“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence,” Fernandes said in a candid interview with TNT Sports.
Asked if he thought Carrick had got his tactics wrong, Fernandes replied: “That’s on the manager and staff to see, not me.
“Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.
“As you saw with them, the centre-back was coming to mark me in my own half. We need to do that as a team but we were unable to.”
The under-fire Carrick quickly hit back at Fernandes during his post-match press conference, stating: “We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that.
Speaking out: Bruno Fernandes questioned Manchester United’s tactics against Como
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“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 ain’t going to win.”
Liverpool legend Carragher slammed Martinez for those comments and has now done likewise with Fernandes, insisting he is the reason that United cannot press as they would like and that he would never have won his player of the year awards last season without Carrick.
He also took aim at Fernandes for having an “awful attitude” not befitting of his status as United captain.
“No [it isn’t a good look for Manchester United],” Carragher said on Fernandes’ interview while on punditry duty with CBS Sports. “And we said that Lisandro Martinez was bang out of order last week for calling out the hierarchy above him.
“And for Bruno Fernandes to do that, it's a disgrace really. When you think about last season, he got player of the year. That was on the back of Michael Carrick becoming the manager.
“He wouldn't have got that award without Michael Carrick. Because Michael Carrick put him back in his rightful position. And he then went on to have a fantastic season because he's a talented footballer.
“But when you think of him as a footballer, he's a talent. But in terms of attitude and the way he goes about things, it's not right at all. And he's reacted like that because he's been brought off and he’s been embarrassed tonight by the manager who brought him off.
“When he talks about pressing, whether it's man-to-man or zonal, for years, Bruno Fernandes has meant Manchester United can't press because he does things for the crowd.
Awful attitude and not what a Manchester United captain should be
Jamie Carragher on Bruno Fernandes
“I commentate on games watching Man United and he runs all over the place like a kid in the schoolyard for the supporters. They all think he's working hard. He's not. He's killing the rest of the team doing it.
“He’s not playing in a successful era for Manchester United. Years ago, there was a player who was a captain called Bryan Robson. One of the greatest players to ever play for Man United.
“He didn’t play in teams that won leagues every year or European cups. Nothing like that. But he’s still seen as one of the greatest players to have played for the club because he still played for the club.
“He never threw a manager under the bus, he never threw his players under the bus and he kept fighting for Manchester United.
“I’m watching him [Fernandes] play every week and throwing his arms up at players constantly in the game. It’s an absolute disgrace what he’s done there, calling the manager out considering how he’s performed this season on the pitch.
“Awful attitude and not what a Manchester United captain should be.”
Carragher was asked if he disagreed with the content of Fernandes’ comments, or just that they had been aired publicly amid question marks over United’s identity.
Fronting up: Michael Carrick apologised to Manchester United’s travelling fans
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"Isn’t it funny,” he said. “How many managers has he had, Bruno Fernandes? So every single manager at Manchester United doesn't have an identity?
"How many managers are we on now, Bruno Fernandes? Five? They change the manager every season.
“Manchester United is rotten from top to bottom. It’s not about the manager, it’s everything about the club.
“Who has got the answers? We comment all the time, they might need to change the manager or do this, do that. Are we ever right, really? No one ever seems to get it right.
“There’s no doubt the manager needs to be changed now, this can’t go on for a club of this stature. But I’m glad Michael Carrick came out and said that about Bruno Fernandes, that they don’t run. Because they don’t run, this team.”
Carragher finished: “I’m delighted he brought Fernandes off and I’m delighted he had a pop back at him in the press conference. It’s what they need, some of those players.”