Fernandes accepts Carrick benching after United end winless run against Roma

Bruno Fernandes has backed Michael Carrick's decision to drop him last month after helping Manchester United recover from two goals down to beat Roma at Old Trafford. According to the Guardian, the midfielder said his performances had justified being left out and that he continued to believe in the manager, his staff and his team-mates.

Watch the highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muZm56o8WHc

Fernandes had criticised Carrick's tactics after United's previous Champions League match, a 4-1 defeat at Como. He was then left on the bench for the following fixture against Bournemouth and did not come on. Reflecting on that decision, Fernandes said he accepted the manager's authority and considered the demotion fair because he had not been playing well enough.

He also addressed the suggestion that his omission was a response to his public comments. Fernandes said that even if the decision had been a punishment for those remarks, it would have been justified. He did not present that explanation as an established fact, instead stressing that accepting selection decisions had not changed his confidence in Carrick or his determination to win games.

Against Roma, Fernandes converted a retaken penalty to start United's recovery from a 2-0 deficit. Matheus Cunha then scored twice to complete the turnaround and deliver the club's first victory in 10 matches. The win came amid a noisy Old Trafford atmosphere that also included protests against the ownership, the Guardian reported, ending a prolonged sequence without a victory.

Fernandes resisted framing the result primarily as an intervention to protect Carrick's position. He said the club, players and staff all needed the win and had been working together to improve their situation. Carrick, meanwhile, credited Old Trafford's capacity to produce dramatic nights after United's second-half comeback, drawing on the ground's history while acknowledging the difficult route his side had taken to victory.

Carrick also praised substitute Shea Lacey, who created Cunha's winning goal on his 10th senior appearance. The 19-year-old earned recognition from the manager for his ability and eagerness to succeed. His contribution supplied the decisive opening as United turned an evening that had begun with another two-goal setback into a much-needed win.