Paul Parker has called on Michael Carrick to be ‘brave’ and drop Manchester United skipper Bruno Fernandes from his starting line-up for two major reasons.

United face a tough trip to Leeds United on Sunday, with the struggling Red Devils looking to end their five-match winless run in all competitions.

Carrick’s side have won just one Premier League match so far this season and were held to a hugely disappointing 1-1 home draw by 10-man Tottenham last time out.

While Fernandes bagged a hat-trick and an assist in that lone win over Ipswich, the Portugal international has failed to register a goal contribution in United’s other five league matches.

And former Red Devils defender Parker wants Carrick to drop the 32-year-old, in order to give his team more energy in midfield, after Youri Tielemans and Kobbie Mainoo were also criticised for their performances in the United engine room against Spurs.

“They haven’t got someone who’s leading, Fernandes just doesn’t do enough and he’s had a poor season,” Parker told Metro.

“He just hasn’t been there when it’s needed, and it’s costing United now, and I think a strong manager, a manager who wants to make a mark and is willing to be brave, is going to make that decision.

“He [Fernandes] gets frustrated too easily, and he takes it out on his teammates, and at the moment, you need everything together. So, I would leave out Fernandes and try to get as many legs on that pitch as possible.’

Parker continued: “A lot of people come up with the usual new slang words: His numbers are good. I’m not into all that rubbish.

“I’m on about 90 minutes of grafts, and when he comes off, they know you’ve given everything, rather than waiting and looking at the stats after the game to say how well you played.

“I’m a realist, an old boy, I should say, really, and he doesn’t do enough. If you’re watching the game of football and put all that other rubbish away, then he just hasn’t done enough.”

Parker sees no sense in sacking Carrick

Another poor result at Elland Road on Sunday will almost certainly add more pressure to Carrick, especially with a testing run of fixtures lying ahead.

However, Parker, who spent five years at Old Trafford, is adamant that removing Carrick from his post would fail to address the underlying issues that remain at the club.

“I don’t think they can afford to sack Michael Carrick,” Parker, speaking via FreeBets, added.

“I think you’ve just got to look at everything and you’ve got to look at what’s happened over the years, and it’s déjà vu again. Sometimes you have to look in the mirror at yourselves and what you’ve been doing.

“So, it’s not Michael Carrick who has a problem really, it’s Manchester United who have got a problem. You can’t keep blaming a manager.

“And that’s not me just backing an ex-Manchester United player; it’s me saying that I would back anybody who managed Manchester United because I know in this current climate, they haven’t got a chance in hell.

“There’s no ambition from above to try and win a league title and how can that be for Manchester United?”