Paul Merson says Michael Carrick needs Bruno Fernandes in his side and has challenged Matheus Cunha to find greater consistency after Manchester United's dramatic 3-2 comeback win over Roma. United showed plenty of character to recover from two goals down in the Champions League on Tuesday, earning their first win in 10 games, but Merson believes the result should not disguise the problems that remain under Carrick. Merson also questioned whether United can carry that momentum into Sunday's Premier League clash with Aston Villa, live on Sky Sports.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player "I think Bruno Fernandes has to play for Manchester United. He's their best player, and when you're going through a difficult period, you need your best players on the pitch. "It takes a lot to miss a penalty, then have the courage to step up and take it again.
The pressure was severely on him, so fair play to him. "I know he was left out against Roma, but I don't think you can keep leaving him out. Even if he's not playing particularly well, he still gets into Manchester United's team.
They haven't got a player better than him. "You couldn't keep chopping your nose off to spite your face. "Brian Clough always used to say that when times are hard, go back to putting your best team on the pitch.
Put it in your drawer, and when things aren't going well, go back to that team. "That's what United need to do. As long as he plays well, they will always have a chance of winning.
"But I still think they need to become much more of a 90-minute team. They were very good against Chelsea in the first half on Saturday, and they had good spells in the second half against Roma, but you aren't going to win too many football matches playing like that. "You need 70 or 75 minutes of good football, not 10 minutes here and 15 minutes there." "Matheus Cunha is a passionate player, and I like that about him, but I said something in my column the other day about his performances.
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