Man United beat Burnley to register their first win of the season three days after a farcical League Cup elimination by Grimsby.
Fernandes and De Ligt embrace at full-time
Manchester United defender Matthijs de Ligt has thrown his backing behind head coach Ruben Amorim amid speculation over his future.
United’s League Cup elimination by fourth-tier Grimsby Town on Wednesday plunged the club into an early-season crisis but they recovered with a last-gasp 3-2 win against Burnley in the Premier League on Saturday.
Odds on Amorim to leave United were shortened in midweek and the Portuguese admitted on Friday that “sometimes I want to quit”, though United sources claimed that was tongue-in-cheek.
Bruno Fernandes converted a 97th-minute penalty to secure United’s first win of the campaign against promoted Burnley ahead of the September internationals. United resume their season at Manchester City on September 14.
When asked if he hoped that Amorim would remain in charge, De Ligt replied: “Yeah, of course. I mean, as a player you are responsible for the results.
“They (outside the club) always speak about the manager, obviously, but I think as players we also looked each other in the eye after Grimsby and said to each other ‘guys, the performance of this week is not acceptable’. It will be really, I think, bad to say that it’s the manager’s fault. It’s mostly us and we know that.
“So yeah, obviously we still stand behind him, and he stands behind us, so we keep going like that. I think the result for today makes that feeling even more.
“I don’t think there’s been much said (among the players) because everybody knows how the feeling was. I think everybody from outside could also understand what the feeling is if you lose a game like that.
“So, yeah, it’s not easy. We know that. We were really disappointed, in ourselves especially, so then to win today was I think the only cure that could a little bit help the defeat of Wednesday.
“I find it quite good (playing under Amorim). I feel good, I feel physically good.”
Fernandes celebrates
United had 20 more attempts at goal than Burnley, who scored twice from six efforts until Jadon Anthony was penalised for tugging Amad’s shirt inside the area in added time.
Had Burnley held on, United would have failed to win any of their first three Premier League games for the first time since 2014.
“I think the only thing that counted today was a win,” De Ligt added. “Everybody saw how. We know we could have done that better, but the win was the most important thing.
“I think pretty much that first half was really good. I think we had a lot of big chances. Obviously we had some and we didn’t score all of them, but we created a lot of big chances. I think we conceded just one shot from the penalty spot from Hannibal, so that was really good.
Mbeumo put United 2-1 up
“The only thing is that the game is 90 minutes, today even more, so that’s something that we have to improve on. As I said, today the only thing that counted was a win so with that I am really happy.”
Fernandes missed from 12 yards in the 1-1 draw with Fulham last week but converted both kicks in the marathon shootout defeat at Grimsby before notching his 39th penalty goal for United against Burnley.
“I couldn’t do it, I think, as a penalty taker,” De Ligt said of Fernandes’ calmness. “Really happy with Bruno today that he stepped up to the penalty and that he scored a goal. It is really important for us.”