Former England midfielder Joe Cole has launched a scathing attack on Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes. The Portuguese international publicly questioned Michael Carrick's tactics following the team's heavy defeat to Como (1-4).
Speaking on TNT Sports, Cole deemed Fernandes's comments unacceptable, particularly coming from a team captain.
He is certainly questioning the tactics. It doesn't matter whether he is right or wrong; it’s sacrilege.
I’ve played under managers whose tactics I didn’t agree with. You might say something to your mate or your missus, but you don’t come out as the captain of the club and undermine the manager. He didn’t even do it properly. If you're going to speak out, be brave and say it to their face.
He sort of suggested: 'we could be this way, but that’s for the manager to decide.' He probably thinks he’s clever, like: 'well, I didn’t actually say that, boss.' No, you said what you said: you believe they got the tactics wrong. That’s fine; you can think that. You can walk into the manager’s office tomorrow and say: 'I think you were wrong, boss.' Talk like a man.
To come out in front of the whole country as the captain of a football club and question the manager is simply unacceptable. Bruno got this one wrong. If you’re the captain of Manchester United, you can’t come out and question the tactics. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, that wouldn’t have happened.
Following the final whistle, Fernandes explained the lacklustre performance of the Mancunians, attributing it to passive instructions from the coaching staff.
It was the staff's decision not to press individually. But sometimes, when you give too much ball possession to teams like this, they gain confidence. They have so many players behind the ball that it forces you to run a lot, leading to frustrations.
When asked if the tactics were mistaken, the Portuguese added:
The coach and his staff need to see that, not me. I just said that, in my opinion, sometimes we need to be braver under pressure, take a risk with high pressing and create discomfort for them.
Previously, after a defeat to Atletico (0-2), defender Lisandro Martinez demanded more from the hierarchy during the transfer window, but later apologised publicly for his emotional outburst.
Frustration from the loss led me to express what I was feeling at a time and place that may have been inappropriate, and for that, I want to apologise.
Now Carrick must urgently restore harmony in the fractured dressing room if he is to save his job at Manchester United.
