Javier Hernandez has said Manchester United's players should face more criticism than head coach Michael Carrick as the club's poor start to the season continues. The former United forward also backed Carrick to keep his job, saying he is "the correct man" to manage the pressure.
United sit inside the relegation zone after a terrible start to the campaign. The pressure on Carrick appeared to peak after a 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth last month, when crisis talks were held on October 26. Those discussions resulted in Carrick being handed a stay of execution, with the consensus that results needed to improve before the November international break.
Recent Results Keep Carrick Under Pressure
Since then, United lost 2-0 at Chelsea after Lisandro Martinez was sent off in the second half. They beat Roma in the Champions League after coming back from 2-0 down, and on Sunday produced two remarkable comebacks to draw 4-4 with Aston Villa.
Those results leave Carrick in a perilous position. Speaking before the draw with Villa, Hernandez told Sky Sports the current players need to be held accountable for the poor start.
Hernandez Calls for Player Accountability
"I am still a footballer but as a [former] Manchester United player, in those tough moments it wasn’t about if Sir Alex Ferguson did good or bad in strategy or tactics, it was more about the players needing to perform over there [on the pitch]," he insisted.
"After this white line and the whistle blows, there is nothing more the manager can do. They can tell you defend more, run more, whatever… but putting on the Manchester United shirt, [we] should not be looking at what is lacking, you should be giving your life for this club because it can be the best, or one of the best, chapters of your career for a lot of us and a lot of players. You have to give everything."
He added: "I have seen a lot of complaints about tactics and strategies and some things where I am saying: ‘Oh my God in my time, if you don’t perform someone else is going to do it, you might go back to Mexico and the story is going to change.’ So, I think we need to be more critical of players, regardless of the tactics and the management and the ownership… I understand that is part of something, but players, man, if you are here, you need to prove why you are here, regardless of which position you play and regardless of which tactics your manager is putting into you."
Carrick Backed to Turn It Around
United's opportunity to make changes to their squad is limited to the transfer windows. However, a change of management could be made at any time and, during an international break, that is more likely to be the case.
When asked about whether Carrick should keep his job, Hernandez came out and backed his former teammate. "I am confident [that Carrick will turn it around]," he said. "If a decision has been taken already, instead of staying and complaining, go with it and see if it was right or not…"
"Last season he did an amazing job. He brought United back to the Champions League. Now, the start of the season wasn’t like we expected. We are used to, normally, when you have a very good season you maintain it, but football is like that."
"I think Michael is the correct man. His personality helps a lot because he has a lot of composure, he’s a very calm guy and he can manage all the pressure and all this, so I think he is the correct man."
