Our fans deserve better, says Manchester United's Darren Fletcher
Scottish international calls on teammates to pick themselves up for League Cup semi-final against Sunderland
Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher says the team owe their supporters a huge response following their FA Cup defeat to Swansea City on Sunday and have the perfect opportunity to make amends against Sunderland in the League Cup.
The Premier League champions lost 2-1 at home to exit the FA Cup at the first hurdle for only the fourth time in 34 years with Swansea winning at Old Trafford for the first time and inflicting United’s fourth home defeat in six matches.
It’s a League Cup semi-final, if you can’t lift yourself for that then it’s no good
United now travel to Sunderland on Tuesday for the first leg of their Capital One Cup semi-final with a place at Wembley awaiting the eventual winners, and Fletcher told United’s television channel MUTV that the players needed to respond.
“It’s a League Cup semi-final, if you can’t lift yourself for that then it’s no good,” he said. “We have got a great opportunity, we are away to Sunderland and we’ve got to recover quickly and lift ourselves. It’s a massive game now.”
The Scottish international, back in the side after a long illness, praised the attitude of United’s fans saying: “They’re really sticking by us and that’s great to see – we’ve got to repay that.
“When we got to the Stretford End, there were a lot of fans clapping and singing for United. The players have got to see that and know that the fans are behind us and put performances in for the them, the manager and the staff.