Carrick benches captain Fernandes for Bournemouth clash after Como defeat
- Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has left captain Bruno Fernandes on the bench for the Bournemouth game.
- Fernandes criticised the team's tactics after a 4-1 loss at Como in the Champions League.
- United are 15th in the table with seven points and have not won in seven matches.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes will start Sunday's Premier League match against Bournemouth from the bench, after he publicly questioned Michael Carrick's tactics. The manager said the call was about football, not punishment.
United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford sitting 15th in the table with seven points from seven league games. They have not won in seven matches in all competitions, and Carrick is under pressure to turn that around.
The trouble deepened on Wednesday when Como, playing their first Champions League season, beat United 4-1 in Italy. Fernandes later criticised the team's approach without the ball, saying they were too passive and did not press. According to reports, Carrick apologised to supporters after that defeat.
Carrick: it was a football decision
Carrick rejected the suggestion that he dropped his captain because of the comments. "When you have options, it's always a difficult decision. We have to make the right one for today and the team to get that performance we want," he said.
He made four changes in all. Matheus Cunha, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui also lost their places, with Ayden Heaven, Leny Yoro, Carlos Baleba and Amad Diallo coming in.
Fernandes, 32, was United's standout player last season. He set a Premier League record with 21 assists and swept the individual awards as the club finished third. This season has been harder, apart from a hat-trick against Ipswich in August.
His remarks came days after defender Lisandro Martinez criticised the club's board for not strengthening the squad in the transfer window. Lisandro was not dropped for that, but he came off at half-time in the 1-1 draw at Leeds with an injury and is only fit enough for the bench on Sunday.
Wayne Rooney said players must take responsibility on the pitch. He said the squad had been "selfish" and quick to shift blame onto others.
What happens next
A win over Bournemouth would ease the pressure on Carrick and quiet talk about his future. Another poor result would keep the spotlight on him and on a dressing room that has already aired its frustrations in public.
