Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick and captain Bruno Fernandes have met face to face to clear the air, with both vowing to refocus on turning the club's season around. Fernandes was an unused substitute after being dropped for the 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth on Sunday after he criticised Carrick's tactics following the 4-1 thrashing at Como in the Champions League. Carrick had described his reasons for dropping his captain as "pure football".
"Picking the team is always a difficult decision," Carrick told Sky Sports. "We've got to make what we feel is the right one for the team to try to get the performance we want." However, Carrick and Fernandes met at United's training ground on Tuesday, Sky Sports News has been told, for an open and frank discussion, with the head coach satisfied the animosity between them is over, although it is not known if the midfielder apologised for his public criticism. Fernandes is now expected to be in contention for United's Premier League game against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.
The individual meeting between Carrick and Fernandes was in addition to an all-squad meeting, where there was a renewed determination from all the players and staff that performances have to improve immediately. There was also a mutual admission, we are told, that there has been a squad-wide underperformance so far this season. Carrick and the Man Utd players have been given the chance to turn their form around despite the under-pressure head coach thought to be on the brink after Sunday's defeat.
Following the defeat to Bournemouth, Sky Sports' Gary Neville said Fernandes had let himself down. "Eric Cantona was very unorthodox as a captain," he said. "Roy Keane could sometimes be explosive in his interviews after matches, but they weren't whingers about the tactics, about pressing, or excuse merchants.
To come out and whinge after the game about the manager's tactics, when you've just lost 4-1, and a few thousand fans have paid thousands of pounds to travel over in that far corner and get wet through. I'm sorry, read the room, Bruno. "This is not a time for whinging, throwing your arms up in the air.
This is a time for you to stand up and say, that's not good enough. Do something with a positive influence as a captain. "He's gone and basically thrown his manager under the bus the week after [Lisandro] Martinez did the same." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Neville added: "They weren't singing for Bruno Fernandes to come on today, they're backing Michael Carrick.
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