Manchester United have a chance to win a trophy after a disappointing season in the Premier League.
The scene sounds similar to 2024/25 when Manchester United went into the FA Cup as underdogs against Man City, after finishing eighth in the Premier League.
Fast forward one year and Erik ten Hag has been sacked, only to be replaced by Ruben Amorim.
Amorim has been unable to improve United’s league form but the Red Devils remain unbeaten in the Europa League after reaching the final against Tottenham Hotspur. It’s a chance to secure Champions League qualification, but nobody believes it would be enough to ‘save’ the season as United are destined to finish just above the relegation zone.
It suggests that United remain a cup team, too. Especially if they can overcome Tottenham in Wednesday night’s European Cup final.
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images
Bruno Fernandes takes responsibility for Man Utd shortcomings
This week saw Bruno Fernandes named Manchester United’s Player of the Year after a vote took place among fans.
Fernandes is United’s top scorer and most influential player by some distance.
While nobody can take his fourth Player of the Year award away from him, Fernandes believes he should have done more to help the team this season.
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After being credited for being United’s best player and showing consistency in a difficult season for the team, Fernandes gave a brutally honest response, telling CBS Sports, “No, because it doesn’t matter how consistent you are as a player. You need your team to be consistent, you know, and if your team is not consistent, you’re not consistent.
“So, I’ve not been consistent enough to help my team because I should have been more. I should have been more so, I could have helped more the team.
“But the main thing I want and – I was even joking with Josh [Zirkzee] the other day – that we were talking about the awards. They were saying, ‘Oh, who’s going to win the award of player of the season?’ Blah, blah, blah. And they were kind of making a joke and I said, ‘I hope next year I’m not even involved in the name and do the same season I did this year and not be named in winning that trophy. That will mean that we’ve step up. Amad step up. Garnacho step up. Rasmus step up.
“These people that play up front, if they start scoring goals, if they start doing the assist, if they start running backwards and tackling and everything, they will be the ones having attention and not me. I will be the most happy person in the world because I’m there to help my teammates to get the best out of them. That’s all I want to do because I know when as soon as I can get the best out of them, my team will be much better than it actually is.”
Former United captain Roy Keane has tipped Fernandes to show his influence in the final against Tottenham. It would help United get the desired result in Bilbao.
Man Utd players with most appearances
Bruno Fernandes, along with Noussair Mazraoui, are joint second for most appearances this season.
The United duo are tied on 55 appearances after a busy campaign that saw the Red Devils suffer 18 defeats in the Premier League.
They trail Alejandro Garnacho, who has made 57 appearances throughout the season.
Player Appearances
Alejandro Garnacho 57
Noussair Mazraoui 55
Bruno Fernandes 55
Diogo Dalot 51
Most Manchester United appearances this season
Diogo Dalot would be up there at the top if he didn’t suffer an injury towards the end of the season, although the Portuguese full-back could return in time for the final.