United pull off European comeback
United completed a stunning second-half fightback to secure a 3-2 Champions League victory over Roma. Carrick’s side trailed by two goals at half-time before rallying brilliantly at Old Trafford. However, the spectacular turnaround did not shield Fernandes from heavy criticism.
Former striker Rooney singled out the club captain for a glaring lack of defensive effort during a dismal first-half display. Matias Soule and Donyell Malen had fired the Serie A side into a commanding early lead. Diogo Dalot left vast amounts of space in defence, but Rooney felt Fernandes completely failed to support his team-mate.
Rooney questions Fernandes and team
Speaking on Amazon Prime, Rooney expressed his shock at United's overall lack of aggression. He insisted that Fernandes must take responsibility when the defensive structure breaks down on his side of the pitch.
"For the first goal, if you’re playing in a system, when Dalot goes higher, Bruno should go into that position," Rooney explained. "He has to run back, you’re the captain of the football club, run back and take responsibility. You’re a team and you need to play as a team. If a teammate is out of position, even if you don’t want to be there or run back, you have to run back.
"I feel so sorry for the fans because they don’t know what to do. They’ve not been in this position for years, they don’t know whether to get behind the team or to get on their backs. I feel so sorry for them. The team have just run out of ideas. There’s no confidence or belief, the team is shot to bits."
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Cunha inspires dramatic late turnaround
Despite a horrific start that highlighted their ongoing defensive frailties, United eventually found the fight that Rooney desperately demanded. Fernandes began the dramatic revival when he successfully converted a retaken penalty just before the hour mark, capitalising on a fortunate reprieve after missing his initial effort.
Matheus Cunha then stepped up to completely turn the match on its head. The forward scored two rapid goals in the space of three minutes late in the game, a feat that may have ultimately saved Carrick from losing his job.
"The second-half was amazing, they were front-footed and they deserved to win the game in the end," Rooney admitted. "The first half was terrible but we saw the passion and fight we wanted in the second half. The crowd got right behind the team and you felt like they could go on to win the game."
Focus shifts to Aston Villa
United must now attempt to carry this much-needed momentum into their next domestic fixture as they look to rescue their league campaign. Carrick's side, currently sitting a lowly 17th in the Premier League, will host Unai Emery’s Aston Villa at Old Trafford this weekend.