SUMMARY
- Erik ten Hag revealed that Bruno Fernandes had been playing with a serious injury for the last two games.
- During the match, Nottingham Forest's Felipe grabbed Fernandes by the neck.
Erik ten Hag has slammed Nottingham Forest for their treatment against Bruno Fernandes in the FA Cup. Manchester United walked away 1-0 winners against Nottingham Forest in the 5th round of the FA Cup on February 28.
Bruno Fernandes assisted Casemiro in the 89th minute for the winner even though he was not 100% fit coming into the match. Erik ten Hag came out all guns blazing after the match to criticize their opponents of the night as well as social media fans of the soccer community.
Erik ten Hag reveals Bruno Fernandes has been playing with an injury for the last two games
The Dutch manager revealed: “You saw? Forest were targeting him. He had a serious injury and he did his best to be part of the game and help the squad”. He went on to add: “Social media criticize him. It’s pathetic. He has a very high pain threshold. It shows his leadership.”
🔴⚠️ Ten Hag on Bruno: “You saw? Forest were targeting him. He had a serious injury and he did his best to be part of the game and help the squad”.
“Social media criticise him… it’s pathetic. He has a very high pain threshold. It shows his leadership”. pic.twitter.com/TZevcYrZex
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 29, 2024
It was revealed by the manager that captain of Manchester United has been playing with an injury for the last two games. The midfielder was walking around feigning an injury during Manchester United’s loss to Fulham in the last match.
Reports claimed that the midfielder was injured in the match after a tackle from Sasa Lukic during the league match on February 24. The Dutch manager has confirmed those reports and called out the fans to respect the midfielder and his leadership qualities.
Nottingham Forest star grabs Bruno Fernandes by the neck
Bruno Fernandes’ assist wasn’t the major talking point from the tie, surrounding the Portuguese midfielder. The biggest talking point came in the dying minutes of the match when Nottingham Forest defender, Felipe, grabbed the neck of the Portuguese midfielder amidst a clash between the players.
There was no card given to Nottingham Forest’s Felipe after this incident involving Bruno Fernandes. pic.twitter.com/1KjwE754kv
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) February 28, 2024
The Manchester United fans were left fuming when Felipe dodged a red card even after the intervention from VAR. Many fans on social media pointed out that their midfielder Casemiro was sent off for a similar incident in February 2023 against Crystal Palace. The double standards from English officials have added more pressure on using VAR in the English league and cup competitions.
Bruno Fernandes’ output is down from last season
Bruno Fernandes has been feeling the heat on social media from online fans due to decreased goal-scoring output in the 2023/24 season. He has made 35 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions. In these appearances, he has only scored seven goals and eight assists for the side.
Erik ten Hag claims recent criticism of Bruno Fernandes is “pathetic” and suggests Nottingham Forest targeted the Manchester United captain during their FA Cup game 🔴🗣️ pic.twitter.com/jGBBTU2Fhc
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 29, 2024
In comparison, he scored 14 goals and 15 assists in 59 appearances in the last season. The Portuguese needs to step up his output if he wants to match his return from last season. Amidst these struggles, Erik ten Hag has called for patience from the fans by pointing at the leadership qualities and never-die attitude of Fernandes.
The Dutch manager might rest the Portuguese midfielder in the upcoming matches with Manchester United, considering the severity of the injury. The English club is set to travel to Etihad Stadium for the Manchester Derby against Manchester City on March 3. After the derby, they are set to host Everton in a league clash on March 9 followed by Liverpool in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup.