'You have to have the balls!' - Bruno Fernandes urges struggling Man Utd team-mates to 'punch back' as captain breaks silence on Ruben Amorim's 'worst team in history' claim

Fernandes bailed out United with a last-gasp strike on Thursday night to secure a morale-boosting Europa League win over Rangers. In the Premier League, however, the team's struggles continue as they find themselves 13th in the table with only one win in their last five games. Amid the team's poor form, the captain has now urged his team-mates to "punch back" and prove that they are worthy of representing the club.

Speaking to reporters, the Portuguese midfielder said: "The reality is to play here you have to have that pressure, you have to have the balls to play for this club — that is what it is. You have to feel that in every moment in every game, it is a new chance to bring us back to the position we deserve.

"Unfortunately for us this season there have been too many ups and downs and every time we look like getting there, we get punched again and go down. What we have to do is every time we take a punch and go down, we must get up and try to punch back."

Amorim slammed his players in frustration after a 3-1 loss to Brighton at home, and claimed his team must be considered the "worst in the club's history". Breaking his silence on the manager's comments, Fernandes added: "I don't want to hear my manager saying certain things about the team because I know he doesn't feel it. But he made himself part of that and when the manager makes himself part of what he's saying, no one can get angry or disappointed by it.

"When he says 'the worst team in Manchester, he speaks about the position we are in and when you look at where we are in the league we are in the worst position we've ever been. So you have to take it, that's the reality, unfortunately. We are in this position for a long time and the club doesn't belong there. But we have to accept that and understand we need to push ourselves to much bigger things and higher positions."

Amorim's side will be back in action in the Premier League on Sunday as they take on Fulham in a difficult away fixture.