Carrick's 'trust' in Bruno Fernandes and a decision that has brought the best out of him

Michael Carrick says how he "trusts" in Bruno Fernandes and his decision which has brought the best out of his Manchester United captain.

"I've known Bruno a long time," says Carrick when asked if he has been surprised by the quality the Portuguese has brought to the side over the past few months,

Carrick spoke at length about his captain in his pre-match press conference before the Brentford game and how he felt giving him "freedom" would allow him to flourish.

The starting point for understanding Fernandes' renaissance is understanding what Carrick set out to do from day one.

Not to reinvent the player. Not to impose a new system that asked him to be something he is not. Simply to give him the platform to be himself.

"I have given Bruno the platform to perform like all the players," Carrick said. "We try and create a structure and a set up to bring the best out of them.

"There are obviously limitations in terms of everyone having to sacrifice a bit for the good of the team but for me I like to see Bruno in attacking positions with a little bit of freedom."

Under Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1, Fernandes was shackled, deeper than he wanted to be, asked to track back and cover ground rather than find pockets of space and create.

The numbers told the story — four assists in Amorim's final ten games in charge, a player visibly frustrated and peripheral in a system that simply did not suit him.

Carrick removed those shackles.

What makes Carrick's relationship with Fernandes so effective is that the freedom he has given his captain comes with genuine mutual trust — and Fernandes has repaid that trust in every possible way, including in aspects of the game he was once criticised for.

"He plays for the team and he has a big responsibility and I think he did that ever so well last Saturday (against Chelsea) without the ball and the defensive work that he did," Carrick said.

"He has a lot of responsibility but I trust in him, he sees things, he's creative, he's got a really good brain, he's a big part of the group and a big influence so a lot of it's involved in trying to put him in a position where he can make most difference."

The reference to Fernandes' defensive work at Chelsea last Saturday is significant. Roy Keane's criticism of Fernandes' work rate without the ball was one of the defining narratives of his difficult spell under Amorim.

The same player is now being praised specifically for his defensive contribution by his own manager — a reflection of how completely Fernandes has bought into what Carrick is building and how the trust between the two has transformed his approach to the game.

Perhaps the most telling part of Carrick's assessment was his complete lack of surprise at how Fernandes has performed.

While pundits and supporters have spoken about a remarkable turnaround, Carrick sees it differently — not a turnaround at all, simply a player finally in the right environment.

"I've known Bruno a long time and worked with him when he came to the club so it hasn't surprised me," he said.

"I knew exactly what he can bring. I think over time you evolve and experience helps and you can see that he has grown as well in a really positive way, he's just had a big influence and he's playing ever so well at the moment."

Carrick was part of the United coaching staff when Fernandes arrived from Sporting CP in January 2020 — he saw from the inside what the Portuguese was capable of before the pressures and dysfunction of recent seasons obscured it.

That shared history means the relationship between manager and captain is built on genuine knowledge rather than the guesswork that can define a new manager's early dealings with an inherited squad.

Fernandes did not need to prove himself to Carrick, he just needed to give him the right structure to show everyone else.

The statistics since Carrick took charge make remarkable reading for a player who was being written off as past his best just a few months ago.

Fernandes has been directly involved in 14 goals in Carrick's 11 league games — scoring three and assisting eleven — and has now broken David Beckham's record for the most Premier League assists by a United player in a single season.

He won the Premier League Player of the Month award for March by a landslide — 71% of the fan vote — and was the standout performer in what has been United's best spell of football in years.

At 31, playing the best football of his United career. Under a manager who always knew he had it in him.

With five Premier League games remaining and Champions League qualification all but sealed, the conversation around Fernandes is increasingly turning to next season and beyond.

His current contract runs until 2026 with the option of a further year — a decision that will need addressing in the coming months.

Given what he has produced under Carrick, the answer feels straightforward.

A manager who trusts him completely, a system built around his strengths and a team moving firmly in the right direction. For Fernandes there is no better place to be.

"I trust in him." Carrick said it simply and directly. It is the foundation everything else has been built on — and as long as that trust remains, United have one of the most dangerous attacking midfielders in the Premier League firing on all cylinders.