Man Utd urged to strip Bruno Fernandes after Michael Carrick outburst

Manchester United have been urged to remove Bruno Fernandes from the captaincy after a furious outburst from Michael Carrick, with the Portuguese midfielder left on the bench as an unused substitute in Sunday’s match against Bournemouth, following the club’s heavy Champions League defeat to Como earlier in the week.

Ian Holloway demands captaincy be removed

Former Blackpool and Crystal Palace boss Ian Holloway has publicly called for the armband to be taken from Fernandes. Speaking on Football Uncensored, he said: “Your club captain should be a leader and Man United used to have fantastic ones and they were big enough to take it.”

Holloway continued, “This lad is a very, very good player but as a person I’ve seen him cheat time and time again. I’ve seen him kick someone, get him sent off… No Man United captain should ever do any of that, honestly, he doesn’t deserve that shirt.”

Michael Carrick explains benching decision

Michael Carrick defended the decision to leave Fernandes out, insisting the midfielder is fit and available but that the team selection was made for footballing reasons. He added, “Unfortunately for everyone we didn’t manage to get the right result, we want to push forward and create more.”

Manchester United stare at a crossroads with Carrick’s future

Carrick also highlighted the heavy Champions League loss to Como, noting that Fernandes had hit out at his tactics after that mid‑week defeat. The Red Devils skipper’s criticism was part of a broader frustration within the squad.

The story first appeared in the Sport column by Daniel Orme at 21:45 on 26 October 2026, where the author recorded Holloway’s comments and Carrick’s response.

With Fernandes sidelined and the captaincy under fire, the club now faces pressure to reassess its leadership hierarchy, a development that could shape squad dynamics for the remainder of the season.