Bruno Fernandes speaking before Manchester United's game against Bodo/Glimt
Bruno Fernandes speaking before Manchester United's game against Bodo/Glimt
Bruno Fernandes has admitted he is desperate to guide Manchester United to Europa League glory and repeat the success they achieved under Jose Mourinho.
United lifted Europe's second-tier competition during the 2016/17 season thanks to a 2-0 win over Ajax in Stockholm. Paul Pogba and Henrikh Mkhitaryan were the goalscorers on a memorable night for United, who had beaten the likes of Celta Vigo, Anderlecht, Rostov and Saint-Etienne to get to the final.
Fast forward eight years and United have an opportunity to win the Europa League again. Although there is still a long way to go, United sit in a promising position in the new league phase format and face Bodo/Glimt on Thursday looking to make it back-to-back wins and six games unbeaten.
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Speaking to TNT Sports ahead of the clash with the Norwegian side at Old Trafford, Fernandes sees the Europa League as a genuine competition to "target" this season.
"I see it as a target," Fernandes said. "It has to be. This club, we can't hide from it, we have to win trophies. It's about winning trophies. Either we fight for all of them or not. We have to go into every competition understanding that we have to fight and do the best we can to get into the moments where we can win something.
"As the manager said, we need time to implement everything that he wants, but at the same time, we need points. When you start to win with a foundation and with the base you have, you start to believe even more as a player and as a manager that we can do things right and the way he wants.
"For us, the Europa League is a target. It's probably the biggest target we have for the season, as silverware in a European competition - it's really big. We're still in the FA Cup, which is massive for us. We know really well from last season how much it means for us and the fans. We're still in the Carabao Cup, and in the league, we have to do the best we can to get in the highest position possible."
The clash with Bodo/Glimt will be Ruben Amorim's first game at Old Trafford. The 39-year-old led United to a 1-1 draw at Ipswich on Sunday but is set to welcomed by 70,000 plus supporters in his maiden home outing.