Hargreaves warns Fernandes would never play for United again under Ferguson after Carrick criticism

Owen Hargreaves has delivered a stark verdict on Bruno Fernandes, insisting the Manchester United captain would never have played for the club again under Sir Alex Ferguson had he publicly criticised the manager’s tactics.

Fernandes sparked controversy after United’s Champions League defeat to Como, telling reporters that the coaching staff had chosen not to press man-to-man and had “sometimes left space behind.” When asked directly whether Carrick had got his tactics wrong, Fernandes replied: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me.”

Hargreaves, a former United midfielder, was unequivocal in his assessment. “First of all, you would have never said that under Sir Alex because you would never have played again for the football club,” he said. “Second of all, you’ve got to look at yourself first. Not one Man United fan thinks Manchester United should be competing for the Premier League, not one. But the best you can do is put your best effort in every game, every time you step out there.”

Despite the public nature of the comments, Fernandes is reportedly set to avoid any formal punishment and appears in line to start United’s next match against Bournemouth at Old Trafford. He also retains the club captaincy.

Carrick addressed the situation at his pre-match press conference on Friday, insisting the squad is not divided. “The most important thing for me is the team, first and foremost, the squad, the dynamics in the squad,” he said. “I’ll always do what’s best for the football club.”

Asked directly whether the dressing room had been split by the episode, Carrick was firm: “It’s not divided, no. It’s not divided. We just need to get back to doing what we do best, and we will.”

Carrick declined to confirm whether he had spoken privately with Fernandes, saying: “If I’ve spoken to him or haven’t spoken to him, I don’t think this is the time to go into too much detail.”

When pressed on whether stripping Fernandes of the captaincy was under consideration, Carrick repeated his position: “Whatever the situation is, I’ll always do what’s best for the football club.”

Fernandes is not the only United player to have spoken out publicly in recent weeks. Lisandro Martinez has also made comments about the club’s situation, adding to a sense of unrest that Hargreaves’ Ferguson comparison has only sharpened.