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'We can't drop as many points as we do at home' – Fernandes demands trophy & improvement from Man Utd
The Portuguese playmaker is determined to get his hands on major silverware at Old Trafford, with semi-final setbacks becoming all too familiar
Bruno Fernandes is demanding that Manchester United stop dropping so many points at home and land themselves a trophy after four years without tangible success.
The Portuguese playmaker has made no secret of the fact that he is a bad loser and wants all of those around him at Old Trafford to adopt a similar mindset.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will be hoping to see the winning mentality of a talismanic figure rub off on the rest of the Red Devils squad, with consistency across multiple competitions still proving elusive.
What has been said?
Fernandes told FourFourTwo when asked how United can improve: “We need to win more matches.
“We can't drop as many points as we do at home, but we've been in second, and at the start of the season there weren't many people who were saying United would be second.
“After a few games and a bad start, nobody was saying United could reach the top of the table, but we ignored what people were saying on the outside. We knew what we had said on the inside, we had confidence that things would improve, and they did. We still have to be the best United we can, but we have improved.”
Fernandes added on the need to secure major silverware: “We can't think of anything else at this club.
“United is made for trophies and the whole mood is around that. We reached the semis [of the League Cup] and lost to City, but that's not enough. That wasn't our time – we need to be in finals, and to win them.”
United’s record on home soil in 2020-21
The Red Devils have taken more points on their travels this season than they have at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer’s side remain unbeaten away from home, but have suffered four defeats in their own backyard.
They have also been held in three Premier League outings in Manchester, with only eight victories taken from 15 fixtures.
United’s defensive record on the road is also better than when running out on home soil, with seven fewer goals conceded (13 compared to 20).
Defeat was also suffered at Old Trafford to City in the Carabao Cup, while Paris Saint-Germain collected a Champions League group-stage win during a productive visit to England.
Can a trophy be secured this season?
Arch-rivals Manchester City continue to ease their way towards the Premier League title, with United left 14 points off the pace.
The Red Devils have already seen other routes to domestic silverware in the FA Cup and Carabao Cup shut off, leaving them with just one more shot at glory in 2021.
Solskjaer’s side are into the quarter-finals of the Europa League, where they will meet Granada, but have made a habit of tripping up before trophies come into reach.
Four semi-final setbacks have been suffered in the space of 12 months, with Fernandes among those eager to see a concerning wrong righted in the not-too-distant future.
