Michael Carrick is on the brink of being sacked from Man Utd after a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League.
Following the match, a public fallout ensued within the camp. Captain Bruno Fernandes aired his grievances over the manager's tactics.
It's the coaching staff's decision not to man-mark and sometimes leave space behind, trying to win the ball back by waiting for them. But when you give such teams space, they gain confidence.
Journalists directly questioned the Portuguese international about whether he believes Carrick's tactics are flawed.
That’s something the coaches need to see, not me. Sometimes you have to be bolder under pressure, take risks by pressing high and making them uncomfortable. As you saw, their centre-back was following me into our half. We should do that as a team, but we couldn't. A team that plays through the middle with short passes can really punish you out wide if you give them too much time and space.
Michael Carrick did not hold back in his rebuttal. He deemed the captain's comments inaccurate and harshly accused his players of lacking effort.
In the second half, we pressed man-to-man for half the time, and then we conceded because of that. Here's the thing: whatever system you play, whatever tactics you employ, if you’re not running forward and tracking back, you won't win.
Former defender Jamie Carragher labelled Fernandes' remarks as disgraceful, arguing that the captain is undermining the team. Nevertheless, he conceded that Carrick's time may be up.
According to journalist Alan Nixon, the frontrunner for the managerial position at Man Utd is Eddie Howe. The ex-Newcastle boss would welcome the opportunity to take charge. Also in the frame are Julian Nagelsmann, Fabian Hurtseler, and Antonio Conte.
