Manchester United's Bruno Fernandes in Form Crisis as Michael Carrick Faces Captaincy Call Before Leeds Trip
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes is enduring a worrying slump in form, and the question of whether Michael Carrick should drop his skipper is now dominating the conversation around Old Trafford ahead of a pivotal trip to Elland Road.
The scrutiny intensified after United's Champions League night at Atletico Madrid. A day before that match, the club issued a statement on Fernandes that spoke of an "injury niggle" while stressing there was "nothing to worry about" — but, as Sky Sports noted, his performance on the night suggested otherwise, and the reference to an injury appeared intended to mediate the criticism beginning to engulf last season's Premier League player of the season.
A saviour turned scourge
So often United's saviour, Fernandes is currently his side's scourge, with the central issue being that when he is not contributing offensively he offers virtually nothing else. It is clearly not the 32-year-old's role or repertoire to be combative against the ball, but United's fragility means they cannot afford to carry passengers either.
The numbers underline the reliance on him. Fernandes has played 96 per cent of all available minutes under Carrick, has only been substituted three times — against Manchester City, Liverpool and at Atletico, all after the 81st minute — and has been benched just once, in the EFL Cup against Brighton in September. Carrick, it appears, cannot cope without him.
Beyond productivity, the body language is equally unhelpful. It took Fernandes a remarkable 23 minutes to complete his first pass against Tottenham last weekend, and all the familiar posturing is back — an outpouring of frustration in physical form. The full spectrum was visible in Madrid: hands on face, hands on head, hands on hips, and finally hands together, clapping a weary fanbase whose energy and patience for what they are watching seems to be wearing ever thinner.
Who replaces him?
To bomb Fernandes off to the bench would be a bold call from Carrick. For starters, who would replace him? Mason Mount would be the obvious choice, while Matheus Cunha can also play as a No 10 — but both would be experimental picks in choppy waters.
Carrick must also weigh the significance of dropping his talisman, the one individual who, through all the turmoil, has shown himself to be the true embodiment of Old Trafford heart and tradition. If such a decision backfires, the manager opens himself up to even greater criticism.
Former United captain Wayne Rooney was blunt at half-time in Madrid. "Maybe they need to take Bruno off because he's not having the best game," Rooney said. And yet, as Sky Sports observed, if Carrick was betting on one player to summon the spark needed to get back into a hostile game at the Metropolitano, it would be Fernandes.
The weight of the badge
Truthfully, Fernandes has looked off it all season. Perhaps his legs were drained at the World Cup this summer; maybe he is playing close to the pain barrier. More likely, the burden of responsibility is weighing heavy — the inescapable millstone of Manchester United Football Club. This prolific provider is tired: tired of being the only thread of positivity, tired of being the one whose performance is so tangibly linked with the outcome of games, and tired of facing media critics as captain when those outcomes are unsatisfactory.
Deeper problems surface
The situation has brought deeper issues to the surface, encapsulated by an extraordinary rant from Lisandro Martinez on Tuesday. His comments criticising the club's hierarchy went viral as quickly as they left his mouth — and ultimately Martinez was only voicing what most observers believe to be true.
Manchester United's squad is short of the talent and depth required to compete three times a week, and Fernandes' form is symptomatic of that unfortunate fact. While one side of Manchester is being torn apart for spending too much, the other is being materially charged with spending too little. That is not Carrick's fault, but the failing of, as Martinez put it, "the upstairs."
The consequences of a reluctance to invest beyond a tunnel vision on defensive midfielders are being uncovered on the pitch, and the physical damage is most obviously visualised by those being overplayed as a result. The hope and optimism with which this campaign began has quickly eroded.
Leeds trip looms large
Sunday's trip to Leeds, live on Sky Sports, will be considered must-win. Lose to battle-hardened Leeds at Elland Road and full crisis mode will commence. Daniel Farke will try to play on such delicacy — and why shouldn't he? Leeds enter the fixture ahead of United in the table for the first time since September 2002, making them few Premier League opponents so enticing right now.
Because if Bruno Fernandes is not able to deliver Manchester United from their own indisposition, then who will?