Bruno Fernandes doesn’t want a repeat of Sheffield United when he and his Manchester United teammates take to the Hawthorns surface to face West Brom on Sunday. Fernandes has urged his colleagues to remain vigilant and professional on Sunday and to continue their impressive away record against a side whose home form in comparison makes for ugly reading.
Bruno Fernandes said “Every game is difficult in the Premier League, every team is doing well, we played against Fulham away, they’re one of the teams who are fighting to come out of the last positions, and it was really hard. When we played against Newcastle, it was longer ago but it was more difficult to play there. As you saw, we lost against Sheffield at home – I think that was Sheffield’s second win of the season. If you’re not focused and not humble to play against teams who are not in a good moment, but they have qualities. Still, they have good players. They have a good chance to beat us, because before the game starts the chances are 50-50. It doesn’t matter if people say Manchester are better, the game starts with 50-50 chances to win – one team or the other. We have to do our work. For me, it’s about being the best Man United we can. This is the main point – it’s about being the best Man United we can – so we have to look at ourselves.”
The Portuguese midfielder, who scored the winner from the penalty spot in the reverse fixture at Old Trafford earlier this season, has experienced already what it’s like to face a side who are scrapping for their lives at the bottom of the table. As he himself outlined, United have struggled in recent weeks to see off both Fulham and Newcastle United before eventually collecting all three points on each occasion, but they weren’t as fortunate against rock bottom Sheffield United who won on their own turf.