Shearer blasts Fernandes and Martinez for criticising Carrick after 4-1 Como defeat

Alan Shearer has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and defender Lisandro Martinez, accusing them of deflecting blame onto manager Michael Carrick while delivering poor performances themselves — a week after United’s 4-1 loss to Como compounded a 2-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid.

Martinez drew headlines after the Atletico result when he publicly criticised director of football Jason Wilcox over the club’s lack of summer signings. Fernandes then went further, questioning Carrick’s tactical approach following the heavy defeat to Como. Both outbursts have intensified scrutiny on the United head coach’s position.

Shearer, speaking to Betfair, was blunt in his assessment: “I look at what’s happening in the last week with Martinez coming out and saying what he did, then Bruno Fernandes coming out and saying what he did after the game. Any chance of you doing your job, lads, as players? Because I didn’t see too much effort, too much commitment, and too much running around from Bruno last night.”

The former England and Newcastle United striker went on to challenge Fernandes’s standing as captain, pointing to a significant dip in form from the player who won United’s player of the year award last season. “Bruno Fernandes is the captain of Manchester United,” Shearer said. “You can’t be coming out and saying that against your manager and dropping your manager or your staff in it when you yourself, as an individual, have had a really poor game and a really poor season. We haven’t seen any of that from Bruno Fernandes this season.”

Shearer also argued that Fernandes’s public criticism of Carrick only piles further pressure on a club already under strain. “When your captain comes out and criticises the manager, it puts more pressure on the football club,” he said. “It would have been far better for Bruno to come out and say we’re hopeless as a team, and I, as captain, accept responsibility for that, rather than trying to blame everything on his manager, especially when he’s been that poor himself as an individual.”

Carrick is expected to remain in charge for United’s next fixture, at home to Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday, though the back-to-back defeats have left his position under increasing scrutiny.