Bruno Fernandes dropped as Manchester United suffer heavy defeat against Bournemouth

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes was dropped to the bench for Sunday's 3-0 Premier League defeat against Bournemouth at Old Trafford, BBC Sport reported. According to the Irish Times, manager Michael Carrick called dropping the midfielder a pure football decision. The decision followed Fernandes' public criticism of Carrick's tactics after United suffered a 4-1 Champions League defeat against Como, BBC Sport added. [2][7]

In individual player ratings from the match, BBC News noted that goalkeeper Senne Lammens made a massive error that led to Bournemouth's third goal. Defender Leny Yoro slipped to allow Bournemouth their second goal after making an earlier clearance. Defender Ayden Heaven received a yellow card that resulted in a free kick leading to another goal, before being replaced by Lisandro Martinez in the 64th minute. [1]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Carrick faced mounting pressure amid a seven-game winless streak before the match. Fernandes and Martinez had publicly criticized the club's tactics and recruitment following the defeat against Como. Carrick took over as interim manager in January, as BBC Sport columnist Tony Pulis noted. [4][16][17]

Prior to the Bournemouth fixture, Carrick insisted that it remains possible to manage Manchester United effectively, according to BBC Sport and the Telegraph. [5][6]