Lisandro's affliction spreads to Bruno: Manchester United captain distances himself from the Como crisis, and Carrick responds
Como's four goals against Manchester United triggered a crisis inside the dressing room, turning a stormy Italian night into a hurricane of mutual accusations between captain Bruno Fernandes and manager Michael Carrick.
Bruno broke his silence after the humiliating 4-1 defeat to Cesc Fabregas's side, and his fiery statement put Carrick directly in the firing line. "This is the problem of the manager and the technical staff, not my problem," he said in a sharp tone after his 67th-minute substitution. "The mistake is the manager's mistake."
His words came amid clear discontent on the pitch and on his way to the bench. This was no mere flash of anger. It revealed a deep rift between the players and the technical staff.
The match cameras caught the Portuguese star showing his displeasure with the tactical approach and the way the game was managed, at a time when the team was collapsing defensively just 118 seconds in.
From Lisandro to Bruno: the contagion of rebellion
Bruno's comments did not come out of nowhere. Just days earlier, defender Lisandro Martinez had been fined for a striking statement in which he said the team "does not have the level required to compete in Europe", aiming his accusation squarely at the club's management and transfer policy.
Now Bruno Fernandes has joined the list of critics, the captain and the most influential voice in the dressing room. One fact is confirmed: Manchester United is no longer a single team but warring fronts between a management, a manager and players, locked in a crisis that seems eternal and without solution.
Observers believe these words may be the straw that breaks Carrick's back. The interim manager earned his chance after a promising start, but he has now entered a tunnel of seven consecutive matches without a win, the club's worst run since December 2015.
Carrick responds: I take 100% responsibility
Michael Carrick tried to absorb the anger by taking full responsibility in his post-match comments to TNT Sports.
"It is more than just a disappointment," Carrick said. "Everyone has to take responsibility, and I take it 100% for the team and the performance in general. The responsibility stops with me and I accept that completely."
He added in a clearly apologetic tone: "As a long-time supporter of this club who cares about it so much, to see a performance like this is unacceptable."
On the reasons for the collapse, he explained: "A lot of it is about the drive, the intent and the intensity that you have to bring in football, and we did not bring that today."
Despite the negative run, Carrick defended his players: "100% this is not their level. We have shown that for 6 or 7 months, but you cannot switch your enthusiasm on and off whenever you want."
His final words were a special apology to the fans who left the stands early: "The fans are the heartbeat of this club and will always be so. I had to apologise for everything they did to come here only to have to watch a performance like this. There are no excuses at all."
