Fernandes tells Man Utd to stop living in the past after 4-1 humiliation in Como

Bruno Fernandes has delivered a pointed public rebuke to Manchester United, telling the club they must “stop living in the past” after a 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como in northern Italy on Wednesday night.

Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, the United captain was unusually candid, questioning both the culture at Old Trafford and the direction of Michael Carrick’s side just 11 games into the season. It was Fernandes’ second eye-catching interview in quick succession following the result, and his words have intensified scrutiny on Carrick’s position.

“Everyone at the club must understand that it’s no longer the same,” Fernandes said. “We’re no longer in the past and we must look to the future. We must create something different in the present. At this club, we focus too much on what was achieved in the past, but we are no longer the same. The club and the players must understand this.”

Fernandes also addressed the difficulty of recent seasons, acknowledging that new arrivals arrive expecting trophies but have found the reality far harder. “Those who come think about winning trophies, matches, and reaching the highest level, but unfortunately it’s been very difficult at this club in recent years,” he said.

The interview carries an added layer of intrigue: Sky Sports Italy reporter Pierluigi Bagnulo noted that Fernandes was not permitted by the club to conduct the interview in Italian, despite speaking the language fluently after early career spells at Novara, Sampdoria, and Udinese.

Fernandes also took a thinly veiled swipe at Carrick’s decision to substitute him for Joshua Zirkzee in the second half. “Nobody likes to leave the pitch, especially with a result like that,” he said, before criticising the team’s inability to maintain possession and their failure to match Como’s intensity in the press.

While the United hierarchy are not understood to be on the verge of sacking Carrick — who was only recently handed the job on a permanent basis — his position is described as far from secure. Director of recruitment Christopher Vivell is said to be an advocate for Julian Nagelsmann should the club decide to make a change.

Carrick desperately needs a positive result against Bournemouth on Sunday to ease the mounting pressure, with Fernandes’ public comments doing little to suggest unity behind the scenes.