The captain stayed on the bench throughout at Old Trafford as United's winless run stretched to eight games and left them 16th, a point above the relegation zone.
By FreakBets Newsroom
Manchester United lost 3-0 at home to Bournemouth on Sunday after Michael Carrick left his captain, Bruno Fernandes, on the bench for the whole game. The defeat stretched United's winless run to eight matches in all competitions and left them 16th in the Premier League, one point above the relegation zone, according to beIN SPORTS.
Fernandes was named among the substitutes and did not play. Carrick made four second-half changes and none of them was his captain, the Associated Press reported.
Carlos Baleba started in Fernandes' place, one of four changes from the side beaten 4-1 by Como in the Champions League in midweek. ESPN reported that the decision to leave Fernandes out followed his criticism of the team's tactics after that defeat in Como. Carrick said it was a football decision, according to the Associated Press.
"When you have options it's always a difficult decision," Carrick said. "We have to make the right one for today and the team to get that performance we want."
The performance did not arrive. Rayan put Bournemouth ahead in the 38th minute and Marcus Tavernier added a second in the 43rd, so United went in at half-time two goals down at Old Trafford. Evanilson finished the job in the 71st minute.
Fernandes has been a fixture of United's team since he arrived in January 2020. The Associated Press, citing Opta, reported that this was only the sixth time he had been named on the bench for a Premier League match in that time.
Leaving him out was a statement. Leaving him there while the game slipped away, with four substitutions used, was a bigger one.
Carrick did not dress it up afterwards. "There are always times in games when you try to make decisions to try and change the course of play, to try to make a difference," he said. "These were the decisions that we made today."
The numbers are grim. After eight league matches United have one win, four draws and three defeats, seven points and a goal difference of minus three. Across all competitions this season they have won twice in 12 matches, and those wins came against newly promoted Ipswich and the Azerbaijani side Sabah, according to beIN SPORTS.
This is the same Carrick whose interim spell took United to third last season. beIN SPORTS noted that the lack of European or domestic cup football helped that strong finish. The schedule is heavier now and the results have gone the other way.
ESPN reported that the defeat increased the pressure on Carrick, and his own words did little to lower it.
"It's a tough situation. I won't hide from it," he said. "What's next? I really don't know. I'll do what's best for this football club, I've said that all along and I don't change that now. I love what I do and I love the position I am in. I feel the responsibility."
Bournemouth have made this ground a happy place. Sunday's win was their third 3-0 victory at Old Trafford in four seasons, according to beIN SPORTS. It came three days after they beat AC Milan by the same score.
The result moved them to nine points from eight matches, with two wins, three draws and three defeats and a goal difference of minus one. Two points separate the sides in the table, but the gap in confidence looked far wider.
Bournemouth are back in action on Wednesday when they host Aston Villa in the League Cup at 19:45 UTC. For United, the immediate question is whether Fernandes returns to the side, and whether Carrick is still the man choosing it. The manager, by his own admission, does not know what comes next.
Written by the FreakBets newsroom with the help of AI, using only the sources above, fact-checked against them and approved before publication. See our editorial policy.
