Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United’s comeback against Roma was about ending a damaging run for the club rather than protecting manager Michael Carrick’s position.
United came from 2-0 down to win at Old Trafford and end a nine-game winless streak in the Champions League. Their previous victory had come on MD1 against Sabah in September, while the run had become the club’s worst since 1988.
Roma struck twice inside the opening 17 minutes through Matias Soule and Donyell Malen, becoming the quickest visiting side to score two goals at Old Trafford in major European competition. They surpassed Sporting Braga’s record of 20 minutes, set in October 2012.
Fernandes reduced the deficit with a retaken penalty before Matheus Cunha scored twice late on to complete the turnaround. Cunha was dismissed for a second bookable offence in the 91st minute.
“The club needed that win, the players needed that win,” Fernandes told Amazon Prime when asked about the pressure on Carrick.
“We have been working so hard to get out of this situation together. It’s been tough; there’s been a lot of speculation in the media.
“A lot of lies around many things that have happened between me and the manager, that we have cleared the air, then after that the manager took the decision to [put me] on the bench because I’m not performing.
“Everyone thought that was a punishment for the words that I had. If it was, it was right. The manager is the one who makes the decisions.”
Fernandes had criticised Carrick’s tactics after United’s 4-1 defeat by Como, adding to the scrutiny surrounding the manager. The captain said, however, that the incident had not affected his support for Carrick or the wider coaching staff.
“It doesn’t change the belief I have in the manager and the staff, and every player in this club,” he said. “It doesn’t change my aim to win every game that I have ahead of me.”
United improved significantly after half-time. They had 10 of their 15 shots in the second half and recorded 2.5 of their 2.7 expected goals (xG), while Roma failed to register a shot after the interval.
‘Old Trafford came alive’
Fernandes acknowledged the frustration felt by supporters during United’s poor run but said the players understood their reaction.
“Fans want to win games. They are used to seeing this club at the top, winning trophies, and it’s been frustrating to see the club in this situation,” he said.
“We are all frustrated with the situation, and we want to get out of this, and hopefully this win gives us the start of something good for us.”
He added that United’s belief returned once they had scored, with the home crowd helping to drive the recovery.
“We knew after that we still had the fans with us; we felt we could change it with a goal and something, and fortunately we did it,” Fernandes said. “Having that belief from their side helps the team a lot, and this was one of those days that Old Trafford came alive.”
