Bruno Fernandes turns on Michael Carrick, questions his tactics after Man Utd’s horror show vs Como
New Delhi: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes turned on head coach Michael Carrick, questioning his tactics after the club’s humiliating 4-1 defeat against Como in the Champions League on Wednesday. In what was one of United’s worst ever performances in the competition’s history, Carrick’s men were comfortably outclassed by Como in the fixture.
Fernandes didn’t hold back after United’s humiliating loss as he went on to question Carrick’s tactics while speaking in a post-match interview. The Manchester United skipper, who is known for being a football obsessive and watches matches regularly across tournaments, criticised Carrick and the support staff’s decision to ask the players not to press man to man.
“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence,” Fernandes said in the interview with TNT Sports.
Fernandes said it was on the manager and his support staff to judge whether they got their tactics right in the game, but insisted United should have been braver on the pitch and pressed high to make Como uncomfortable on the ball.
“That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable,” Fernandes said when asked if Carrick got his tactics wrong.
Carrick, who is facing intense scrutiny amid United’s poor run across competitions, apologised to the travelling fans after his side’s 4-1 defeat against Como. He seemed to have ignored his players after the full-time whistle and walked across the pitch to hold his hands up in front of the supporters.
Michael Carrick responds to Bruno Fernandes’ comments
Carrick was asked about Fernandes’ comments on him getting his tactics wrong against Como after the club’s 4-1 defeat. The Manchester United manager questioned his players as he offered a curt response. Carrick argued tactics don’t matter if the players can’t run enough on the pitch.
“There’s a little bit of whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win,” said the United manager.
United have now gone seven matches without a win across competitions in the ongoing season. Carrick, who guided the team to the Champions League, having taken over as an interim manager after Ruben Amorim’s departure last season, seems to have lost his way at Old Trafford.
The former Manchester United midfielder now faces intense pressure to save his job as questions continue to be asked over his immediate future with the club. United’s current run of seven winless games is their worst since they went eight matches without a win under former manager Louis Van Gaal in 2015.