Manchester United midfielder Bruno Fernandes cut a frustrated figure after being substituted in his team's 1-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening.
The Portuguese ace was brought off in the 67th minute by interim manager Ralf Rangnick and looked devastated with the decision. The substitution did little to stop United slipping to a European defeat, ensuring their wait for a major trophy enters a sixth year.
Fernandes looked just as upset at full-time, as former Liverpool and Barcelona striker Luis Suarez consoled him on the pitch. The 27-year-old is yet to win a major trophy since his move to United from Sporting Lisbon in January 2020.
Atletico have reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League thanks to Renan Lodi's first-half header at Old Trafford. Fernandes was also annoyed at referee Slavko Vincic, who booked just two Atletico players - despite committing 12 fouls. He was also frustrated at his decision not to award a foul in the build-up to Lodi's goal.
On the difference between United and Atletico, Rio Ferdinand told BT Sport: "The Atletico team had a group of reliable men that would go out there and do whatever the manager has asked them. They understood the job at hand and worked together as a team.
"Whereas, United are all looking at each other wondering, 'Who’s going to pull a magic trick out of the hat? Who’s going to pull us out of danger? Ronaldo did it at the weekend but who’s next?' It’s not about the team will get us through this, it’s about a moment of brilliance from an individual."
Will Bruno Fernandes succeed at Manchester United? Let us know in the comments below!
Fernandes is enduring a tough time at United this season, scoring just nine goals in 36 appearances. He found the back of the net 28 times last term and was named the club's Player of the Season. He also won four Premier League Player of the Month awards in 2020.
The former Sporting star wasn't the only United ace to vent his frustration, as Ronaldo was seen mocking the referee after Atletico's goal. "I do not want to speak about the referee," said David de Gea at full-time. "Everyone watching can see and we cannot change it. It was not enough."
The Spanish goalkeeper went on to say: "We are really disappointed with the result. It's difficult to put into words how we feel now at the moment. We did not enough in both games to win it. It's a very disappointing day for us.
"They are a team with a lot of experience. They know how to play those Champions League games. They scored a goal then are a tough team so it was hard for us to create chances. We are out of one of the most important competitions so we are very sad."
United icon Paul Scholes has pinned the blame on Rangnick, believing he isn't an elite manager. "I don’t want to keep having a go at Ralf Rangnick, he seems really nice and comes across well in interviews, he’s very honest," said Scholes. "But, how he was chosen to be manager of this club for six months until the end of the season, I’ll never know. The coach is a massive part of it."
Pick up your Daily Mirror every day of the Cheltenham Festival for a FREE £2 shop bet with William Hill which can be used on any of the sporting action! 18 + Terms apply. See tomorrow's paper for your voucher.
