Bruno Fernandes insists Manchester United's thrilling comeback against Roma had nothing to do with saving anyone's job. The Red Devils captain was adamant that the 3-2 Champions League victory on Tuesday evening was about the whole squad rediscovering confidence after a torrid run.
United arrived at the Roma match, in the fourth round of the Champions League league phase, without a single win in their last 9 games across all competitions. That barren spell cranked up the pressure on manager Michael Carrick, whose position had come under threat.
Asked about Carrick's future in comments to "Amazon Prime" after the match, Fernandes said: "No, we did not need to save anyone's job. The club needed this win, and the players needed it. It was something we needed as a group of players and coaching staff."
He added, as reported by "Sky Sports": "We made great efforts to get out of this predicament. It was difficult, and speculation was rife in the media, and many lies spread about numerous things that happened inside the club, but matters between me and the manager were clear, and nothing of what was circulated happened."
On being dropped to the bench for the Bournemouth match in the Premier League, the United captain made clear the manager acted on his form rather than any fallout between them. "The manager decided to leave me out of the starting line-up because I was not performing at the required level, and everyone felt that it was a punishment for me because of what I said (in reference to his comments after the Como match), and if that is the case, then it was a correct decision," he said.
Respect for the coaching staff's calls ran through his next answer. "The manager is the one who makes the decisions, and I have to accept them and move forward based on them. This does not change my confidence in the manager or the coaching staff or any player in this club," Fernandes affirmed.
His parting words carried a clear hope that the win over Roma could spark United's season back into life. "This does not change my goal of winning every match that awaits me," he said, before adding: "It should be a turning point."