Bruno Fernandes gives Sir Jim Ratcliffe plenty to think about with honest Man Utd admission

Bruno Fernandes has given a frank assessment of Manchester United’s chances of a top-four finish (Image: Manchester United)

Bruno Fernandes, captain of Manchester United, was candid when asked about the club’s chances of making the Champions League next season.

After a disappointing 3-1 loss in the Manchester derby, Bruno Fernandes admitted that Manchester United will have a tough time finishing in the top four.

United took an early lead on Sunday through Marcus Rashford, but they were left empty-handed after a disastrous second half at the Etihad Stadium. With goals from Phil Foden and an injury-time goal from Erling Haaland, Manchester City were able to defend their October 3-0 victory at Old Trafford and keep their bragging rights.

With their five-goal thriller victory over Luton Town on Saturday night, Aston Villa widened the gap to United to eleven points, but United still finished the weekend in sixth place. Time is running out for Erik ten Hag’s team to catch up to their Premier League opponents and secure a spot in the Champions League.

Following the game, Fernandes made it clear that United would have a tough time securing one of those coveted spots. But United’s captain remained adamant that his team would not give up on their quest for a winning season finale.

We need to focus on the future,” he told Manutd.com. We can’t get where we want to go solely by relying on ourselves. We aren’t trying to hide the fact that our goal is to qualify for the Champions League and finish the season in fourth place, which opens the door to that competition.

Despite the difficulty, we must do all that is within our control in preparation for our upcoming home game. No matter what, we can count on our fans to be there for us. They have been our supporters and motivators. We need to go there and win the next game.

Part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who acquired a 27.7 percent stake from the Glazer family, is already planning ambitious things for the club, and he isn’t going to let United’s slim chances of qualifying for next season’s Champions League pass him by.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe could sack Erik ten Hag if United fail to qualify for the Champions League ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)

It has been widely reported that the petrochemicals billionaire and his team may decide to replace Ten Hag as manager before next season, as the Ineos chief has openly stated his desire to knock Liverpool and Manchester City “off their perch.” Ten Hag’s future with the team is far from guaranteed.

The Dutchman could be out of a job if United don’t finish in the top four, but they still have a shot at winning the FA Cup before the season ends.

Given Ratcliffe’s reluctance to publicly support the former Ajax chief, it is unclear if Ten Hag’s employment prospects would improve solely after winning that trophy. Numerous names, such as Graham Potter and Zinedine Zidane, have been mooted as possible successors.