Civil war broke out at Manchester United when Bruno Fernandes launched a damning attack on Michael Carrick, but the problems at Old Trafford are bigger than both of them

A civil war is in full swing at Manchester United. The bullets are flying from all angles and it is just a matter of time before one of them finds a target.

Lisandro Martinez fired the first ones last week, taking aim at director of football Jason Wilcox and the club's poor summer recruitment. Former boss Erik ten Hag added his two-penneth earlier this week.

But now tensions have escalated to a whole new level, with manager and captain taking pot shots at each other in public. Bruno Fernandes criticised Michael Carrick's tactics following United's damning defeat at Como. Carrick hit back, questioning Fernandes' lack of application and work rate.

A line has now been crossed. Fernandes shouldn't be airing his grievances like this. If he has a problem, he should go to Carrick and have a conversation in private. While Carrick should know better than to respond like he did.

But whoever's side you happen to be on, one thing is crystal clear. United have become an abomination of a club - and it all stems from a chronic lack of leadership at the top.

This isn't something new. It goes back to when the Glazers first bought the club. Since then, square pegs have been squeezed into those round holes at the highest level, which represent the roles belonging to people who run the club.

People who continue making mistakes of the past, in terms of appointing the wrong managers and signing the wrong players.

It all adds up to catastrophic failure. A tragic roundabout of in-fighting, poor decision making and sheer incompetence.

And the end result is a scenario like United face now. One which results in the team captain becoming so frustrated with what's going on around him - and has been for a long time - that he calls out his manager.

What Fernandes has done is prove how little respect he has for Carrick. There is no going back now.

Somehow United have to move forward, and this will inevitably see Carrick become the latest manager to be sacked. So Fernandes will feel like he's won this particular battle.

But as long as people like the Glazers and Sir Jim Ratcliffe own United, the war will never be won.