Jamie Carragher Brands Bruno Fernandes Outburst 'Awful Attitude' After Como Defeat

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Jamie Carragher called Bruno Fernandes throwing his arms up every week in games “an absolute disgrace” and described the Manchester United captain’s behaviour as an “awful attitude”.
Fernandes told TNT Sports the decision not to press man-to-man came from the staff, and added: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me.”
Kasper Schmeichel, Stephen Warnock and Joe Cole all said the complaints belonged inside the dressing room, and the club has said nothing about whether Fernandes keeps the armband.

Carragher Says Fernandes Was Embarrassed at Being Substituted

Jamie Carragher did not soften his verdict on Bruno Fernandes. Working as a summariser for CBS Sports after Manchester United’s 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como, the former Liverpool vice-captain said watching Fernandes throw his arms up every week in a game is “an absolute disgrace”. He called the attitude “awful” and “not what a Manchester United captain should be”.

The row started with Fernandes himself. The 32-year-old Portugal midfielder spoke to TNT Sports after the final whistle and questioned the way Michael Carrick’s side set up. “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence,” he said. Asked whether Carrick got his tactics wrong, he continued: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me.”

Carragher read the comments as a reaction to being substituted. He said Fernandes spoke that way after being embarrassed by the manager who brought him off. On the subject of pressing, he argued that Fernandes has stopped United pressing as a team for years, running around “like a kid in the schoolyard for the supporters” while the crowd assumes he is working hard. “He’s killing the rest of the team doing it,” Carragher said.

Carragher also took aim at the award Fernandes collected last season, when he was named the Premier League’s player of the year after a record 21 assists. “That award was on the back of Michael Carrick becoming the manager,” he said, adding that Fernandes “wouldn’t have got that award without Michael Carrick”. Carrick moved him back into his rightful position, Carragher said, but the attitude and the way he goes about things “it’s not right at all”.

Ex-Players Say the Argument Belonged Inside the Club

Few pundits defended Fernandes, though some understood his frustration. Former Leicester and Celtic goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel told BBC Radio 5 Live that Fernandes “probably should not be saying these things”, and said experience teaches players to “keep these things in-house”. “Michael Carrick didn’t need this, the club didn’t need this,” Schmeichel said. “It’s exposing all of the issues that are at Manchester United.”

Stephen Warnock, speaking on Match of the Day, expected former United players to ask “why are you letting this get out”. Senior players should go to the manager privately and ask how to move forward, he said. “You start airing it in public and it doesn’t end well for anyone,” Warnock said.

Joe Cole, on TNT Sports, called the comments “sacrilege”. “I’ve played for managers where I don’t agree with the tactics but you might say that to your mate or to your wife,” Cole said. “You don’t come out as captain of the club and question the manager.”

Andy Mitten, editor of United We Stand, told BBC Radio 5 Live Breakfast that Fernandes has “thrown his coach under the bus”. He called it “a terrible look” and said United supporters are divided on whether a player should speak out that way.

Carrick Fires Back as the Captaincy Question Hangs Over United

Carrick, already under heavy pressure after a poor start to the season, replied by pointing at effort. “There’s a little bit of whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win,” he said. United have not won in their past seven games, a run that began after the win over Sabah, and have one win in seven Premier League games this season.

Mitten said Carrick appeared to blank his players at full-time before walking over to the travelling fans, where he held his hands up and said sorry. “I don’t blame him for ignoring the players,” Mitten said. “You can tell he’s hurting. He’s a Manchester United fan himself.”

The Fernandes comments arrived a week after defender Lisandro Martinez made headlines following the Champions League defeat by Atletico Madrid. Martinez said he expected more investment in the squad and “more from our technical director [Jason Wilcox]”, then apologised and kept his place at Leeds last Sunday. Mitten saw a difference between the two cases and pointed out that Fernandes is the captain.

Fernandes has captained United for three years. Erik ten Hag gave him the armband in the summer of 2023 after taking it off Harry Maguire. He joined from Sporting in January 2020 for £47m and has scored 111 goals and made 106 assists in 338 games for the club. His body language as captain has been attacked before: Gary Neville and Roy Keane called him a “disgrace” and “embarrassing” after the 7-0 loss to Liverpool in 2023, and Chris Sutton said he should never captain the club again.

United face Bournemouth on Sunday, and many will wonder whether Fernandes should start. The club has not said whether his role as captain is in jeopardy.

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.