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Fernandes Criticizes Carrick's Tactics After Man Utd's Humiliating Loss
Confirmed
In Short: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes criticized manager Michael Carrick's tactics following the team's 4-0 defeat to Como.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes criticized manager Michael Carrick's tactics following the team's 4-0 defeat to Como in the Champions League.
Fernandes told TNT Sports that Carrick's decision to not press man-to-man and leave space behind the defense contributed to the team's poor performance.
"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.
Carrick defended his tactics, stating that the team's lack of pressing and intensity was the real issue.
"If you don't run, don't run forward and you don't run back you are not going to win," Carrick told reporters.
Fernandes also pointed out that Carrick did not acknowledge him when he was substituted in the second half.
"It wasn't just the goals. It was the manner we went about that was the difficult thing to watch. It's not about me right now. The results can come and go, but you've got to do it in a certain way. That wasn't it," Fernandes said.
The defeat has increased pressure on Carrick, with some suggesting that the manager's approach is not working.
"It's such a bad result and such a bad performance that it could have serious repercussions for the manager, unfortunately for him," Liverpool icon Jamie Carragher said.
Former United player Ashley Young warned that Carrick's appointment could be a disaster given the current squad's work rate.
"A team that plays through the middle with small connections, if you give them too much time and space then they can hurt you out wide," Carrick added.
Fernandes emphasized that the team's lack of pressing and intensity was the main issue.
What this adds
Fernandes's criticism of Carrick's tactics has revealed unrest in the dressing room.
The defeat has increased pressure on Carrick, with some suggesting that the manager's approach is not working.
Fernandes's comments have highlighted the team's lack of pressing and intensity as the main issue.
What's confirmed
- "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.
- "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."
What's still developing
- Both Carrick and sporting director Jason Wilcox have been absolved of partial blame for the club's plight by some; Carrick because he was let down badly in the summer transfer window, when the club signed three midfielders, but failed to bring in competition for Luke Shaw at left-back and Benjamin Sesko in attack.
- However, Fernandes - widely accepted as a football obsessive who watches games regularly and understands the tactical side as well as any player in the United squad - inflicted more damage when he spoke to TNT Sports afterwards.
- Bruno Fernandes’ criticism of Carrick’s tactics in an interview with TNT revealed unrest in the dressing room and that could be the final straw for the ex-Middlesbrough boss.
- Having got the last two appointments so wrong – Carrick followed the unmitigated disaster of Ruben Amorim – there would be huge pressure on the Ineos kingmakers if they decide to roll the dice on another mid-season change.
- READ: Carrick sack coming and he should take Bruno Fernandes with him as Man Utd destroyed by Como And after admitting his side’s performance was “unacceptable” in his post-match interview, Carrick told reporters in his press conference that Fernandes’ comments weren’t accurate, before taking aim at his players for “not running”.
- Rio Ferdinand claims Como made his former side look like they had ‘won a raffle to play in the Champions League’, while Fernandes took aim at the Man Utd game-plan in another astonishing post-match interview from a Man Utd player after Lisandro Martinez broke ranks last week.
- Everton fans were left in dismay after what had been a promising start to the season, with a home win over Crystal Palace followed by a late draw at Bournemouth, with Manchester United now arriving after Bruno Fernandes inspired Michael Carrick’s side to victory over Ipswich at Old Trafford thanks to the captain’s hat-trick.
- Carrick was asked about the Portuguese international’s comments when he faced the media post-match.
- "We actually half pressed man-to-man in the second half and conceded from that,” the former midfielder responded.
- "You can't turn it on and off and you can't choose when you want to perform or when you don't want to perform or when you give absolutely everything or when you maybe don't," he told TNT Sports.
- The Azerbaijani side started brightly but Matheus Cunha converted Patrick Dorgu's 27th-minute cross and, although Joy-Lance Mickels should have levelled, two goals late in the first half from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko put United in total control.
- It is over 1000 days since United competed in a Champions League game but this, their 300th in Europe's premier club competition, was not too taxing for Carrick's men.