that we are able to beat this team," Rangnick added.
"Maybe it's not the biggest chance, but it's still a chance if you win the Champions League, you can also qualify for the Champions League, but in order to do that, we have to first make sure we play two top games against Atletico, and hopefully at the end of those two games we will be able to proceed into the next round," the interim manager concluded.
Wednesday's clash against Atletico will be the first time Rangnick would manage a team in the Champions League knockout phase since his Schalke side was defeated in the semi-finals by Sir Alex Ferguson's 2011 team. If the German is to win a trophy during his reign as United's interim manager, it can only be by delivering the club's fourth European Cup. The last time United won silverware was in the 2017 Europa League under Jose Mourinho.
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