Yes, Bruno Fernandes is staying on as Manchester United captain. It looks like he won’t be punished for criticising his coaches either. Meanwhile, Wayne Rooney says Man Utd players act “like babies” when things don’t go their way — and honestly, he didn’t say it gently.
- Fernandes keeps the armband despite criticising Michael Carrick’s tactics after the 4-1 Champions League loss at Como.
- Rooney said he was in “shock” and “disbelief” at the display and called the squad “selfish”.
- United are winless in seven games in all competitions. Seven. That’s not a small slump anymore.
- Carrick will take charge against Bournemouth on Sunday, but nothing is decided beyond that.
- Inside the club, there’s disappointment, but also a fair bit of sympathy for Fernandes.
What Actually Happened At Como?
Manchester United went to Italy and, well, got taken apart is the honest way to put it. Como won 4-1. The home side scored inside the opening two minutes — 118 seconds, to be exact, if you want the painful precision. According to Sky Sports, Atlético Madrid had scored after only 47 seconds against United just over a week earlier. Think about that for a second: no other English side has conceded that early in back-to-back major European games. That’s not a coincidence, that’s a pattern, and patterns are what get managers sacked.
Como also kept the ball well. Really well, actually. Sky Sports reports they completed 594 passes against United — the most any team has managed against them in a Champions League match since Barcelona’s 725 back in April 2019. For context, that’s roughly one United defender chasing shadows every six seconds of the match. Not literally, but it felt that way watching it.
Fernandes was hauled off midway through the second half, with Joshua Zirkzee coming on, the BBC reported. Afterwards, he said the decision not to press man-to-man was “a decision from the staff.” He added: “That’s on the manager and on the staff to see it, it’s not on me.” Blunt. Maybe too blunt for a captain, depending who you ask.
ALSO READ: How Do Professional Athletes Train for Peak Performance
Why Is Fernandes Keeping The Armband?
Short answer: the club sees a frustrated captain here, not a mutineer plotting against the manager.
Sky Sports reports that Fernandes won’t be stripped of the captaincy and probably won’t face any formal punishment. There’s disappointment, sure, about how he handled it in public. But the broader feeling inside the building is that he was venting understandable frustration after a genuinely heavy defeat. The BBC says much the same thing, noting there’s real sympathy for him at Old Trafford.
Carrick didn’t just let it slide, though. He told reporters he was “really angry” and that playing like that simply wasn’t acceptable. His words, not a paraphrase. He also said: “Whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run back, you ain’t going to win.” Fair point, and hard to argue with.
So both men have had their say now. Whether that actually clears the air in the dressing room is a different question entirely — and nobody really knows the answer yet. For a side without a win in seven, learning how to turn setbacks into success usually starts with honest accountability, something that’s been in short supply this week.
What Did Rooney Say About Man Utd Players?
Rooney spoke on The United Stand podcast, as reported by Yahoo Sports, and he did not hold back one bit.
He said he was as “worried as I’ve been for a long time” about the club — which, coming from Rooney, is saying something. He called the players “selfish” and said they behave “like babies” the moment things don’t go their way. He also argued Fernandes was shifting pressure onto others when, in his view, players need to take responsibility on the pitch first.
Rooney tied this back to Lisandro Martínez’s earlier outburst, too. Martínez had criticised director of football Jason Wilcox and the club’s summer recruitment, and Rooney said that kind of public griping would “rip the dressing room apart” if it kept happening.
He also wants the board to be upfront about Carrick’s future, one way or another. Rooney is a friend of Carrick’s, and he said the head coach needs to “come out fighting” rather than wait things out. He drew on his own experience managing Plymouth and Birmingham City to make the point. Life is a lot calmer these days at the Rooney family home, the one Coleen showed off in her house tour, but he clearly hasn’t lost his appetite for the game.
Jamie Carragher was just as blunt, if not more so. Speaking to Sky Sports, he called Fernandes’ public criticism “a disgrace” and said his attitude was “not right at all.” Strong words from a pundit who doesn’t usually mince them anyway.
How Good Has Fernandes Actually Been?
And that’s what makes the whole thing so awkward, isn’t it. Fernandes was genuinely superb last season, and the numbers back that up.
| Fernandes, 2025-26 and United career | Figure |
|---|---|
| Premier League assists in 2025-26 (a record) | 21 |
| League goals in 2025-26 | 9 |
| United’s final league position | 3rd |
| Career goals for United | 110 |
| Career assists for United | 106 |
| Games to reach 200 goal involvements | 314 (Rooney: 295) |
| United’s current winless run (all competitions) | 7 games |
| Champions League defeats in first 3 games, 2025-26 | 2 |
Table Source: Reuters via The Star, 26 August 2026.
He won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award on 25 August 2026. Only the second Portuguese player to do it, after Cristiano Ronaldo, according to the same Reuters report. Carragher’s point, and it’s a fair one, is that Carrick actually helped him get there by putting him back in his best position on the pitch.
That context matters quite a bit here. A captain with that kind of record has earned some benefit of the doubt, let’s be real. He has also, though, made life a lot harder for a manager who was already under serious pressure before any of this happened.
What Happens Next For Carrick And United?
United host Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday. Carrick will be in the dugout, and he faces the press on Friday beforehand. Sky Sports says no decision has been made on what happens after that game. The result could end up being pivotal, one way or the other. Further down the table, the Premier League relegation battle odds show just how little margin there is for a poor run.
The board interviewed other candidates back in January before appointing Carrick, worth remembering. Reports say there’s been no recent formal contact with them, though nobody’s ruling out talks in the coming days if results don’t improve. The board is also said to believe this squad is stronger than last season’s — the one that got Carrick to third place, oddly enough.
Whether Fernandes even starts on Sunday is unclear at this point. Carrick has a call to make, and it’s not an easy one.
ALSO READ: Inside Lionel Messi International Retirement From Football: The Final Whistle
FAQs
Q1: Will Bruno Fernandes Remain Man Utd Captain?
Yes. Reports say he won’t be stripped of the armband and is unlikely to be punished.
Q2: What Did Rooney Say About Man Utd Players?
He called them “selfish” and said they act “like babies” when things don’t go their way.
Q3: What Did Fernandes Say About Carrick?
He said the decision to avoid man-to-man pressing came from the staff, not him. His words: “it’s not on me.”
Q4: How Long Have Man Utd Gone Without A Win?
Seven matches across all competitions, including two Champions League defeats in their first three games this season.
Q5: Is Michael Carrick Still Man Utd Manager?
Yes, for now. He takes charge against Bournemouth on Sunday, though what happens after that is genuinely up in the air.
Disclaimer: This article is provided for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement, promotion, or sports betting advice. All news items, quotes, and statistics presented herein are based on publicly available reports, and readers should independently verify all facts and seek professional guidance before relying on or taking action based on any information contained in this article.
