Ruud can't fault team's performance

Bruno Fernandes’s 70th-minute penalty sent the Theatre of Dreams - and our interim head coach – wild, after Rasmus Hojlund had been fouled by Robert Sanchez.

A win over the ascendant Blues would have been the perfect tonic to end a challenging week, but it wasn’t to be, as Moises Caicedo struck four minutes later with a well-taken volley to ensure Enzo Maresca’s side returned to London with a point.

Ruud named several players he felt competed particularly well against the Blues, as he shifted his focus towards the visit of PAOK in the Europa League on Thursday, in his interviews with the broadcasters…

LADS GAVE IT THEIR ALL

“I’m slightly disappointed we didn’t take the win, to be honest. I think we had the better of the chances in the game. Garna was close three times, Marcus hit the post with a great attack and Bruno in the last couple of minutes where he had the shot, when it bounced off one of the Chelsea defenders. Overall I think the performance of the players was fantastic. They left their all out there on the pitch and in the end, of course, we settled for a draw.”

PENALTY A SPECIAL MOMENT

“It was a great moment, when you hear Old Trafford explode. Bruno did well taking it and then the emotions come out. It’s special, I enjoyed every second of it and I will do so for the time being. I’m here to help, after that even more and I will get behind the new manager and make sure the club grows. Yeah, I was happy for the team and for the club and the fans. It’s similar [to being a player].”

PLENTY OF GOOD PERFORMANCES

“I think today what you saw, against a very good Chelsea side we competed very good. I think we had the better chances, I felt slightly disappointed we didn’t take the three points. This is the way forward for this group of players and I saw some great performances today, I saw some excellent performances. I have to say from the back, Lisandro and Matthijs did a great job. I think Nous Mazraoui had an excellent game and Casemiro is doing a great job. Bruno took the responsibility; he was involved in all the attacks. I don’t think anyone really missed out today.”

TOP TEAM SPIRIT

“I think the players take a lot of responsibility. They also know they needed to change and I tried to help them, get them focused on their jobs and get the best out of them and motivate them to become the best they can. I can do that for two more games. It’s a good group of players, a good group of people and I think what you saw today was a team with spirit that left everything they had on the pitch. You saw the connection there with the fans that then occurs and that’s what we’re looking for. I can’t wait to build on that for Thursday.”

THE WINS ARE GOING TO COME

“Against Leicester we finished our chances, we had some luck. Sometimes you need some luck, but it’s taking the chances, keeping up the spirit and the fight in the team to not give so much away, like today, and then we’re going to start winning games.”

IMPORTANCE OF NEXT GAMES

“We are behind the new manager and everybody at the club is first of all focusing of course on the two games that are coming [PAOK and Leicester]. They are very important and we have to continue on the Leicester performance and the Chelsea performance. After that, we get behind him and work hard to make Manchester United better every day.”