BRUNO EXCLUSIVE: I WANT TO WIN EVERYTHING AS A RED

Did you enjoy Bruno Fernandes answering your questions last week?

We certainly hope so, because we've got part two of that exclusive Q&A for you!

Sit back, grab yourself some refreshments and read on as our superstar midfielder reveals all about the thought that went into setting up our opener in the Manchester derby, his hunger to win trophies and even his ideal United kit...

Who planned that amazing free-kick goal against Manchester City which you chipped to Anthony Martial?
“It was not a plan. Everyone knows against Everton we did the same. Against Watford, if I'm not mistaken, we did the same. Against Watford, Anto [Martial] let the ball slide – it's not my fault! Against Everton, it was my bad ball, [which] was not really good. I needed to put the ball more inside of the box, more in the direction of the goal. So it was one of those things: when you are in the pitch, you know your team-mates when you look at them. It's like a pass. You look at him, and you feel something. You feel, [and] it goes. So in the free-kick, I start talking with Fred, because normally we talk [about who'll take]. There were eight in the area and the left foot [delivery] was better for us, for attacking the ball. I started talking, and I already saw Anthony look at me. He looks at me, I look at him, I feel he wants the same as me. So you go off feelings, you know? Maybe I will put the ball in sometimes and Anto doesn't go. In that moment, I talked with Fred, and I talked like: 'Okay, Fred, you go.’ So if someone of Manchester City listens [they think] I've told Fred to go and they can relax. For example, in the wall was [Sergio] Aguero, on the other side [Ilkay] Gundogan I think. Maybe when they saw Fred going back and me on the ball, they think: okay, Fred goes [to take the kick]. And they relax a bit. I started to look at the edge [of the area] and [motioned] 'Go second post, go second post. In the moment that the referee whistled, I feel Anto is just ready and think: 'I go now.’ I had the right time; it was a perfect ball, it was a perfect finish. It was everything in the right time, you know? But sometimes, we will miss! We will miss, but we need to try, because it was a difficult ball, but I try and we scored. And you need to try, you need to improve. Maybe the next one I do like that the defender takes the ball and goes to counter, and it's a difficult situation for us because our defenders are up in the area for the cross. So you need to take some risks in the game, because the game is risk. If you don't risk, normally... If you saw most parts of the games, when you take a goal, it's from a mistake. It doesn't matter if the mistake was from two minutes ago, or not – it was a mistake, because you lose the ball. Normally, you lose the ball, or you do a foul and a free-kick, or a penalty. It's always a mistake. A mistake is not always your fault, no. Mistakes happen in football, it's normal. Every game you have a lot of mistakes from everyone. So we, Manchester United need to improve, to try. I know if I put the right ball in, Anto can score. So I just think on this. I just think: I need to put the right ball in because I know Anto can score. And maybe Anto doesn't score – for me it doesn't matter, because I know in the next time Anto will score. Anto or Mason [Greenwood], or Dan [James], or [Odion] Ighalo, or Rash [Marcus Rashford] when he's back. Everyone can score. You need to feel that positive energy, because I know also – if I try this ball – Anto knows this is a difficult ball. ‘I need to give my best.’ So he will shoot the best way he can. You just need to keep improving, and keep trying.”

As fans we love watching creativity, people showing imagination. That's what fans pay their money to see, for sure. From Canada next, Srinath asks: 'How excited are you about a potential midfield partnership with Paul Pogba?'
“A lot. A lot. I think we have a lot of good players in the midfield. Obviously Paul is injured from a long time [ago], and all we know is he has a lot of qualities. We can say in football that people normally forget what you do good when you have a mistake. You can do good for 34 games, and one game you do bad and everyone will remember that. Paul is coming from a bad moment, because of the situation. When he played also, the club and the team was not good, because the expectations are high for Paul, because Paul is a top player and Manchester United pay a lot for him, and expectations are a lot for him. It's normal when you are in that situation you don't play like a superstar, because everyone expects from Paul like they expect from Ronaldo at Juve or Messi at Barcelona. Everyone expects this from Paul in Manchester, because they know he has the qualities for this. Also this is confidence in Paul. Also us, the team, we have a lot of confidence in Paul. I know Paul from Juve, because I played against him in Italy. And believe me, it's really hard to play against Paul. Because I play in midfield, I mark him. We play in the same line, so it's really difficult to play against Paul, because he has power, he has technique. It's difficult to find a player like Paul: big, strong and technical. It's difficult to find a player like this, and he has a lot of qualities. I hope he comes [back] soon. He started training with us in the week before we stopped, so I think when he comes back he will start to play, and be in the team. More than expectations, I'm confident what Paul can give to us, to the team. I think he has a lot to give, he has a lot of quality, and I think with the positive energy in the club – because we won a lot of games and we are in a good moment – everyone, the supporters and everything, will be more patient with Paul maybe. I feel sometimes when the things go wrong, the patience is less, you know? It's normal, because the fans want to win. Football is about winning; it's not about playing. But the confidence now in the team is bigger. So I think Paul, when he comes back, he will feel this and will give more for the next months and the next games.”

Yeah there's a lot more competition now, especially in midfield, which is really healthy. OK, we're going to go to India, only a few left now. This one from India, Arjun says Man United have won the league 20 times. How hungry are you to add to that tally, and also win the Champions League, which we've won three times? There you go Bruno, two targets for you next season!
“Two targets, no! Four. I want four, because we have league, Champions League, Carabao and FA Cup. I want to win everything. I'm hungry to win everything. I told this before in some interviews. I came to Manchester to win, to win titles, league, Champions League, everything. We know the potential Manchester have, because we are a young team, young players, but we've a lot of quality. Doesn't matter if we're young and the others have more experience than us because we have also experienced players who can help the youngest. The mix we have now and in the future, I don't know what will happen in the next season, of course Manchester is a big club and normally they buy someone because you are a big club and everyone wants to come here. It's easy for Manchester and I hope to build a big team, you know? We already have a big team, but whoever comes needs to come to win. Just to focus to win, I want people hungry for titles and everything. I feel this now in the group, everyone wants to win. For example, Juan Mata. He's won, if not everything, then most things, and I feel on him he wants more. He wants more. When you feel this from players like Juan who won the World Cup, the Euros, the Champions League - if I’m not mistaken - a lot of things you know. When you feel he wants more, you want more also. It's good for you.”

OK, nice one. To Macau now. Luis Mercado asks if you could choose an away jersey design, what design or colour would you go for and would you have it inspired by any previous shirt? So, if you could help design an away shirt, what would you go for?
“I don't know. For example, I really like this one [black third kit], because I really like the clean one. Black, white, I don't know. For me, this one is really beautiful. I like also a white one. All white, with red, because the first colour is the red so I think a white one with red will be really good. The last times I saw some page on Instagram they do an edit with one photo of me with this shirt - white, red lines from Adidas and red shorts and white socks. Really beautiful. For me, this one was one of the most perfect ones. I like that one clean, for me when you have a clean one it's a beautiful one.”

You play in red for United and Portugal, so red's an important colour for you then?
“Yeah, red for now is like my life. If you ask me this, two months ago, maybe I would tell you no, it's just half, because I play in Sporting and as you know the derby is against Benfica! But I already told all my team-mates in Sporting and friends and supporters from Sporting the only red I'd wear is the red from United and the red from Portugal.”

Maybe a green one, because there's green in the Portugal badge and green and white in the Sporting shirt. So maybe a green one would be cool?
“Yeah, a green one can be good!”

Speaking of green, we're going to go to the Emerald Isle, Ireland, now. Connor Kingston asks you this, this is a tough one to be fair. Who would you rather have on your team: Roy Keane or Paul Scholes?
“This is a difficult one, eh? I think the most difficult until now. So, I don't know. If I can have both, better, because I need the guy behind me kicking everyone and recovering balls, like Roy Keane does, and have the quality to give the balls to the guys up front. If you look at Roy Keane, he's the kind of player all teams need. Teams play in different ways, but all the teams can have him. Doesn't matter if you play in possession, in counter, you need a guy like this normally. I think Roy Keane is an excellent player and he can give me a lot of cover in the back. To play side to side with Scholes would be fantastic. If I can play with both, I play with Roy Keane in the back behind me and Scholes. Because me and Scholes can both go in the area scoring. We want to score, we want to be in the area, no? And maybe we will need Roy Keane at our backs.”

That sounds like an absolutely brilliant midfield three. And of course you wear 18, don't you, Scholes's number. Had that not been available, 16 Roy Keane would have been equally good wouldn't it?
“I give the number to Paul, doesn't matter. I choose another one!”

Great stuff! Bruno, we've monopolised enough of your time, thanks for joining us. You've been an absolute pleasure to talk to. Let's hope we can see you back on the pitch soon. Do you have a message to our fans to finish with?
“I just want to say to stay safe, stay at home. Just be careful when you go out shopping, to get food and everything. Be careful with your babies, with your family. Protect everyone you can. Be safe, be at home because now is the time to fight together against this virus. Unfortunately, we can't play but soon if we push altogether for the same side we will play again and we will have your support at Old Trafford.”