Fernandes publicly questions Carrick's tactics after United's 4-1 Champions League collapse against Como

Bruno Fernandes took aim at Manchester United’s tactical setup after the club suffered a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como in Italy, publicly questioning manager Michael Carrick’s decision not to press high and suggesting the team conceded too much space to their opponents.

Fernandes, who was substituted in the second half while playing through injury, shook his head as he left the pitch and walked past Carrick without exchanging words. Speaking after the match, he said the early goal set a damaging tone: “Conceding early makes us go into the game with a mood of defeat, it’s difficult to get out of that.”

He went further when asked whether the manager had got it wrong. “That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me,” Fernandes said. “Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.” He added that the decision to sit off and wait for the ball had given Como the confidence to dominate.

The comments drew sharp criticism from pundits, with former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher calling Fernandes an “absolute disgrace” for publicly undermining his manager.

The outburst arrived just eight days after Wayne Rooney predicted exactly this scenario on The Overlap’s Stick to United podcast. “You can see it building up, there’s going to be an explosion with him if it keeps building,” Rooney said last Tuesday. “He’s not scared to come out and voice his opinion so there will be that explosion if it carries on.”

Rooney had also suggested that removing Fernandes from his current role — or even from the starting lineup — might help the Portuguese midfielder reset. “You need taking out of that position. You can’t take yourself out but taken out of that role to be able to breathe again,” he said.

Despite the controversy surrounding his post-match interview, United are not expected to strip Fernandes of the captaincy, according to reports.