Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes publicly criticized head coach Michael Carrick’s tactical approach following a crushing 4-1 defeat against Como in the Champions League, compounding a disastrous European night for the club. A 4-1 Champions League hammering at Como led to Carrick fielding questions about his future. Follow Manchester United on Sounds.
The embarrassing result left Carrick facing tough queries regarding his job security. Right after the final whistle, the head coach bypassed his defeated squad and walked across the pitch to apologise to the 700 travelling supporters, raising his hands in gesture reminiscent of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s gesture following a 4-1 loss to Watford in November 2021 that preceded his firing 24 hours later. Having ignored his beaten players after the final whistle to march across the pitch and repeatedly hold his hands up – in a manner similar to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following a 4-1, he apologised to the 700 travelling fans.
Known as a dedicated student of the game with a deep grasp of tactics, Fernandes expressed his frustration during a post-match interview. “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 space to these teams they get confidence,” he explained to TNT Sports.
When pushed on whether the head coach was responsible for tactical errors, the midfielder placed the burden back on the coaching bench. “That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable,” Fernandes stated.
In his subsequent news conference, Carrick delivered a sharp reaction when informed about his captain’s remarks. “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,” Carrick replied curtly.
