Manchester United 3-2 Roma: Bruno Fernandes claims players don't need to save Michael Carrick's job after first win in 10 games

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has come out in support of head coach Michael Carrick, but reiterated that the players didn't need to save his job in their 3-2 comeback win against Roma.

United and Carrick looked dead and buried within the first 18 minutes as the Italian side took a two-goal lead in the early exchanges.

It prompted boos and protests from supporters, who threw tennis balls onto the pitch, but the Red Devils turned things around as a Fernandes penalty and a late Matheus Cunha double gave them their first win in 54 days.

The spirit shown in the performance suggested at least some on-pitch support for Carrick, whose tenure appeared to have been hanging on by a thread ever since the 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

Fernandes was named on the bench for that game after publicly questioning the tactics in a sobering 4-1 defeat to Como four days prior. His words after Roma, though, were a lot more defiant than accusatory.

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"We don't need to save anyone's job," Fernandes told Amazon Prime post-match.

"We've been working so hard to get out of this situation altogether. It's been tough. There's been a lot of speculation in the media, a lot of lies around many things that have happened in this club. Between me and the manager, that we had to clear the air. Nothing like that happened.

"The manager took a decision of putting myself on the bench because I wasn't performing at that level. Everyone felt that it was a punishment for the words that I had. If it was, it was right.

"The manager is the one who makes the decisions. I have to accept them, I have to go forward with that. It doesn't change the belief I have in the manager, in the staff and every player that is in this club. It doesn't change my aim to win every game that I have ahead of me. It should be [a turning point]."

Carrick himself similarly played down suggestions that the turnaround could've helped his cause, saying "it's a win for us as a football club," when asked how the result could change the narrative.

"I think we've shown a lot of character as a group to weather what we've had to. You find out a lot about each other, the players will find out things about me. I certainly do about them and their character and what it means to them and what they're prepared to put in."

The win, and the nature of it, feels very reminiscent of a 2018 3-2 win over Newcastle during Jose Mourinho's time at the club. Two early goals stunned the home side, who were already under immense pressure for their poor start to the season.

In the second half, a response. A player who reportedly had his issues with Mourinho, Anthony Martial, found the net en route to a comeback which was secured by a severely underperforming South American in Alexis Sanchez.

Tonight, the role of Mourinho was played by Carrick. The role of Martial you could argue was played by Fernandes, regardless of how he feels his comments following Como were perceived. And the role of Sanchez was bettered by Cunha's heroics.

Did it save Mourinho his job? Ultimately, it didn't. He was sacked by December that year, but maybe it gave him a bit more time at the helm.

In the ten games prior to the Newcastle win, Mourinho's United had only won three times. In the 13 after, they picked up five, plus draws against Chelsea and Arsenal that weren't to be scoffed at. The issue was, the expectations at United were higher in 2018, and that return wasn't cutting it.

In reality, if Carrick managed a run of five wins, four draws and four defeats over the next 13 games, he probably isn't shown the door and is given more time to build on the project. Especially if there are some disagreements from the higher-ups on who should be the man to replace him if they went down that route.

There is just one variable that will make or break things for Carrick. Can he go back-to-back? If his United side can beat Aston Villa on Sunday, it could be the statement the former midfielder needs to earn him more time.

Unai Emery is widely regarded as the best boss in the Premier League. If Carrick is sacked, many United fans would be begging to see him take the hot seat. But, with the spirit and belief in the dressing room higher than it has been in two months following Tuesday's spectacular comeback, Carrick has a chance to get one over on Emery and leave a final impression on his bosses before the international break.

It won't be until Sunday evening, when the final whistle is blown at Old Trafford, that we will truly know whether or not Carrick's men saved his job, rather appropriately, in Fergie time.

Watch Manchester United vs Aston Villa on Sunday, live on Sky Sports, kick-off 4.30pm.

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