Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes said the players' focus is on securing wins for the club, not on saving any particular individual's job, after their improbable 3-2 comeback victory against Roma in the Champions League. The win ended a nine-game winless streak for the team.
Fernandes, speaking to the media for the first time since being dropped to the bench after publicly criticizing manager Michael Carrick's tactics following a 4-1 loss, scored a penalty in the 58th minute that ignited the second-half revival. This performance helped alleviate some pressure on Carrick.
"The club needed that win, the players needed that win," Fernandes told Amazon Prime when asked if the result would save his manager's job. "We have been working so hard to get out of this situation all together."
He addressed the recent media speculation and reports of friction between himself and the manager. "It's been tough, there's been a lot of speculation in the media. A lot of lies around many things that have happened between me and the manager, that we have cleared the air," Fernandes said. He acknowledged that being benched after his comments could have been interpreted as a punishment, stating, "If it was, it was right. The manager is the one who makes the decisions."
Despite the public scrutiny, Fernandes affirmed his belief in the manager, staff, and his teammates. "It doesn't change the belief I have of the manager and the staff and every player in this club. It doesn't change my aim to win every game that I have ahead of me."