Former Premier League striker Troy Deeney believes Manchester United boss Michael Carrick invited Bruno Fernandes' recent tactical criticism by failing to drop Lisandro Martinez last week. The Old Trafford skipper publicly questioned his manager's approach following Wednesday's humbling 4-1 Champions League defeat away at Como.

Lenient management sparks captain outburst
Carrick has been accused of undermining his own authority in the Red Devils dressing room by letting Martinez go unpunished before Fernandes criticised his game plan in Italy. Following the midweek rout, the Portuguese midfielder claimed the team needed to be "more brave under pressure" and "take the risk of pressing high". However, his boss argued that a lack of running caused the defeat rather than tactics.

Fernandes' public complaints arrived just days after Martinez called out technical director Jason Wilcox for failing to properly reinforce the squad during the summer transfer window. Although the Argentine centre-back subsequently apologised for those remarks, he avoided a suspension and started last Sunday's 1-1 draw against Leeds United at Elland Road.

Speaking on Premier League All Access, former Watford striker Deeney insisted that retaining the defender inadvertently emboldened the club captain to speak out of turn: "Last week when Martinez said what he said, you can't let him play. You've got to nip that in the bud and just be like, 'I get you apologising and all of that, but, you're out of the team this week.' And I know he probably looked around and went, 'I haven't got much here, I haven't got much in the way of help, we're at Elland Road.' You need to nip it in the bud.

"The second he didn't and Martinez played, he inadvertently allows for Bruno Fernandes to talk. Bruno Fernandes feeds it to the open season, 'I can say what I want.' But Bruno Fernandes, I've been saying this for three years, when he hasn't got the goals or assists, he's not a captain. We've had this discussion so many times, he's not a leader."