Bruno Fernandes backs Michael Carrick after Roma comeback
Said Michael Carrick was right to leave him out after the Manchester United manager dropped the captain following criticism of his tactics. Fernandes then…
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said Michael Carrick was right to drop him after criticism of the manager’s tactics last month, then helped United fight back for a 3-2 Champions League win over Roma. Fernandes scored a penalty and created the equaliser for Matheus Cunha as United came from two goals down.
The result ended United’s nine-game winless run against Roma. For Fernandes, it also followed a spell on the bench after he questioned Carrick’s approach during a 4-1 defeat against Como.
“Everyone thought that was a punishment for the words that I had. If it was, it was right,” Fernandes told Amazon Prime. “The manager is the one who makes the decisions.”
Why did Carrick drop Bruno Fernandes?
Carrick left Fernandes out against Bournemouth after the midfielder’s criticism of the manager’s tactics in the loss to Como. Fernandes said Carrick made the decision because he was not performing, while accepting that the move could also be seen as discipline.
“A lot of lies around many things that have happened between me and the manager, that we have cleared the air,” Fernandes said. He added that being benched had not changed his belief in Carrick, the staff or his teammates.
That distinction matters for a United side under pressure: Fernandes acknowledged the manager’s authority while making clear he still supports him. His comments followed a performance that gave the captain a direct role in the comeback, rather than simply a place in the starting lineup.
Fernandes rejects ‘save his job’ suggestion
Carrick’s position had come under threat as United endured their worst start to a season since 1986, with only one Premier League win. Fernandes rejected the idea that the victory over Roma was intended to keep the manager in his job.
“We don't need to save anyone's job,” he said. “The club needed that win, the players needed that win.”
United had fallen 2-0 behind before Fernandes converted a penalty and supplied the pass for Cunha’s equaliser. Fernandes described the team’s effort to recover from its situation as hard work, and said the result did not alter his aim to win the games ahead.
It was the 32-year-old’s best performance of a disappointing season, and a reminder of the form that earned him England’s Footballer of the Year award last season. He said speculation about his relationship with Carrick had been difficult, but insisted they had cleared the air.
The captain’s response was clear. He accepted the manager’s decision and backed the club’s effort to turn its season around.
“We have been working so hard to get out of this situation all together,” Fernandes said.
