"For me, it's not a good decision" - Bruno Fernandes on his sending off in Manchester United's loss to Spurs
Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes reckons he shouldn't have been given a red card during his side's 3-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Sunday, September 29. The Portugal international admitted he fouled James Maddison but claimed match official Chris Kavanagh made an error as he didn't catch the Englishman with his studs.
Brennan Johnson gave Tottenham the lead in the third minute, leading to the visitors dominating for most of the first half. Bruno Fernandes was then sent off for the first time in a Manchester United shirt in the 42nd minute for serious foul play.
Fernandes attempted to win the ball back from Maddison, however, he appeared to slip before raising his studs and making contact with the latter's shin after diving in. Despite protesting his innocence, VAR agreed with Kavanagh's on-field decision to send Fernandes off.
Following the game, Fernandes told Sky Sports (via @TheUnitedStand on X):
"I don't take him as everyone wants to see it. I don't go in with the studs, I take him with my ankle, it's a clear foul but never a red card."
"Even Maddison when he gets up, he said it was a foul but never a red card. You can see it's never a red card and if it is, we have to look at many other incidents. I have many incidents against me and I've never seen it come so quick as a red card."
He added:
"The contact is not that strong. If he wants to give me a yellow because it's a counter-attack, I agree and I don't know why VAR doesn't call the referee to the screen. For me, it's not a good decision."
"I want to say I left my team-mates one man down, I appreciate everything they did on the pitch. We didn’t start the game well with 11 players and then they did very well. It was difficult to cover all of the spaces, there are many good things we can take away from this. I am proud of the team."
Fernandes is now expected to miss three league fixtures for Manchester United - against Aston Villa (October 6), Brentford (October 19), and West Ham United (October 27).
"I think his time might be up" - Robbie Savage delivers verdict on Ten Hag's future at Manchester United following Spurs loss
Football pundit Robbie Savage believes Manchester United could part ways with Erik ten Hag this week after they suffered a humiliating 3-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in their league clash.
Despite receiving INEOS' backing over the summer, Ten Hag and Co. have struggled for form this season. They are currently 12th in the league table with seven points from six games, sitting eight points behind leaders Liverpool. To make matters worse, this is Manchester United's joint-lowest points tally after six games in the Premier League, having recorded the same in 2013-14 and 2020-21.
Savage told BBC (via @UnitedStandMUFC):
"I think they've got to make a big decision this week. I think his time might be up."
Ten Hag will be hoping to reverse Manchester United's fortunes in their next fixture against Porto in the UEFA Europa League (Thursday, October 3).