Fernandes gives Ratcliffe plenty to think about with honest Man Utd admission
Bruno Fernandes has conceded that it will be difficult for Manchester United to secure a top-four finish after falling to a disappointing 3-1 defeat in the Manchester derby.
United took an early lead on Sunday afternoon through Marcus Rashford but ended up leaving the Etihad pointless following a disastrous second-half. Phil Foden scored twice before Erling Haaland added a third late on to ensure Manchester City would retain the bragging rights they claimed courtesy of a 3-0 win at Old Trafford back in October.
The result also means United ended the weekend still in sixth place, however, the gap to Aston Villa is now 11 points after they beat Luton Town in a five-goal thriller on Saturday evening. Unfortunately for Erik ten Hag's side, time is running out for them to usurp their Premier League rivals in the race for a Champions League place.
Speaking post-match, Fernandes was quick to admit that United now face an uphill battle to grab one of those coveted spots. The United captain insisted, though, that he and his teammates would not give up in their bid to end the season on a high.
He told Manutd.com: "We need to look forward. We don't depend only on ourselves to get into the positions we want. We're not hiding from that, we want to be in the Champions League and we want to try until the end of the season to get into that fourth place that gives you the possibility to get into the Champions League.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
"We know it's going to be hard but we have to do everything that is in our hands that we can do going into the next game at home. We know that our fans will be there over and over again. They've been behind us, they push us. Next game we have to go there and win that game."
United's slim chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League will not be lost on part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has already laid out some of his ambitious plans for the club since acquiring a 27.7 per cent stake from the Glazer family.
Join the debate! Do you think Man Utd will finish in the top-four? Let us know here.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe could sack Erik ten Hag if United fail to qualify for the Champions League (AFP via Getty Images)Not only has the Ineos chief publicly expressed his desire to knock Liverpool and Manchester City "off their perch", it has also been widely reported that the petrochemicals billionaire and his team could decide to make a managerial change ahead of next season with Ten Hag's future far from secure.
Failure to secure a top-four finish could even seal the Dutchman's fate, although United still have a chance of ending the season with silverware in the form of the FA Cup.
It remains to be seen if winning that trophy alone would keep Ten Hag in a job, though, with Ratcliffe refusing to publicly endorse the former Ajax chief. A number of potential successors have already been touted including Graham Potter and Zinedine Zidane.
and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
