Update: Bruno Fernandes explains why he’d prefer Man United lose the way they did against Newcastle News

Ruben Amorim’s Man United side were comfortably beaten by Newcastle on Sunday afternoon, but club captain Bruno Fernandes believes there were some positives to take from the match

Captain Bruno Fernandes has taken an optimistic view of Manchester United’s disappointing 4-1 defeat to Newcastle, suggesting it was not without its merits and that the team showed “personality.”

Despite the Red Devils sitting uncomfortably at 14th in the league and only clinching 10 wins this season, the midfielder has looked for positives. The squad, currently unsettled and underperforming, made their way to St. James’s Park while casting thoughts ahead to Thursday’s crucial home second leg against Lyon in the Europa League, their remaining shot at success this season.

Nevertheless, a crushing blow was delivered by an initial Sandro Tonali strike, followed by Alejandro Garnacho’s leveler, which was swiftly overshadowed by Harvey Barnes’ double and Bruno Guimaraes’ late effort. In spite of the harsh result, Fernandes remained upbeat in his post-match comments and suggested that he didn’t mind his side losing if they performed with a clear ethos and personality.

“We had good moments in the first half. In the second half, we ended up making some mistakes. But I prefer to lose like this, trying to play, than to lose without trying. I think the team showed personality today,” Fernandes told TNT Sports.

“Obviously, losing 4-1 is not ideal,” he continued. “But, we are starting to see more of what we want to be as a team and what we want to do.

“I think in the first half, we had great moments. In the second half, there was less ball possession, and we made mistakes that ended up costing us a lot.”

United’s defeat at the hands of the Magpies included two goals that left the Red Devils pointing fingers at themselves. Barnes’ second goal came from a slip by Noussair Mazraoui and subsequent poor defending, while Guimaraes took advantage of a calamitous error from stand-in Altay Bayindir, reports the Mirror.

“The idea was to play out from the back, try to break the lines. Knowing that they mark man-to-man almost all over the pitch, we had to take those risks,” Fernandes reflected on the errors.

“Unfortunately, at certain moments, we took risks, and that didn’t work in our favour. It worked in Newcastle’s favour. But we have to look ahead and focus on Thursday already because there’s a big game at home.”

Amorim’s side’s attention has now shifted towards the Europa League clash against Lyon, with the tie finely balanced at 2-2 ahead of the second leg at Old Trafford. Fernandes acknowledges each match’s significance but gives special importance to the forthcoming European night.

“We are aware of our position in the table, which is not what we want,” Fernandes conceded. “Obviously, thinking that it will be or could be the club’s worst season doesn’t help at all.

“So we have to focus on our objectives, and those that come next are the most important. Now we have a Europa League game, which is the most important one.

“Thursday is a special night in the Europa League. We want to move forward and be in the semi-finals. Together with our fans, I’m sure we’ll create something special and achieve a good result.”