Bruno: This team has big characters
Man of the Match Bruno Fernandes feels Manchester United showed great character after a superb 4-1 victory at St. James' Park on Saturday evening.
Our no.18 was in fine form throughout an eventful 90 minutes on Tyneside. Despite seeing his second-half penalty saved, he popped up with a brilliant strike four minutes from time and yet another assist in the latter stages of the game as United ran out 4-1 winners. Fernandes's display also scooped 37% of the votes in our Man of the Match poll as he beat the impressive Juan Mata and Marcus Rashford to the award.
"We knew it would be a difficult game against Newcastle in their home," Bruno told MUTV afterwards.
"After the goal we conceded, we played better but we need to improve. We can’t concede as many goals as we have at the start of the season, and I think everyone agrees. The most important thing is that we win. We are happy for the game today."
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Fernandes also saluted the mentality of the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's squad, coming back from an early Newcastle goal and the defeat to Tottenham last time out.
"I think the team has big characters and big players," he declared.
"What happened against Tottenham can’t happen again. We play for such a big club and such a big team. This club deserves better than that. Everyone needs to be better, starting with me, I need to look at myself first and then at what the group needs to do better.
"Today it was perfect, after that defeat. I think we need to continue improving, don’t concede goals, as I said before, and keep scoring."
It was the January signing who scored the crucial goal to put United ahead in the 86th minute after a lovely team move involving substitute Donny van de Beek, Mata and Rashford. Our no.10 cut inside and put Fernandes through on the overlap and from an acute angle, he curled the Reds into the lead.
"It was a great goal but as I said before, Rashford did what we trained,"revealed Bruno.
"Overlap from me, come inside, little touch... he gave me a great pass and I just needed to do the rest. He deserves credit.
"After he did the same with Aaron. He did a really good game, out of position. We had no Anthony [Martial] and Edinson [Cavani] wasn’t ready… Rashy did well in a position I think he can do really well in. He deserved the goal at the end."
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