Manchester United stars are away with the international break in full flow and they’ll return with a match against Everton on their minds. Ruben Amorim’s side drew 2-2 with Tottenham before players jetted off to represent their countries.
After a lacklustre start to the campaign United are sitting seventh in the Premier League, just four points off second place. They have not lost a top-flight fixture since late September.
The Toffees will be their opponents when a select group returns from international duty and one star who has jetted away with Portugal is captain Bruno Fernandes.
His nation faced Ireland on Thursday when Cristiano Ronaldo saw red and Fernandes has broken his silence on the matter. Mirror Football brings you all the latest updates from Old Trafford, including a defender’s continued struggles and a club legend blasting Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Bruno Fernandes on Cristiano Ronaldo error
United captain Fernandes is away with Portugal but was suspended when they faced Ireland on Thursday. Two goals from Troy Parrott gave the hosts a 2-0 advantage before half-time.
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As Portugal tried to get back in the tie, record goalscorer Ronaldo was shown a red card in the 61st minute for a swinging elbow. Fernandes has come to the defence of the former United forward, but admits this “mistake” did cost Portugal.
“It was just a football moment,” said Fernandes ahead of his country’s match with Armenia. “Cristiano reacted in a way he didn’t intend and it cost the team. He knows he made a mistake but such moments happen.”
“Ireland defended well. We moved the ball too slowly. We need to be quicker and more direct. But we analyse mistakes the same way in wins or losses.”
Matthijs de Ligt’s woes continue
Dutchman Matthijs de Ligt has been solid at the back under Amorim this season but it appears Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman does not highly regard him. He has regularly been excluded from teams and squads by Koeman over the last 12 months but was recalled this week.
However, when the Netherlands faced Poland on Friday, De Ligt, signed by United for £40m from Bayern Munich in 2024, was limited to zero minutes from the bench – only adding to his international woes. His side drew 1-1 and Koeman unleashed on his defence, despite not utilising De Ligt.
“In certain situations, we need to be more patient and improve our defence,” admitted Koeman after his team’s draw on Friday evening.
“Poland didn’t have many opportunities, but they created two clear goal-scoring chances, while we failed to capitalise on such opportunities.”
Eric Cantona takes aim
Much has been made of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s tenure as a minority owner at Old Trafford and one club icon has issued a particularly scathing review.
Frenchman Eric Cantona believes that the legacy of the legendary manager he played under, Sir Alex Ferguson, has been diminished by the current regime.
“I have many other passions and projects, but I thought that for two or three years I could maybe put those to the side and try to give something to this club, which has given everything to me. But [Ratcliffe] didn’t seem interested,” said Cantona at the live show An Evening with Eric ‘The King’ Cantona.
“I did what I had to do so I don’t feel guilty anymore. I tried my best. Sir Alex Ferguson created a style of beautiful attacking football, which the new owners should have used. Instead, they destroyed it.”
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