Following their home defeat to Liverpool on the weekend, Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has made a shock admission about his side's chances of winning the Premier League title.
United were easily dispatched by Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday, with the Reds grabbing all three points with a 3-0 scoreline thanks to a brace by Luis Diaz and a strike by Mohamed Salah.
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The defeat for the Red Devils was somewhat reminiscent of the club's woes last season, when the side slumped to their worst finish in the Premier League era, eighth on the table.
Despite manager Erik ten Hag's insistence that his team is doing just fine given that they have won a Carabao Cup and an FA Cup in the two seasons he has been in charge, many have been critical of the club's performances under the Dutchman.
The team's captain, Fernandes, has now admitted that the Red Devils cannot compete for the EPL title just yet.
Speaking to DAZN in Portugal, Fernandes said: "Yes, I am perfectly aware that this Manchester United is not ready to win the Premier League.
"We are, indeed, fighting for the title with the concrete and real objective of trying to finish in the top four, in the places that give access to the Champions League. But there is still a lot to improve for the greater objective, and for my dream, which is to one day win this championship."
With midfielder Casemiro having received widespread criticism for his performance against Liverpool after he made two mistakes leading to goals, Fernandes has encouraged his teammate to be more cautious.
"Casemiro is more experienced than me, he played for the two best clubs in the world in terms of media coverage. He has a lot of quality," he added.
"And mistakes are going to happen to everyone. We just have to be more cautious when they are about to happen, and compensate and correct them in time.
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