30 November 2023 , 17:30
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Bruno Fernandes says every Manchester United player must look at themselves and do better – not just blunder keeper Andre Onana.
Onana was to blame as his howlers twice saw United surrender a two-goal advantage away at Galatasaray in the Champions League, ending in a 3-3 draw.
United must now beat Bayern Munich at Old Trafford in a fortnight and hope Copenhagen and Galatasaray draw in the other game if they are to reach the last 16. Although Onana was held up as United's major culprit, United skipper Bruno Fernandes said every one of Erik ten Hag's players must raise their level and improve.
“Onana knows how to manage these moments,” said Fernandes. “It's happened in the past already and it happens. He knows he needed to do better - as every one of us needed to do better - for us to have left with a good result. It's not only because of him that we left with a bad result. Everyone should be accountable for their responsibilities.
“I take my responsibility and we have to get better. We're probably one of the teams that conceded the most in the Champions League - it's been too many. We have to learn to control the games better. If we don't concede, there's a good chance to get good results, as we're a team with good offensive qualities.
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Bruno Fernandes has come to the defence of his teammate (John Patrick Fletcher/Action Plus/REX/Shutterstock)“Although we should have scored many more goals, we made too many bad decisions during the final minutes. We have to be more clever and look at our teammates who are in better positions.”
Ten Hag is set to stick by Onana - but has warned him he cannot afford any more cock-ups, with the United boss ready to give back-up goalkeeper Altay Bayindir his chance.
Bayindir, a £4.3million summer signing from Fenerbahce, has yet to make his United debut, but is primed to step in should Onana mess up again.
Ten Hag said he has been impressed with the progress Bayindir has made and has assured him he will get his chance - in what amounted to an implicit warning to Onana.
“Altay is getting used to the Premier League, and getting used to European football, which is tough when you’re coming from Turkey,” said Ten Hag. "But we’re very pleased with that process, he’s doing very well. He has to be patient, but if he works well, if he keeps his progress, he will get his chances and then he has to take this.”