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Oct 23, 2026, 7:16 AM GMT+1
Matt Smith is a football writer covering the Premier League and exclusive news for GIVEMESPORT. Matt joined the company in March 2023 and is an avid Everton supporter who regularly attends games in his spare time
He has previously worked for CaughtOffside where he covered world football including transfers, match reports, previews, and more. Matt also works for Squakwa, FotMob, WhoScored, and regularly appears on Sky Sports to speak about Everton.
He also creates tactical analysis social media content and regularly appears on podcasts. After spending a few years coaching, playing, and analysing football, Matt moved over to the writing side of the game a few years ago.
Matt also works in commentary and match reporting, providing detailed analysis on some of the biggest games in England and Europe, with his reports regularly published on the Premier League website.
He has amassed over 28,000 followers on X by giving his insight on football, predominantly focusing on the tactical side of the game.
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Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes has come under fire after a recent interview following their defeat against Como in the Champions League.
The Red Devils were incredibly disappointing as they lost to Cesc Fabregas' Como in the Champions League away from home, suffering a 4-1 defeat.
Nico Paz scored after just two minutes, and it was all downhill for United from there.
It's certainly not the only poor result from the Manchester club in recent weeks, drawing 1-1 against Leeds United and Tottenham this month, while also losing to Atletico Madrid.
The pressure is mounting on Michael Carrick, but GIVEMESPORT understands that he's set to be in charge for their Premier League game against Bournemouth this weekend.
Speaking after the game against Como, Fernandes was discussing the tactics on display from United, somewhat questioning the decision not to go man-to-man in the press.
"It's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little space in behind and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball. But sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot, make people get frustrated, and then obviously when you recover the ball the legs are, and the brain, much more difficult to make it work.
"That's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me."
Fernandes was certainly careful with his words and not directly blaming the manager, but he was clearly hinting that he didn't agree with the tactics.
Reacting to Fernandes' interview, former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher labelled the United midfielder a 'disgrace'.
"We said Lisandro Martinez was bang out of order for calling out the hierarchy. For Bruno Fernandes to do that, it is a disgrace. Last season he was Player of the Year. That was due to Michael Carrick coming in as manager. He wouldn't have got that award without Carrick. He put him back in his right position. His attitude and the way he goes about things, it is not right at all. He has reacted like that because he was brought off and he has been embarrassed tonight by the manager. When he talks about pressing, whether it is man-to-man or zonal, for years, Bruno Fernandes has meant Man Utd can't press. He runs all over the place like a kid in the school yard for the supporters. They all think he's working hard, he is not. He is killing the rest of the team by doing it."
Carragher is right to question Fernandes' attitude, and it's something that is negatively impacting United at the moment.
There's no doubt, Carragher is right in his assessment of Fernandes.
The United attacking midfielder hasn't been good enough this season, and it's completely fair to question his attitude on the pitch.
If Fernandes were performing exceptionally this campaign, then maybe he would have the right to question things, but he's endured a disappointing season.
There was a moment against Como when he was passed the ball and miscontrolled it, and he reacted by throwing his arms in the air and blaming others.
Fernandes wasn't even looking at the ball or the opposition as they started an attack, and that just about sums up how he's letting United down at the moment.
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