Manchester United

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Former Liverpool and Tottenham midfielder Danny Murphy believes Bruno Fernandes' best quality is his bravery.

The Manchester United captain scored twice against Sheffield United on Wednesday meaning he has scored seven goals in his past five league games and 15 in all competitions this season.

"His best quality, which all the top players have, is his bravery" Murphy told Match of the Day. "He continuously tries to create and make things happen for his team when others are hiding.

"He is a wonderful technician. He shows up week in week out and his durability is great. He has done really well in the Premier League."

Watch the full episode of Match of the Day on BBC iPlayer

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Manchester United are to subsidise FA Cup final tickets to allow under 16s to attend the Wembley showpiece with Manchester City for as little £5.

Last season, United gifted fans a bucket hat for the final, having provided them with a scarf for the Carabao Cup final victory over Newcastle earlier in the campaign.

However, following discussions with the club’s Fans Forum, it has been decided to make a financial contribution, which amounts to £30 for every cup final ticket purchased by an under-16 season ticket holder.

The club say this underlines their commitment to young supporters.

“Promoting and investing in youth is part of the fabric of this football club and we are proud to offer more support to our young fans,” said director of fan engagement Rick McGagh.

“We know two trips to Wembley – and three for those also attending the women’s FA Cup final - in the space of a month is expensive for all fans, but especially so for young fans who usually attend with other family members.

"We look forward to having lots of our young supporters cheering the team on at Wembley.”

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Not for the first time in recent days, Erik ten Hag's view of a Manchester United performance was at odds with that of the media.

Sat in the press box, United looked disjointed against Sheffield United at Old Trafford last night.

Twice they found themselves behind against a team who rarely win before two goals near the end secured a precious victory.

United have now conceded at least two goals in five successive games, merely adding to the sense of chaos at the club.

Ten Hag was asked afterwards what new technical director Jason Wilcox would have made of the mess as he watched from the posh seats.

"I have seen a different game, sorry," said Ten Hag. "We were totally in control.

"We can talk about two negatives - the goals - one due to focus, one due to lack of discipline. For the rest, I think we were in total control.

"We outplayed them. We were calm, didn't let them run and had many connections, from one side to the other. Also, we did well defending and created a lot of chances."

We asked for your views on Manchester United's 4-2 win over relegation-threatened Sheffield United on Wednesday night.

Here are some of your answers:

Manchester United fans

Christine: The win is papering over the cracks and, as an Erik ten Hag fan, I am finding it more and more difficult to defend him. There is no structure and the players are constantly not turning up for work, Marcus Rashford being one of them. It is a relief that we beat Sheffield United, but the fear is the next game and what team turns up then.

Peter: Shocked - even more shocked than before. I'm glad we scored four goals, but to concede two goals so easily is extraordinary. But, it's United's season. I don't think Ten Hag has complete control of this team, the players are so disjointed and have been all season. Normally it would improve, but amazingly it has actually got worse. Lost for words.

Lucy: Much better than the Coventry game. We are still not there just yet, but Harry Maguire is showing his class once again, Rasmus Hojlund is back on the scoresheet, and we are all talking about Bruno. It's time to sort out the defence and the hesitation now.

Ewan: We got there in the end. A decent win. Bruno had a good game and I was glad to see the real player emerge for one game. I thought there were still frailties and both goals were naive. We still can't control games, even against weak opposition - no disrespect. The highlights for me were Hojlund's goal and Ethan Wheatley's debut. He looks great in the under-18s and we need our youth now!

Sheffield United fans

Rugster: We are playing well in the 5-3-2 formation. We would have been 2-1 up if it wasn't for a dodgy penalty. There were terrible substitutions yet again! Chris Wilder took Archer off for McAtee, so we had to shift to 5-4-1 which hasn't worked all season. We have no out balls and teams batter us when we play like this. Then we swapped to 4-5-1 for the last 20 minutes and we folded. I'm seriously questioning Wilder 2.0.

Bob: Same old, same old. We can’t defend for toffee. Let's see how we get on back in the Championship. I think we need a complete clear out of those both on and off the pitch!

Gary Lineker introduces highlights and analysis from Wednesday night's four Premier League fixtures as well as the goals from Tuesday's game.

If you missed Match of the Day, you can catch up on the action on BBC iPlayer.

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Another fixture and another difficult night for Manchester United narrowly avoided.

On Wednesday, the Red Devils had to twice come back from behind against Sheffield United, eventually avoiding what would have been a humiliating loss to a side who have won just three times this season.

The victory came three days after a narrow FA Cup semi-final win in a penalty shoot-out against Championship outfit Coventry City.

"Where they are now has got to be better," former Premier League midfielder Michael Brown told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast.

"I listen to Erik ten Hag and he says the best they have played recently was 70 minutes against Coventry City. This is Manchester United? "I know they have injuries and a depleted back four, but the more I listen to him the harder it gets for me.

"They have got to do more. There is all sorts wrong with the club and I think the manager is misguided."

Captain Bruno Fernandes carried the team over the line, levelling from the penalty spot before driving Manchester United in front from 25 yards nine minutes from time.

"They are still relying on individual moments of brilliance rather than having a structure of people being where they need to be," added former Nottingham Forest winger Andy Reid.

"If I look at them and the players they have, they have one of the best attacking teams in the league. But I do not see their structure."

Listen to full reaction on BBC Sounds

Manchester United are interested in Brentford and England striker Ivan Toney. The club believe the 28-year-old would bring experience and leadership to their dressing room. (90min), external

Meanwhile, United could look to move on as many as 12 players this summer, including 26-year-old England forward Marcus Rashford and 32-year-old Brazil midfielder Casemiro. (Mirror), external

The Red Devils are interested in a move for 28-year-old Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy, with Arsenal also linked with the Frenchman. (L'Equipe - in French), external

Erik ten Hag will face a 25% pay cut if he remains as manager, with the club set to miss out on Champions League qualification. (ESPN), external

Want more transfer news? Read Thursday's full gossip column

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Bruno Fernandes can be immensely frustrating sometimes.

Even at Old Trafford against Sheffield United, he started the game by twice going down holding his face, when it turned out he was able to continue without needing treatment.

But, in this chaotic Manchester United side who can find themselves in trouble almost at will, Fernandes retains the sense of calm that allows supporters to believe their team can be rescued.

That attribute came to the fore in this game.

Fernandes kept his nerve to drive home a second-half equaliser from the penalty spot, then found the corner with a 25-yard effort worthy of winning any game.

The Portugal international then combined industry with invention to create Rasmus Hojlund's first goal since February.

With Fernandes to the fore, United should at least claim a Europa League spot next season. And for that they can be grateful.

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Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag speaking to BBC Match of the Day: "Many positives today. The resilience to fight back after losing two times. But also there were negatives. We gave it away, it can't happen, unacceptable, we have to learn from this.

"But I'm happy with the win and we need to move on."

On his side's reaction to falling behind: "Have you seen some panic? No, not at all, we were very composed. We kept making chances throughout the game."

On if the final 15 minutes were his side at its best: "No, the 70 minutes at Wembley was much better. We can play very good in moments. It's not easy when there are many changes."

On Casemiro's performance: "I think he's a very good centre-back, together with Harry [Maguire]. Very stable in and out of possession."

On Bruno Fernandes: "He's very consistent. At the moment he's in very good form.

"We are striving to progress the team. The number of goals we are scoring in this moment is a huge progress. If we have our back four back, then I'm sure we will be more consistent."

Here are the key facts and figures from Manchester United's 4-2 win over Sheffield United in the Premier League on Wednesday night.

• Sheffield United have conceded 92 goals in the Premier League this season, the most by any side in a 38-game campaign in the competition's history.

• Manchester United scored four goals in a Premier League home game for the first time this season, with their last such instance coming in May last year against Chelsea (4-1).

• Manchester United have conceded 50 Premier League goals this season. They have now conceded 50 or more in two of their past three campaigns, having done so in just one of the first 29.

• Bruno Fernandes has scored seven goals in his past six league appearances, as many as he had in his previous 45. With a brace tonight, this is the first time he has scored two or more goals in back-to-back Premier League games.

• Jayden Bogle scored his third league goal of the season, with the others coming against Manchester City and Chelsea. He's just the second Sheffield United player to score against both Manchester clubs in a Premier League campaign, along with Brian Deane in 1992-93.

• Ben Brereton Diaz has scored five goals in just 10 Premier League appearances this season, with only Oli McBurnie netting more for Sheffield United (six in 21 games). The Blades are averaging 1.5 goals-per-game in the league with Brereton Diaz in the side this season, compared to 0.8 without him (including games before his arrival).

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Manchester United goalscorer Bruno Fernandes: "We talk about clean sheets all the time and we want to keep them. Credit to Sheffield United.

"At the end we came back. We put ourselves in a position where it's tough to win games. But also it shows a bit of character.

"We also need to be aware that if we control the game like we did in the first half, we have to score our chances.

"We're scoring lots of goals. It's just about that compactness we need to have as a team.

"I'm really happy to score, but I want to win games more than score goals. It's part of my role also, to score goals. But the main thing for me is winning games.

"Lately we haven't won as many as we should have.

"It's part of the job. You can win eight or nine games in a row, and then as soon as you lose you know you will be criticised. Being a Manchester United player demands winning games."

Manchester United's chaotic high-scoring form continued at Old Trafford as they twice came from behind to overcome spirited Sheffield United at Old Trafford.

Bruno Fernandes and Rasmus Hojlund struck in the final nine minutes to ensure the win.

Manchester United captain Fernandes followed up an excellent pinpoint 25-yard drive by hooking back the cross five minutes from time that allowed Hojlund to score his first goal since February.

As in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final against Coventry, it was a favourable outcome in the end for under-pressure manager Erik ten Hag.

But there are some staggering statistics to go with their recent results. In total, 27 goals have now been scored in their past five games. They have conceded and scored at least two in all of them.

In entertainment terms, it is sensational. However, there is zero sense of structure and it can only be wondered what new technical director Jason Wilcox made of it as he watched his first game in the Old Trafford directors' box since his appointment was confirmed last week.

After railing against the media the day before the game, labelling coverage of the Coventry match "embarrassing" and "a disgrace", Ten Hag's team failed to follow up by convincing on the pitch.

Without a win since February and with only three in the league all season, Sheffield United led twice, through Jayden Bogle in the first half and Ben Brereton Diaz in the second.

The home side levelled each time, courtesy of Harry Maguire's deft header and Fernandes' penalty.

And Manchester United eventually claimed the points to move back into sixth spot.

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Erik ten Hag says Amad Diallo deserves to play more often.

The Ivory Coast international has made six appearances this season, all as a substitute.

He famously scored the last-minute extra-time winner and then got himself sent off for celebrating in the FA Cup sixth round against Liverpool last month.

Given the injuries affecting Ten Hag's Manchester United squad, Amad is likely to get more chances, although it is debatable whether he has a long term future at Manchester United.

Ten Hag accepts Amad should have played more often.

“Don’t forget he had a long period in the season injured," he said.

"We rebuilt him and now he has had some opportunities to make real contribution.

"He deserved more game minutes but I have to choose there.

"We have (Alejandro) Garnacho, Antony, and Omari Forson and we have to make choices there.

"But I am very happy with his performances and his progress, I see his qualities and his assets can really contribute to our game."

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Erik ten Hag says winning the FA Cup would be an over-achievement for Manchester United this season given the number of injuries they have sustained.

Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford are both doubts for United's game against Sheffield United, injuries that arrive in a season where the squad has faced a glut of fitness issues.

United face Manchester City at Wembley on 25 May, with Ten Hag looking to mark his second season as manager with a trophy.

Even though they are set to miss out on a place in next season's Champions League, he thinks it would be an achievement worth celebrating.

“I would say it’s over, over-performing with all the problems we have had," he said.

"Getting into the final is already a big achievement, but we are here for trophies. We have an opportunity to win one and that is good.

"But we are not satisfied by being in the final, we want to win it. That is our mentality. That is why we are successful.

"That’s why I am successful over 10 years as a manager, I always bring out the maximum of each squad."

Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is keen for the club to bring in another striker in the summer to bolster his attack. (Goal), external

Manchester United are at least £13m apart from Newcastle United in their attempts to agree a compensation deal for sporting director Dan Ashworth, who has been placed on gardening leave by the Magpies. (Telegraph - subscription required), external

Former Arsenal and Manchester United striker Robin van Persie is close to taking up his first managerial post, after holding talks with Dutch top-flight club Heerenveen. (Algemeen Dagblad - in Dutch), external

Manchester United are interested in Inter Milan and Italy defender Alessandro Bastoni, 25, and are prepared to offer about £52m. (Fichajes - in Spanish), external

Manchester United are interested in 17-year-old Norwegian midfielder Sverre Nypan, who has impressed at Rosenborg. (Daily Mail), external

Want more transfer news? Read Wednesday's gossip column

The New York Times' Rory Smith told the Monday Night Club that the "writing is on the wall" for Erik Ten Hag to be replaced at Manchester United, adding that the Red Devils have "massively regressed" under the Dutchman this season.

Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given added that it "doesn't look good" for Ten Hag ahead of Ineos' introduction at Old Trafford.

Listen to the full episode of BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club on BBC Sounds