GOAL reported that Bruno Fernandes liked an Instagram post after Manchester United's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth at Old Trafford. The report came amid reported tension between Fernandes and manager Michael Carrick.
Fernandes left out against Bournemouth
Manchester United lost 3-0 to Bournemouth at Old Trafford. Fernandes was an unused substitute in the match. GOAL reported that Carrick left Fernandes out of the starting line-up against Bournemouth. It was only the sixth time Fernandes had been on the bench in a Premier League match since joining United in 2020.
The Instagram post described by GOAL
GOAL reported that Fernandes liked a cryptic Instagram post titled “exploiting people's loyalty”. The video in the post showed a huge stone statue carrying a giant boulder on its shoulders, with one about to roll down from the top of the hill and destroy an entire village.
The video showed the man trying to contain the boulder, causing unintended damage to one of the village's buildings, after which its people turned against him and attacked him. The video then showed the man letting go of the boulder to roll down and flatten the village to the ground.
A sentence at the top of the video said, “Don't push a loyal person to the point where they no longer care”. The caption on the post read, “Usually the person who holds everything together is the person no one thinks to check on”.
Previous criticism of Carrick
GOAL reported that Fernandes publicly criticised Carrick's tactics after Manchester United's 4-1 defeat to Como. According to The Sun, many considered Fernandes's public criticism after the Como defeat the start of an open clash between Fernandes and Carrick.
Career figures and post-match developments
Fernandes has scored 111 goals in 334 matches for Manchester United. GOAL reported that Manchester United fans chanted against Carrick after the Bournemouth match as he left the pitch and booed the players.
Reports suggest Carrick is on the verge of the sack, with Eddie Howe among the leading candidates to succeed him.