Karen Carney, former England international, has sparked a debate by claiming Manchester United, one of the world’s most renowned football clubs, only have a single “world-class” player in their squad—Bruno Fernandes.
United secured a vital 1-0 win over Fulham on Sunday, with Lisandro Martinez’s deflected strike sealing the three points. Despite the victory, United’s performance at Craven Cottage raised questions as they struggled for long periods against Marco Silva’s side.
The win was only their second in the Premier League since mid-December and moved them up to 12th in the table, still 12 points adrift of the Champions League spots.
The team’s inconsistency has drawn sharp criticism. Last weekend’s loss to Brighton prompted Ruben Amorim to describe the squad as “maybe the worst” in the club’s 147-year history.
While United have bounced back with Europa League and league wins, Carney argues their struggles are rooted in a lack of elite talent.
“Bruno Fernandes might be the only world-class player they have, which is shocking for a club of this stature,” Carney told TNT Sports.
Since joining from Sporting Lisbon in 2020 for £57m, Fernandes has scored 59 goals and registered 47 assists in 183 league appearances.
His influence has been pivotal, and he has been named United’s Player of the Season three times, with a fourth award likely this term.
Former United defender Rio Ferdinand acknowledged the team’s shortcomings against Fulham but praised their resilience: “Away games in the Premier League are tough. Sometimes you just have to grind it out.
” Ex-Leeds striker Lucy Ward echoed similar sentiments, stating, “It wasn’t a great game, but nobody will remember the performance, just the three points.”
Manchester United will face Romanian side Steaua București in the Europa League midweek before taking on Crystal Palace in their next Premier League fixture.