Carrick backs Bruno Fernandes as Man Utd face Villa with pressure mounting
Michael Carrick says Bruno Fernandes' commitment is undoubted and the captain is as good as ever, as United prepare to face Aston Villa knowing a loss could leave them in the relegation zone over the international break.
Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick has defended captain Bruno Fernandes, describing the midfielder's commitment to the club as undoubted and saying he is as good as ever. Fernandes was benched for October's home defeat by Bournemouth after criticising Carrick and his staff following a 4-1 Champions League loss in Como.
Restored for the Premier League defeat by Chelsea, Fernandes scored a retaken penalty that helped spark United's second-half comeback against Roma on Tuesday. Afterwards the Portugal international said there had been a lot of lies reported about his relationship with Carrick, and he rejected the idea that clear-the-air talks had taken place, a notion club sources had confirmed.
Carrick pointed to Fernandes' actions, including retaking the penalty and his frame of mind, as evidence of his state. The manager declined to discuss the specifics of their conversations after the Bournemouth loss, saying such discussions are part of daily life at Carrington and that what is said stays private.
Attention now turns to Sunday's Premier League game against Aston Villa at Old Trafford, after which United's powerbrokers are expected to assess the managerial situation. Carrick acknowledged uncertainty over his future, with just one win in nine games, against Ipswich in August, and said the Roma victory must be the start of a recovery.
In his matchday programme notes, Carrick wrote that while elements of Tuesday's performance were pleasing, the team must know there is much more to come and must back up the win to build momentum after the international break. Nottingham Forest's 3-1 win over Manchester City underlined the stakes: without a win against Villa, United will spend the break in the relegation zone.
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