Sports
Michael Carrick Hits Back At Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United manager Michael Carrick has delivered a public retort to his own captain, Bruno Fernandes, after the Portuguese midfielder threw the coaching staff under the bus following a humiliating defeat in Italy.
The public fallout stems from Wednesday’s disastrous 4-1 UEFA Champions League loss to tournament debutants Como, a result that extended Manchester United’s winless streak across all competitions to an abysmal seven matches.
The crisis escalated immediately after the final whistle at the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium. Having been completely outclassed by Nico Paz and a vibrant Como side, Fernandes used his post-match media duties to question the team’s defensive philosophy, pointing the finger directly at Carrick’s staff.
“It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball,” Fernandes declared, openly undermining the tactical plan.
When pressed further on whether the manager got the tactics wrong, the captain added, “That’s on the manager and the staff to see it, it’s not on me.
Facing immense pressure regarding his rapidly deteriorating job security, Carrick refused to let the captain’s comments slide during an explosive press conference.
The 45-year-old manager hit back forcefully, debunking Fernandes’ tactical claims and instead questioning the squad’s fundamental work ethic and desire.
“We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that,” Carrick countered, completely rejecting the midfielder’s narrative.
He then delivered a scathing assessment of his players’ physical commitment.
“And there’s a little bit on 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,” Carrick stated bluntly.
The manager’s brutal response confirmed that the relationship between the coaching staff and the squad’s senior leadership is rapidly breaking down.
Fernandes’ complaints follow closely behind defender Lisandro Martínez’s recent explosive interview, where the Argentine centre-back criticised the club’s upper hierarchy and sporting direction.
With the players openly questioning the board and the manager explicitly calling out the players’ lack of running, the situation at Old Trafford appears utterly toxic.
A complete and dominant attacking performance helped Real Madrid beat Leipzig 4-1 to send a strong message to Barcelona ahead of El Clásico.
Spearheaded by goals from Bernardo Silva, Arda Güler, Kylian Mbappé, and substitute Yan Diomandé, Los Blancos ultimately showcased their superior attacking firepower to comfortably dismantle Martin Demichelis’s Leipzig squad and continue their strong European campaign.
The opening 40minutes were tightly contested, with Leipzig holding their own and goalkeeper Maarten Vandevoordt producing several crucial saves to frustrate the hosts.
However, Real Madrid’s persistence paid off just before the interval. In the 44th minute, Bernardo Silva finally broke the deadlock, finding the back of the net to give the Spanish giants a crucial 1-0 lead heading into halftime.
The momentum shifted entirely in the second half as Real Madrid found another gear. In the 52nd minute, Arda Güler doubled the advantage, finishing from close range following a header by Kylian Mbappé inside the box.
Despite Leipzig introducing several attacking substitutions in an attempt to claw their way back, they struggled to contain Madrid’s dynamic frontline and overwhelming possession.
The closing stages provided a flurry of late action. Kylian Mbappé added his name to the scoresheet in the 83rd minute, striking to put the game completely out of reach at 3-0.
Leipzig immediately responded, pulling a consolation goal back in the 85th minute through teenage substitute Tidiam Gomis.
Yet, Real Madrid had the final say. In the 87th minute, substitute Yan Diomandé, who had replaced Vinícius Júnior, capped off the victory with a clinical finish, sealing the emphatic 4-1 rout.
Liverpool legend, Jamie Carragher, has identified two players who may win the Ballon d’Or this year.
Carragher spoke after Paris Saint-Germain defeated Barcelona 4-2 in the Champions League .
The Englishman noted that Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe or Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane may win the 2026 Ballon d’Or.
He also insisted that Barcelona’s Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world at the moment.
“The Ballon d’Or is awarded on Monday, but that is about last season. Right now, we are looking at the next best player in the world.”
“Mbappe or Kane may win the Ballon d’Or this year, but at this moment, Lamine Yamal is the best player in the world,” Carragher said in a report.
Manchester City saw off AEK Athens in front of an Etihad crowd that had pockets of empty seats, prompting Enzo Maresca to comment on the drop in attendance
Manchester City hammered AEK Athens on Tuesday night but the post-match talk was dominated by the rafts of empty seats at the Etihad Stadium, which was only two thirds full.
After continued renovation, the Etihad now boasts a capacity of 61,038, and yet the official attendance was a mere 40,024. That came as no surprise with the match action often showing pockets of empty blue seats whilst large parts of the upper tier remained unsold. The match was City’s third at home in seven days following defeat by Paris Saint-Germain and victory over Ipswich.
It must also be said that AEK Athens are not the biggest sell on the fixture list, with City always expected to win relatively comfortably, which they did thanks to a Phil Foden hat-trick. He scored three in their 5-1 success with Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki also getting in on the act.
Enzo Maresca wasn’t concerned by the attendance, however, and told reporters after the game: “I think the ones in the stadium were good. The last game against Ipswich they were top and next week two games against Brighton and I’ve no doubt the environment will be good again.”
City fans have rallied recently in light of the guilty verdict, which was handed down by an independent panel and now threatens their place in the Premier League. An appeal has been lodged, but a major points deduction and relegation remains on the cards.
Amid accusations of cheating during a nine-year period that spanned from 2009 to 2018, City have come out fighting and their fans have waved large inflatable bananas during games, which stems back to the 1980s when fans took them to games following relegation.
City remain perfect in the Premier League, winning seven from seven to boast a three point lead over Arsenal in second. Maresca’s side face a challenging trip to Aston Villa at the weekend, they’ve lost their last three visits to Villa Park.
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