Manchester United captain, Bruno Fernandes has criticized referee Chris Kavanagh for failing to apologize after a collision that disrupted his penalty routine during United’s 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Fernandes sent a first-half penalty over the crossbar after Kavanagh accidentally walked into him as he was preparing for his run-up.
While Fernandes admitted he struck the ball poorly, he was frustrated by the official’s conduct.
“I was upset,” Fernandes said.
“As a penalty-taker, you have your own routines, your own things that you do
“It upset me because the referee didn’t apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that’s not the excuse for missing the penalty.
“I had a very bad hit on the ball. I put my foot too under the ball and that’s why it ended up going over the bar.”
Manchester United Winless Start Continues
United are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season after back-to-back disappointing results: a 1-0 home defeat to Arsenal and now the draw at Fulham.
Leny Yoro’s deflected header gave United the lead in the 58th minute, but Emile Smith Rowe equalised for Marco Silva’s side 15 minutes later, ensuring the points were shared.
Speaking after the game, Fernandes lamented that the result was not good enough:
“We cannot be satisfied with one point,” Fernandes said.
“We came here to win the game. We were defending very well, but in one of them they got their goal.
“For us, it is very disappointing to not win the game today.”
Amorim: Manchester United Must “Grow Up”
Manager Ruben Amorim was visibly furious at his side’s failure to press home their advantage after Yoro’s opener, and has called for more composure and maturity:
“I think we scored the goal and then we forgot about how we play. We have to grow up a lot as a team,” Amorim said.
“The moment that changed the game was our goal. We want to win so badly, and that is a good feeling, that we scored a goal and everyone on the pitch was thinking, ‘Let’s hold on to the advantage and try to win the game.”
“For me, that is the moment that we have to enjoy more and push the opponent. We tried to press the opponent super high and left a lot of space.”
“You need to win to have the feeling to relax a little bit, not in the intensity and the way we play, but maintaining our mind.”
“We suffer a little bit in the end because the momentum changed more with the goal of Fulham.”
“In the first half we were there, we missed a penalty. Fernandes has so much responsibility with him that I felt the lack of joy [when he missed].”
“And he was thinking in the past. Now, we have to move forward no matter what happens.”
Big-Money Signings Yet to Fire
United spent £200 million this summer on attackers Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, but none have scored in their first two Premier League matches.
Amorim defended his players, saying goals would come with time:
“I think the feeling is there. The goals, we are going to score goals because we are creating so many chances,” Amorim said.
“Sesko needs time. It’s not easy to come off the bench and get into the game. It is really fast, and he is understanding that it is faster than the Bundesliga.”
“He was not on the pitch in our best moment, and we need to help him more sometimes.”
Cunha was United’s brightest spark, forcing Bernd Leno into a superb first-half save and later hitting the post, while Mbeumo’s pace and pressing caused problems without yielding a breakthrough.
Familiar Problems Resurface
The result has deepened concerns that United are repeating last season’s struggles, when they finished a Premier League-worst 15th in 2024/25. Defensive fragility, lack of midfield creativity, and goalkeeper uncertainty remain glaring issues.
Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir retained his place over André Onana despite his error against Arsenal, but once again looked shaky under pressure from Fulham’s set pieces.
Amorim is reportedly exploring options, including a potential deal for Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens, though he is not expected to be a long-term No.1.
United currently sits 16th in the Premier League with one point from two matches and now turn their attention to a Carabao Cup tie away to League Two Grimsby Town on Wednesday, followed by a league clash against Burnley on Saturday.
However, Amorim insists there are reasons for positive expectations despite the disappointing start:
“We are going to score goals because we are creating so many chances. That is the important thing,” he said.
