Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes turned on head coach Michael Carrick following one of the most humiliating nights in the club’s European history.
A 4-1 Champions League hammering at Como led to Carrick fielding questions about his future.
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He apologised to the 700 travelling fans, 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 defeat at Watford in November 2021 which led to his dismissal as United boss 24 hours later.
However, Fernandes – widely accepted as a football obsessive who watches games regularly as he understands the tactical side as well as any player in the United squad – inflicted more damage when he spoke to TNT Sports afterwards.
“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 directly whether Carrick got his tactics wrong, Fernandes added: “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.”
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Told of Fernandes’ comments in his post-match press conference, Carrick offered a curt response: “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 avoids questions on future, apologises to fans for unacceptable display
Carrick also refused to answer questions about his own future.
Instead, he described his own feelings about United’s performance and focused on taking responsibility.
“I have to apologise to the supporters,” said the former player. “I care about this football club as much as anyone, if not more, with the position that I’m in and what I value this football club. For us to play in that way is not acceptable.
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“I always go over to the fans anyway, regardless, so it wasn’t a particularly different kind of reason why I went over.
“It’s the appreciation and acknowledgement of what they’ve gone through and have done over a period of a few weeks now. As I said, I was one of them.
“I’m feeling the same as them. We’ve got a lot of values in this football club; what we represent and how we want to go about it. We might win, we might lose, but the way we went about it tonight wasn’t acceptable. I just wanted to let the fans know that I feel for them.
“Listen. I’ve not given my own position any thought – this is for the supporters – I was one of them watching that and I wasn’t happy all.”
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Seven without a win – Man Utd’s bleak picture
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick acknowledges the club’s fans after the 4-1 defeat by Como [Getty Images]
After winning 12 of his 17 games in charge last season to guide United back into the Champions League after a two-year absence, Carrick was given a two-year contract.
However, as happened with Solskjaer five years ago, the new campaign has unravelled spectacularly and they are 13th in the Premier League, three points clear of bottom club Sunderland.
Although they recovered from their shock opening-day defeat to newly promoted Hull by coming from behind to beat Ipswich the following week, United have not won in the Premier League since. Their only other success in 11 games in all competitions came against Azerbaijan champions Sabah FK in the Champions League.
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Their latest loss meant they have now gone seven games without a win, their worst run since they went eight without a victory under Louis van Gaal between 25 November and 28 December 2015.
Only Joshua Zirkzee’s injury-time consolation prevented United suffering their joint second-worst European defeat of all time.
The embarrassment was heightened by the knowledge that when they were last crowned European champions in 2008, Como were playing semi-professional football in front of a couple of hundred spectators in Serie D.
It is a basic reality that if Como’s star man Nico Paz, who opened the scoring after 118 seconds, created the second and added a third goal, said he wanted to leave Como, virtually every big club in Europe would want to sign him and United’s chances would be virtually non-existent.
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They entertain 15th-placed Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday knowing that prior to last season’s amazing 4-4 draw, the Cherries recorded 3-0 wins on their previous two visits to Old Trafford.
What happens now?
United flew straight back to Manchester after the game.
It remains to be seen whether the position around Carrick changes before the Bournemouth game. However, United supporters sang against the Glazer family and Sir Jim Ratcliffe as the shambolic evening unravelled.
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. Wilcox too, because he had to work to a budget set by those above him, including chief executive Omar Berrada.
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“There was a lot going through my mind watching that,” admitted Carrick, who won five Premier League titles and the Champions League during his United playing career. “It was tough to watch.
“It wasn’t just the goals, if I’m totally honest. It was was the manner and way we played at times.
“I’m giving my absolute best all the time, I care about it. My whole life is wrapped around it. It might go well, it might not go so well, but I I genuinely give everything that I possibly can.”
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: Sports.yahoo.com
