Bruno Fernandes does not think European exploits played a part in United loss

Frustrated captain Bruno Fernandes does not believe Europa League final preparations can be used to excuse misfiring Manchester United’s home defeat to West Ham.

Ruben Amorim’s Red Devils set up next week’s all-or-nothing showpiece with fellow strugglers Tottenham thanks to Thursday’s 4-1 semi-final triumph against Athletic Bilbao, sealing a 7-1 aggregate victory.

But three days on, United returned to action with a whimper as Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen goals secured West Ham’s first Premier League win at Old Trafford since 2007.

The 2-0 loss left the hosts 16th in the standings and Amorim furious as the club’s worst campaign of the Premier League era reached another new low.

“Very disappointing result at home,” United skipper Fernandes said. “We wanted to win the game after the last game in the Europa League. Obviously, we were very confident.

“I think we created enough opportunities to score goals and to be in front in the result. Then when you don’t score, you end up conceding in a moment where you are in full control of the game.

“But it’s been happening a little bit a lot in this season for us, that we’re in control of games and all of a sudden you can’t score, and then you concede a goal from a little bit of a stronger (play) in the box.

“But we know that we need to improve a lot in the Premier League, that we need to be much more aggressive, get much more into their box, be more dangerous, be more effective.”

Fernandes bemoaned United’s all too familiar lack of cutting edge on a day when Amorim made six alterations as freshness for the Europa League final continues to take precedence over Premier League matters.

Put to the skipper that changes and balancing the workload at this stage of the season makes things