Bruno Fernandes has hit back at Sir Jim Ratcliffe over his claims that some Manchester United players were ‘overpaid’ and ‘not good enough’.
Ratcliffe criticised a number of United players in a series of interviews this week and Fernandes admitted that the INEOS chief and Red Devils’ co-owners comments had not gone down well in the dressing room.
Fernandes told reporters: “We need to prove ourselves every day in training, every day that we have a game.
“We can’t relax at this club.
“You know that there’s a big standard, a big attention that you get from the media, from everywhere.
“You need to realise that sometimes you need to put your focus on your game, trying to improve yourself.
“It’s not nice to hear certain things obviously.
“I don’t think that any player likes to hear criticism or things that are talked about to you, that you’re not good enough or you’re overpaid or whatever.
“Everyone has their own contract.
“The club agrees to do the contracts at the time you come here or at the time you do a new contract or whatever and it’s about yourself proving that you can be important for the club.”
Fernandes scored a hat-trick as United thrashed Real Sociedad 4-1 at Old Trafford to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
It was just the latest in a long line of talismanic performances from the Portuguese, although certain pundits continue to criticise his attitude as well as his form.
Roy Keane has doubled down on criticising the captain recently but Fernandes said he had no issue with the legendary United skippers’ views on him.
Opinions
He said: “No, everyone has an opinion and that’s fine.
“I can’t change the mind of people.
“Like everything I have to do is go on the pitch and try to do the best I can for the club.
“Roy Keane was an amazing captain for the club, one of the best as everyone says.
“I didn’t have the chance to see much from him, only last few years, but was a great player that won everything for the club.
“He’s massively respected from everyone and has all my respect.
“He has to give his opinion in a programme and this is what he thinks about me.
“What I’m doing on the pitch to try to change his mind, or trying to do something that he probably sees as a good thing.
“Obviously, I do it in my own way, I don’t want to copy anyone.
“I try to be the best captain that I can for my teammates, I try to help everyone in the best way I can and the best way I know.
“I have a lot of things to improve, not only as a captain but as a player, as a person, as a human being and that’s fine.
“Criticism is going to be always part and it’s going to make me grow and understand that there’s still a long way to go.”
Did You Know?
Fernandes revealed that he had received an offer to leave United last summer before signing a new contract. And despite the team’s dismal campaign, he insisted he was happy at Old Trafford.
He explained: “I sat with the club because I had an offer to leave, we talked about the possibility of me leaving the club or staying.
“They said what they wanted from me.
“I just asked if they still see me as part of the future of the club or not.
“I spoke at the time with Ten Hag also.
Ups And Downs
“He was very clear with me, the club was very clear with me, that they thought I would be a big part of this rebuild that they want to do in a different way.
“I heard what they had to tell me.
“I thought that we could be successful.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t start the season very well.
“Erik had to lose his job by the results we had and the performance we had, but the fault was on everyone and everyone together with the manager.
“Now we are in a different moment with a new manager that thinks in a different way, that has a different way of playing.
“I’m still very happy at the club, I’m being always happy at the club to play for this club, to represent the club is a big honour for me.
“It doesn’t matter where we are in the league, it will always be an honour for me to be at this club and I will try my best to keep the club fighting for everything we can.”
Read more: Mourinho Claims ‘VAR Didn’t See Three Penalties’ In Loss
United visit struggling Leicester City in the Premier League on Sunday, where they will be looking for their first away win in the league since beating Fulham in January.
