Bruno Fernandes says Manchester United don’t need to save anyone’s job

Manchester United needed a response. After falling two goals behind Roma, they fought back to win 3-2 and end a run of nine games without a victory. Captain Bruno Fernandes made clear afterwards that he did not see the result as a rescue mission for anyone at the club.

“We don’t need to save anyone’s job,” Fernandes said when asked whether the win would ease pressure on manager Michael Carrick. The comeback mattered, he added, because the club and its players needed it.

“The club needed that win, the players needed that win,” Fernandes said. “We have been working so hard to get out of this situation all together.”

The captain’s penalty in the 58th minute sparked United’s second-half revival. It was a significant moment for Fernandes, who was speaking to the media for the first time since being left on the bench after publicly criticising Carrick’s tactics following the 4-1 defeat at Como.

Fernandes said there had been “a lot of speculation in the media” and “a lot of lies” about what had happened between him and the manager. He said they had cleared the air, and that Carrick then made the decision to leave him out because he was not performing.

“Everyone thought that was a punishment for the words that I had,” Fernandes said. “If it was, it was right. The manager is the one who makes the decisions.”

That account puts the focus on the team’s response rather than a personal dispute. Fernandes said his belief in Carrick, the staff and the players had not changed, nor had his aim of winning every game ahead.

United’s comeback was an important lift after a difficult stretch, but Fernandes was careful not to frame one result as a verdict on anyone’s future. His message was collective: the players had worked together to get out of a tough situation, and the win belonged to the club as a whole.

For United, the challenge now is to carry that fightback into the matches ahead. Fernandes’ words offered support for the manager and his staff, while also acknowledging the scrutiny around the club. The 3-2 result gave the players a much-needed win; the captain’s answer made clear that, in his view, its purpose was not to save a job.