Gabby Agbonlahor has criticised Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes after the midfielder hit out at head coach Michael Carrick. The criticism follows United's 4-1 defeat to Como in the Champions League.
Fernandes became the latest high-profile United player to criticise a member of the club, following Lisandro Martinez's comments towards the hierarchy after last week's 2-0 defeat at Atletico Madrid.
Pressure Mounts on Carrick
Carrick is under increasing pressure, with the defeat to the Serie A side extending United's run without a win to seven games in all competitions. Deeper problems and friction within the squad are coming to the fore.
The 45-year-old has faced scrutiny since before the international break last month, but the team's form has not improved.
Agbonlahor's Verdict
Agbonlahor, a former Premier League striker, said: "Don't get me started on him. He is a disgrace... Manchester United looked like they were off the cuff and weren't interested, it's not just Carrick by the way.
"He's absolutely killed the manager. Starting with Bruno Fernandes, I've been saying it for years, he's showing himself when the going gets tough at Manchester United now, how is he the captain of that football club?
"He was a disgrace, he was giving the ball away, throwing his arms about, Tielemans tried a cross and because it didn't pick out Fernandes, he's throwing his arms up, pointing fingers at him, he'll be the player in the dressing room that the players dislike.
"When he got dragged at 60 minutes, I was like, 'fair play to you Michael Carrick, if you're going to go down and get the sack, you're going down your way.'
"Fernandes deserved that for weeks, he's done nothing. You're giving the ball away then taking it out on your teammates, what a horrible teammate you are."
Fallout Continues
Martinez later apologised to Carrick and members of the United hierarchy for his comments in Madrid. However, the fallout from the defeat to Como is only just beginning, with reports that Matheus Cunha was involved in a heated exchange with the United boss.
Time is ticking for Carrick to turn around United's fortunes, with four matches remaining before the next international break. Bournemouth visit Old Trafford on Sunday before a trip to Xabi Alonso's Chelsea next weekend. United then have back-to-back home matches against Roma and Aston Villa before the interval, but standing seven matches without a win, reports over potential successors are intensifying.
Fabian Hurzeler, Antonio Conte and Julian Nagelsmann have all been separately linked with replacing Carrick. Nagelsmann appears to be emerging as the standout contender having left his position at Germany in the summer.
