Fernandes: 'Man Utd are not happy to be behind anyone'

- From the outside, it feels like Man Utd has become a completely different club under Erik ten Hag. So what's the view from inside the dressing room?

- Ten Hag brings ideas, discipline in training sessions, during the week, in matches. Obviously I think the most important change is results and much higher confidence at the moment. We believe the process we are going through is reasonable, and the whole team has the right beliefs. All are following the ideas that Ten Hag brought to the club.

- Not just the idea, Man Utd now feels like a cultural change in terms of discipline, higher standards and more responsible players. What do you think?

- Ten Hag demands a lot from us. He knows each player's ability and that's why he is so demanding. So I think everyone understands that they have to take their place on Ten Hag's team. Otherwise, things will not be good for you. The whole team understands that from pre-season, with really tough training sessions in Thailand or Australia. No one can stop running or stopping. The whole team understands that's a set standard and everyone has to follow it.

- Set very high and strict standards. So where is the space for fun?

- It's always a pleasure to be a Man Utd player. It's always a privilege, but obviously when you get a good result, it's even better. You come to the training ground with a smile. Obviously, we are going through a great series with good results. It's great to be where we are now and it's all good to win. I think everyone clearly saw Man Utd's lack of confidence last season. Now you can see the opposite, with both the starting players and even the subs. The rookies in the summer of 2022 are also a big difference. So I think the atmosphere is obviously much better.

- He highlights the dressing room strength and confidence of the whole team. That seems to be the right combination at the right time?

"From the pre-season, ten Hagrid showed us the direction he wanted to go, the rules he wanted us to follow and the concept of football. I think all of this has made us further than the preseason. The first two defeats were not the expected results, but great progress was made afterwards. The team defeated Liverpool in the atmosphere of Old Trafford, and they understood the motivation and belief of the fans. Everyone can feel how trusting the fans are. Even in the games where United are difficult to create chances and goals, they always believe that we can win.

This is what we want, because the fans experienced a difficult period last season. We understand this because we feel very uncomfortable. We understand the feelings of the fans. Obviously, this year we can feel and understand their trust in us. They understand this process and hope that the extent of this series of results will continue. Even in difficult times, such as losing to Arsenal at Emirates Stadium, you can feel that the fans are not disappointed. Obviously, people are disappointed with the results, but they are really proud of the process and have great confidence that what will happen will actually benefit us. Therefore, United have a better playing environment and atmosphere in the stands. The trust between players, clubs, employees and fans is being built and even greater now.

- You talk about two heavy losses at the beginning of the season. Were there any doubts or concerns at the time, and how did the team and coaching staff deal with that?

"In the first game against Brighton, we created the first goal opportunity, but we didn't seize it. Brighton created an opportunity and scored. You can feel the ghost of the past. You know, it feels like we played very well, but suddenly we lost an incredible goal. The first game was very difficult, more difficult than the next game against Brentford. Because we know that we made some personal, collective and other mistakes before Brentford. There is no intention or intensity. Brentford is more eager and enthusiastic than we are. The game against Brighton was the most painful for me. It's like having a feeling that you played very well and had a good time. Suddenly, you lost the ball.

I think the turning point of this season is the game against Liverpool. The atmosphere is very good. "I think that Lissandro Martinez's first tackle made the fans stand up immediately. You can immediately feel that this must be our moment. "This must be a turning point for Manchester United. This is a game we won. It changed everything. I think from that game, United played very well until the game against Manchester City. Obviously, we got a bad result. Then we went through a series of incredible games until we lost to Arsenal. We know how difficult the Premier League is. We lost to two top teams. We want to defeat them, but we can't. At home, Manchester United proved that we can beat them.

- How do you value Man Utd's positive transformation so early under Ten Hag?

--Progress is still ongoing. We must understand that there is still a long way to go, because we hope to achieve greater goals. Ten Haggs also asked us to do the same. Sometimes I talk to ten Haggs, and he always says that he and I have the same desire. Ten Haggs are not satisfied with supporting anyone, which is very good. He has brought a culture that we can't be happy to lag behind anyone. Whenever we lead, we can't be happy to narrow the gap. I think this is a good mentality, because we can't be satisfied to play for Manchester United without winning trophies, or to become a top player.

As I said, this is a long process. It has been six or seven months since the ten hags, and things are progressing very fast. "I think this is a feeling of a longer time, because many people think that Manchester United will not be in this position now because of the early results, changes or new coaches. But obviously it depends on us, on our quality and on how well we do. Now we must continue to move forward. People may immediately forget the good results we made when we failed. "So we must continue to work hard and don't let people forget how well we play.

- How important are the qualities of quality rookies like Casemiro or Martinez to that process?

- A new player always brings something new, different because all players are different. Casemiro and Martinez bring good mentality and quality. I think Christian Eriksen also played very well. But it's important that new players help the team move forward and take a step towards understanding that we are not yet at the top level. So we know we can do much better. I think this season, Man Utd have played much better than the season, starting with me. I think the whole team is a lot more confident, playing smarter, more consistent and doing what it takes to win.

Sometimes you have to be in pain, run more or touch the ball less. That was also Ten Hag's request. The intensity, the runs or the idea of ​​football he wanted. I think Ten Hag has brought in players that he understands will fit his ideas, and I think they all fit. So we are all quite satisfied at the moment, but at the same time not satisfied because we have not achieved anything. There's still a long way to go, but I think we're on the right track.

- Ten Hag insists on wanting players to focus solely on their expertise regardless of any distractions off the pitch, and Man Utd are doing quite well. So how do you do that?

It's not difficult for me because I always focus on the game. I try to focus on what I can do. When I enter the training center and the stadium, because we can control ourselves. This is the best we can do. We know the environment and people around us. It is impossible not to know now. Manchester United always attracts a lot of attention, which will cause a lot of noise. But if you continue to do the right thing, keep the momentum, and achieve good results, the noise will become smaller and smaller. Therefore, our job is to play well and try our best to maintain our current achievements.

- Newcastle have to wait much longer than Man Utd to be in the final. How do you rate your opponent?

"I think everyone knows that Newcastle may be the biggest surprise this season. Not because of their quality, because they are an excellent club, but because they struggled in the Premier League last season. They have played very well this season. Newcastle is a very powerful club, playing very well and not losing too many goals. I think they are the best or second best defensive club in Europe. But what is more important is the performance of Manchester United. What we can do, whether in terms of level, intensity, passion or quality. No matter who the opponent is, the final is always very difficult. Their desire, passion and determination to win the championship are always at the highest level.