Carrick hits back at his captain as United, seven games without a win, prepare to host Bournemouth on Sunday.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned the coaching staff after a 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday night, and manager Michael Carrick hit back at his players.
It was United's fifth defeat in 11 games this season, and their seventh game without a win in all competitions. Their previous game was a 1-1 draw at Leeds on Sunday.
Asked by TNT Sports about a lack of cohesion out of possession, Fernandes put the blame on the coaches. "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," he said. Asked whether Carrick had got his tactics wrong, he replied: "That's on the manager and staff to see it, not me."
Como's 594 completed passes were the highest figure posted by any side in a Champions League meeting with United since Barcelona's 725 in April 2019. Nico Paz scored in the second minute, and by the 57th minute Como led 3-0 after goals from Tasos Douvikas and Paz again. Jacobo Ramón scored on 76 minutes, and Joshua Zirkzee netted for United in added time.
Carrick was asked about Fernandes' comments after the match. "We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that," he said. He then gave his own verdict on the squad's effort:
"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 ain't going to win."
Carrick was angry. "I'm really angry," he said. "For us to play in that way is not acceptable." He had apologised to United's travelling support after the final whistle, when around 200 of the 700 fans who travelled were still in the stands. "It wasn't just the goals. It was the manner we went about that was the difficult thing to watch," he said at his press conference.
Asked whether he feared for his job, Carrick said: "Listen, I've not given my own position any thought." The Guardian says his future is in the balance, and that Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe may discuss it before Sunday's game. In May, Carrick agreed a deal lasting two years after he guided United to third in the Premier League.
Fernandes told Sky in Italy that the club looks too much to its past. "We focus too much at looking at what the club did in the past. We're not that anymore."
Former Chelsea midfielder Joe Cole called it "sacrilege" on TNT Sports. Andy Mitten, editor of United We Stand, said Fernandes had "thrown his coach under the bus".
Fernandes has been captain for three years. Having joined from Sporting for £47m in January 2020, he has netted 111 goals and provided 106 assists across 338 appearances for the club in every competition. He was named the Premier League's player of the year last season.
A week earlier, defender Lisandro Martinez had criticised the club's hierarchy after the Atletico Madrid defeat. He later apologised and kept his place for the Leeds game.
United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, with kick-off at 2pm, live on Sky Sports.
The club has not said whether Fernandes' role as captain is in jeopardy.
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