Bruno Fernandes has said that factors outside the dressing room have contributed to Manchester United's disappointing start to the season. The club captain spoke after United ended a nine-game winless run across all competitions by beating Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday night.
Victory over Roma
Fernandes scored a penalty to open the scoring at Old Trafford, with Matheus Cunha netting a brace to help Michael Carrick's side secure a dramatic 3-2 victory in the league phase fixture.
Despite that result, United remain in 17th place in the Premier League table with one fixture remaining before the international break.
Confidence and frustration
Fernandes opened up on the struggles he and the club have faced this season, explaining why results have not matched expectations.
"It's a question of confidence," Fernandes said in an interview with TNT Sport Brazil. "At this club, it's difficult when results are negative. There are a lot of factors outside the dressing room, outside of the players and the backroom staff, which make the performances of the club and what we can do on the pitch more difficult."
He added: "It affects a lot of players. Some deal with it better, some worse. We set high expectations for ourselves, and when things don't work out, we end up mentally crushed by the frustration of not being able to give the club what we believe we're truly capable of."
Long-standing issues
Fernandes acknowledged that the problems are not new, saying: "When the situation is like this, there isn't just one problem. There is more than one. There are a lot of things to improve, to do in a different way. Unfortunately for us, it's been happening for a long time, which makes things more difficult."
He also said: "We know that no one at this club [likes to] not be winning. When you sign for this club, represent this club, it's because you want something more. Unfortunately, it hasn't been the case in the last few years."
