Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes says the club needed a change when Michael Carrick replaced Ruben Amorim as head coach in January. United sat sixth in the Premier League at the time; Carrick took over as caretaker and presided over a run of strong results that secured third place and Champions League qualification.
Carrick has since agreed a two-year deal to remain head coach, with formal confirmation expected from the club. Fernandes collected the Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year award at the ceremony, where Carrick presented the prize, and reflected on the midseason switch.
“When the change was made we were not far from what we wanted this season — that was the top four,” Fernandes said, while adding the club felt a change was necessary for other reasons he would not name. He and Carrick spoke early on and agreed: “We can play better; we want to play better.” The results after Carrick’s arrival, Fernandes said, showed United were among the Premier League’s best teams.
Fernandes benefited tactically from the coaching changes. Caretaker boss Darren Fletcher moved him back into his preferred No. 10 role for two games, and Carrick kept him in a more advanced position after taking charge. The move paid off: 13 of Fernandes’s record-equalling 20 Premier League assists came after Amorim’s departure, marking one of his finest seasons at Old Trafford.
“Michael came in with a big personality but also with a lot of calmness about what he needed to do to bring the best out of the team,” Fernandes said. “For myself it was a great end of the season — I got to really enjoy the football I was playing and most importantly, the team was getting results.”
Fernandes also responded to criticism from former United captain Roy Keane, who called the build-up to Fernandes equalling the Premier League assist record a “circus act.” Fernandes defended his priorities: “It is not something that I will ever chase. I know people can have different opinions about me, but they cannot say that I am not someone that looks to help the team and tries to make the team the most successful one. I will always try to win trophies and not individual accolades.”
Fernandes set up Bryan Mbeumo for United’s third goal in a 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest to reach 20 assists and still has the chance to break Thierry Henry and Kevin De Bruyne’s record on the final day at Brighton.