Carrick says 'Bruno's as good as ever' after Fernandes' penalty against Roma
Bruno Fernandes' retaken penalty sparked Manchester United's second-half revival against Roma in the Champions League on Tuesday, and head coach Michael Carrick said the captain's commitment to the club is "undoubted" and he is "as good as ever".
Fernandes had been left on the bench for October's home defeat by Bournemouth after criticising Carrick and his coaching staff in the wake of the 4-1 Champions League hammering in Como. He was restored to the team for the Premier League defeat by Chelsea a week later and scored the retaken penalty that ignited United's comeback against Roma. Portugal international Fernandes said afterwards there had been "a lot of lies" reported about his relationship with Carrick and rejected the notion there had been "clear-the-air talks" between the pair, something which had been confirmed by club sources.
On Fernandes' response in the match, Carrick said: "I think his actions, the way he's played and how he dealt with even retaking the penalty and frame of mind he was in for that, tells [you] everything," and added, "Bruno's as good as ever."
Carrick declined to outline the details of his conversations with Fernandes after the Bournemouth defeat, saying discussions are part of ordinary life at Carrington. "There are always conversations, and bits going on," he said. "It's acknowledging when things are going well and what we need to improve on."
Expanding on how talks take place, Carrick said: "Sometimes it's individually, sometimes it's [a] group. What's actually said in that discussion, I'll keep that to myself, but it's pretty clear we've moved in a good direction. "Bruno's commitment is undoubted for me in terms of what he brings to this team and this club."
United's hierarchy are expected to review the managerial situation after Sunday's Premier League game against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, a timeline reported by the club. Carrick accepts he does not know what will happen but acknowledged that only one victory in nine games — against Ipswich in August — is not good enough.
"While we can be really pleased with elements of the performance on Tuesday night, we must absolutely know there is so much more to come from our team," he wrote in United's matchday programme. "We must be ready to show that we can back up Tuesday's victory and begin to create the momentum to give ourselves something to build on after the international break."
Nottingham Forest's 3-1 victory over Manchester City underlined United's precarious position: that result means Carrick's side will spend the international break in the relegation zone if they do not beat Villa. United face Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday, after which the club's decision-makers are expected to assess the managerial situation.
