Michael Carrick has dropped his captain. Bruno Fernandes was left out of Manchester United's starting line-up and named on the bench for Sunday's home game against Bournemouth, four days after he publicly questioned the manager's tactics following a 4-1 thrashing at Como in the Champions League.
What Fernandes said after Como
Speaking to TNT Sports once the Como game was over, Fernandes described a plan he clearly did not agree with. "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," he said. He argued that handing the ball to teams like that only makes them more confident, and that United's legs and heads suffer when they finally win it back.
Asked directly whether the tactics were to blame, he did not hide behind a diplomatic answer. "That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me," Fernandes replied. "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 keeps his options open
Sky Sports News reported on Thursday that Fernandes would not lose the captaincy over his comments. What Carrick said on Friday was less settled. He opened his pre-match press conference with an unusually emotional monologue, then declined to rule out disciplinary action. "The most important thing for me is the team and the dynamics in the squad. It is about the football club. Whatever the situation is, I will always do what is best for the football club," he said, adding that whether he had spoken to the player or not, this was not the time to go into details.
Pressure on Carrick has been building through a dreadful start to the season, and Sky described Sunday's game as one that could matter a great deal to his position. Putting your best-known player on the bench in that context is a decision with consequences whichever way the afternoon goes.
A dressing room under the microscope
This is the second time this month a United player has spoken out publicly. Lisandro Martinez, after the Champions League defeat at Atletico Madrid, said he expected more from technical director Jason Wilcox and from the people upstairs, who he felt needed to bring in more players to compete. Martinez was not dropped. He played 45 minutes of the 1-1 draw at Leeds that followed.
That contrast has not gone unnoticed. Gary Neville called Fernandes' comments a direct attack on Carrick and wondered aloud what is being said behind closed doors, warning the dressing room could be toxic. Jamie Carragher and Ashley Young took the other side of the argument, with the line that no player is bigger than the club. On the BBC, Pulis argued that what United need now is stability rather than more upheaval.
There is no clean answer here. A manager who lets criticism pass without a response risks losing the room, and a manager who benches his captain risks splitting it. Carrick has chosen the second route, and the result against Bournemouth will say a lot about whether it was the right call.
Match facts: Manchester United v Bournemouth, Premier League, Sunday 25 October, live on Sky Sports. Fernandes named on the bench. United lost 4-1 at Como in the Champions League on Wednesday and drew 1-1 at Leeds earlier this month. Manager: Michael Carrick.
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