Jamie Carragher has called Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes a disgrace for questioning manager Michael Carrick's tactics after the 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como, in an analysis piece for Sky Sports.
The former Liverpool defender also said Carrick's time at Old Trafford could be close to ending.
The row leaves United with one win from their last nine matches, BBC Sport reported. They host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday.
What Fernandes and Carrick said
Fernandes queried the decision not to press Como man-to-man. According to the BBC, he said United need to be braver. He urged the manager and staff to take the risk.
Carrick answered in his press conference. A team that does not run back, he said, will not win. Asked about his own position, he said he had to apologise to the supporters.
He was really angry about the situation, the BBC reported.
Carragher's case against the captain
Carragher said Fernandes' comments were a disgrace. He linked them to the criticism Fernandes made last week of defender Lisandro Martinez.
Martinez had called out the club's hierarchy after the 2-0 Champions League loss to Atletico Madrid. Carragher called that out of order too, Sky Sports said.
He argued that Fernandes was Player of the Year last season because Carrick moved him back into his best position. Without that move, he said, Fernandes would not have won the award.
Carragher also said Fernandes' attitude was wrong. He suggested the captain reacted this way because Carrick had substituted him and embarrassed him.
Carragher said the non-pressing approach was a staff decision that sometimes left space behind the defence. In his view, no system works if players do not run forward and back.
He also said Fernandes covers a lot of ground in a way that looks like hard work to supporters. In Carragher's opinion, though, it hurts the rest of the side.
Carragher praised Carrick for hitting back. He did not think many people expected United to win on the night.
What bettors can take from it
The BBC is running a poll asking whether Fernandes was right to speak out.
Opinion among United fans is still open.Whether Fernandes keeps his place after being substituted against Como is a line-up question to check before Sunday.
United's recent record is the firmest guide. One win in nine matches is the form any price on Sunday will have to reckon with. A captain publicly at odds with his manager adds to it.
The only other hard fact is that Carrick's job is under pressure, with Carragher saying his tenure could be nearing its end.
Photo: Sky Sports (all rights reserved)