Manchester United fell to a defeat against Chelsea on Saturday, but Bruno Fernandes offered a glimmer of hope for manager Michael Carrick. The captain, who had been dropped for the previous match, delivered a senior performance that could be crucial for Carrick's future.
Fernandes Responds After Being Dropped
Fernandes was the focus of pre-match discussion after being left out of the side for the defeat to Bournemouth. His comments following the loss to Como were greeted poorly, and Carrick's decision to bench him was seen as laying down the law. After clear-the-air talks at Carrington, Carrick drew a line under the issue on Tuesday.
In his pre-match comments at Stamford Bridge, Carrick praised Fernandes. "He's a big player, Bruno, he offers us so much, you know, with his experience," Carrick told MUTV. "He's been through a lot here and achieved a lot and shown what he can bring to the team. So he's an important part of the team for us and I think we've got a good balance today."
Captain Shows His Quality
Fernandes looked closer to his old self in the first half against Chelsea. He was dogged defensively, chasing back and winning the ball. Going forward, he should have scored when Bryan Mbeumo played a sensational cross-field pass to him on the counter, and Mbeumo then failed to read Fernandes' brilliant cross for an easy tap-in.
Fernandes was influencing the game for the first time in a while. Even after a poor start to the second half, he nearly dragged United back with a free-kick delivery that Matheus Cunha could not divert goalwards. Chances were limited after Lisandro Martinez's sending off, but Fernandes' display was the kind of senior performance expected of a captain.
Step in the Right Direction
On the Manchester is Red podcast, the need for Fernandes to apologise on the pitch was discussed. He did that on Saturday, even though the result went against the Reds. If Carrick is to save his job, he needs Fernandes at his best, and Saturday was a step in the right direction.
