Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has criticised Michael Carrick for leaving Bruno Fernandes on the bench throughout Manchester United’s 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth, arguing that the manager made a costly mistake.

According to a report by Metro on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Murphy described Carrick’s decision as “silly” and said the Manchester United manager was “massively wrong” not to introduce his captain during the Premier League encounter at Old Trafford.

Fernandes was left out of the starting line-up after publicly expressing concerns about the coaching staff’s tactics following United’s 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como on October 21.

Carrick’s decision attracted further scrutiny when United struggled against Bournemouth, with the midfielder remaining an unused substitute despite the hosts trailing 2-0 at half-time.

The defeat extended United’s winless run to eight matches and increased pressure on Carrick, who is expected to remain in charge for Saturday’s Premier League clash against Chelsea.

Murphy believes the manager could have disciplined Fernandes without preventing him from contributing when the team needed a response.

“I’m surprised they didn’t get it all sorted before the weekend’s game against Bournemouth because he’s your best player,” Murphy told talkSPORT.

He suggested Carrick could have addressed the midfielder’s comments privately or made a statement by dropping him from the starting line-up. However, Murphy questioned why the captain was not brought on when United fell behind.

“But when you’ve got your best player on the bench and you’re 2-0 down at half-time, that’s the time to say: ‘Go on then, show me how much you care, show me I was wrong.’”

Murphy added: “He got that massively wrong. I don’t mind him not starting him, giving him a kick in front of the lads and setting boundaries, no problem. Even leaving him out of the squad.”

The former Tottenham midfielder also stressed that the dispute should not overshadow the club’s wider problems, insisting that the priority must remain Manchester United’s performances.

Carrick and Fernandes reportedly held positive discussions on Tuesday in an attempt to resolve their differences before the Chelsea fixture.

However, Murphy identified the team’s physical output as another major concern, pointing to worrying running statistics and suggesting that either inadequate pre-season preparation or players failing to maintain their intensity could be contributing factors.

United will now travel to face Chelsea on Saturday, with attention likely to focus on whether Fernandes returns to the starting line-up and whether Carrick can halt the club’s poor run of results.