The Manchester United team needs to properly prepare themselves for Leeds' attempts to thwart them on Sunday, according to Bruno Fernandes, who has issued a warning to his colleagues.
Four days after their dramatic 2-2 draw at Old Trafford, in which the Red Devils had to come back from two goals behind to get a point, the two teams will meet again at Elland Road.
Bruno Fernandes was candid about his anger at Leeds' attempts to prolong the game near the end, and he pressed his United teammates to end the match as quickly as possible to avoid a similar outcome.
"It's really frustrating to be down in the first half straightaway," Fernandes began. "In the second half we concede another goal – a little bit lucky from them, but we still concede another goal."
"I think we dominated all game. They had two goals, they had some more chances but not something really dangerous. To bounce back as we did was really good, but obviously we don't want to bounce back to 2-2. We wanted to bounce back to 3-2 and win the game. We didn't."
"We had some chances that a little bit unluckily we couldn't score from. They had too many players defending – they obviously waste some time with the goalkeeper.
"That is also part of the game, part of their game, so we have to learn with that and make ourselves be in a position that we can win games without being behind to the result."
Bruno Fernandes was all praise for the Old Trafford fans for assisting United in getting back into the opening match against Leeds, but he was convinced the Red Devils would still be able to hold their own without them on hostile territory.
"The passion and the great atmosphere that the fans create for us was amazing," the midfielder continued. "It was the push probably to help us to get this draw, but obviously it's not what we want.
"With this team, with the character that we have in this team, the passion, the desire, the togetherness we have, we're not afraid to go anywhere to play against whatever opponent it is. I know that I will be in good hands with all of them."
"I know that this team will fight back, will give all the best and will not be afraid to play whatever is the pitch, the stadium or the team."
Manchester United'a manager Erik Ten Hag was also critical of his side's sluggish start to the game and also blamed them for giving Leeds United chances to score in their mid week Premier League clash with the Yorkshire club.
Very poor." It's unacceptable. "You start any game, but especially a derby, the way we did," he told MUTV.
"We were down and had to fight back." We made big mistakes. That has to do with attitude. We were not ready to go into the duels. We lose the duels, and the formation was also bad at the start. When we lost the ball, we didn't follow the principles and were quickly down. And, from the warning in the first half, the second half was the same."
The manager went to address the reasons behind the team's sluggish starts in both halves of the game.
"The players know we have to move." It wasn't necessary; [Pascal] Struijk won the ball there and he had to get away. With our movements, we have to force them to stay low. That's not right."
"We have to live with it." It still doesn't mean it has to be a goal. "We have to keep Gnonto on the left side and not let him come inside," he explained.
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