Bruno Fernandes: 'I'm upset because if we show this against Liverpool why can't we do it every week?'

In his first game back after suspension Bruno Fernandes put in an exemplary captain's performance

BRUNO Fernandes and Ruben Amorim agreed that Manchester United’s impressive draw at Anfield came with the bitter realisation that their team has played so far below that standard for the majority of this season.

The point, added to a win at City in the Manchester derby, suggested that United players have few problems in getting inspired for big games, while more modest opponents prove difficult.

The situation left Amorim describing himself as “mad” and agreeing with an interviewer who suggested he looked more angry than at any time in his short United career.

And captain Fernandes included himself in the criticism as he pointed out that the next league game, at home to Southampton, needs to provoke a similar response.

“We can’t be satisfied to be honest and I'm pretty upset because if we show this today at Anfield against Liverpool, who are first in the league and has been probably the outstanding team in in the Premier League this season, why we can't do this every week?” he said.

“I wasn't worried about everyone putting in an effort for today because it's Liverpool, like everyone's going to try to do their best.

“I will probably be more worried about Southampton after this performance, that we think was already good enough and it is not. Because it's going to be a really tough one again.

“We were criticised, and fairly, because the position in the table says it all, we lost too many points. Even today, we can't be happy with the draw, because we need points more than they need to be honest.

“And it’s frustrating for me for first, because I think finally I did a proper performance overall and we said it before the game, we need much more from ourselves to get something from this season. We need to put some pride out because it isn’t enough for us.”

Amorim and Fernandes both feel this is the standard United should be setting for themselves

It was a theme with which Amorim agreed, in the wake of recent home defeats to Bournemouth, Newcastle and Nottingham Forest left him with the worst start to a United managerial career in 103 years

“It was a point, I think they deserved the point, but it's just one point and I think we should get mad and disappointed,” said Amorim. "More than the other day against Newcastle, Bournemouth, Nottingham. More than those days, today we need to be really disappointed.

“Sometimes it’s like that. Sometimes everybody's angry with my players and I have to do the opposite. Today, everybody is going to say that the lads did everything right and I'm allowed to be upset today.

“The expectations were so much different than what we saw during the game. I get more mad because of the other games. So it's even harder to understand some things, because it's not about the system, it's not about technique. It's about something else and it’s hard to understand even for the coach.” 

Liverpool dropping two points hardly represented a crisis for the league leaders but Trent Alexanxder-Arnold, in the week that Real Madrid made an initial bid for him, turned in an uncharacteristically poor display.

TV pundit Jamie Carragher had no doubt the two were connected. “Only he knows if the talk affected it, but the fact that he was so poor in the first game after Real Madrid put a bid in for him, only tells me that it must have affected him,” he said.

Arne Slot, meanwhile, obviously took a different position. “It is more difficult for Trent to play against Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot than it is the rumours in the week,” he said.

“That is my opinion and probably everyone is going to tell you it had to do with the rumours but my opinion is different.” On a day of mixed emotions for Liverpool, Slot could have seen his side lose when Harry Maguire missed a late chance for United but believed his side did enough to pick up all three points.

"People forget all the chances we had,” he said. “They had the open chance from Maguire. We had much more chances than them but in the end we could have definitely lost it with the Maguire chance."