Andrey Santos has apologised to Manchester United fans on behalf of the players following the latest setback in Madrid on Tuesday night – and insists head coach Michael Carrick still has the support of the dressing-room.
United’s 2-0 Champions League defeat by Atletico at the Metropolitano was their fourth in nine games this season, leaving Carrick under increasing pressure going into Sunday’s visit to old rivals Leeds.
The night started badly for United when they went behind after 50 seconds, and it ended with a bombshell television interview with Lisandro Martinez who criticised the Old Trafford board for not investing more in the squad last summer when they spent £155million on Santos, Carlos Baleba and Youri Tielemans.
Speaking after the game, Santos apologised to the 3,500 United fans who were in Madrid and insisted that the players are determined to put it right at Elland Road this weekend.
‘We just want to say sorry to everyone who has travelled to Spain,’ said the Brazilian. ‘We want to win every single game, but now it’s time to work hard and come back with a victory.
‘It was a tough game, a hard game. The way we start was a little bit of a complication, but now we have to improve more and more. We have a big game next, so we have to improve more and work hard. We have to look ahead to the (next) game and then come back much stronger.’
Andrey Santos has offered an apology to Manchester United’s travelling fans in Madrid
Asked if the players are still backing Carrick, Santos added: ‘Yes, of course, we believe in the manager. We believe in the whole staff, we believe in (ourselves as) players. We are in a bad moment, but we have to work to change this result.
‘We knew the first 15 minutes would be hard because we were playing away against a big team. We were sad to concede a goal in the first minute of the team.
‘Bruno (Fernandes) was saying, and everyone was saying, to keep going and keep pushing. This is football, anything can happen.
‘Of course, we worked hard to win this game. Like I said before, we have to work hard, push ourselves and be better and better and better.’
