Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has slammed Bruno Fernandes after the Manchester United captain's comments surrounding his team's tactics against Como
Bruno Fernandes has been slammed for his comments surrounding Manchester United
Bruno Fernandes has been slammed for his comments surrounding Manchester United(Image: (Photo by PIERO CRUCIATTI / AFP via Getty Images))
Jamie Carragher has labeled Bruno Fernandes' comments as a "disgrace" after the Manchester United captain questioned the team's tactics in a defeat to Como in the Champions League.
It came after a humbling loss in Italy on Wednesday, as a Nico Paz brace was followed by goals from Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon to seal another three points for Cesc Fabregas' side. It was a match that saw United outclassed both in the scoreline and in general play, with a group of players that was incapable of sitting deep and defending or pressing high to disrupt the opposition.
That created the groundwork for Como to cut through the opposition with ease, putting further pressure on head coach Michael Carrick while the Red Devils continue to flounder.
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The early parts of the season have not been kind to the manager, though there appears to be an acknowledgment from some that the problems run far deeper than a change in the dugout. That much was suggested when Lisandro Martinez called out the recruitment in the summer during an outburst after the recent defeat to Atletico Madrid in the Champions League.
While the defender has since apologized for his comments, the latest player to hit out was the club captain, Fernandes, who seemed to take an issue with the tactics that Carrick had deployed on the night. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said: "It's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little space in behind and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball.
"But sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot, make people get frustrated, and then obviously when you recover the ball the legs are, and the brain, much more difficult to make it work."
Fernandes criticized his own manager
Fernandes criticized his own manager(Image: (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images))
When asked about the impact of that, and whether it was the wrong decision, the playmaker responded: "That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me. I just said, I think sometimes we have to be more brave on the pressure, trying to take a risk of getting that press very high and making them uncomfortable - as they did to us."
Carrick defended himself when asked about the comments from his club captain after the game, when he responded: "We half pressed man-to-man in the second half and ended up conceding a goal from that. Whatever tactics you play, if you don't run back, you ain't going to win."
It has only added fuel to the fire of a club that is clearly struggling, with the cycle of hiring and firing set to continue if the current form stays the way it is.
While those difficulties are ongoing, former Liverpool defender Carragher has slammed Fernandes for his comments, putting some blame on him for the position that United is in. Speaking on CBS Sports, he said: "For Bruno Fernandes to do that, it's a disgrace. When you think about last season, he got player of the year. That was on the back of Michael Carrick becoming the manager. He wouldn't have got that award without Carrick.
"Carrick put him back in his rightful position. And he then went on to have a fantastic season because he's a talented footballer. But when you think of him as a footballer, he's a talent. But in terms of attitude and the way he goes about things, it's not right at all. And he's reacted like that because he's been brought off.
“And when he talks about pressing… for years, Bruno Fernandes has meant that Manchester United can’t press. He does things for the crowd. He runs all over the place like a kid in a schoolyard for the supporters. They think he’s working hard, he’s not. He’s killing the rest of the team doing it.”
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It's unclear what could now follow for Fernandes at United, considering the recent outburst from Martinez resulted in an apology and a return to the team. However, it may have put the team in further distress at a moment when unity is needed to dig them out of a difficult position. With Liverpool on the horizon, plenty could change before that meeting in late November.