09/11/2026
Kobbie Mainoo on how Michael Carrick has changed his relationship with Bruno Fernandes:
🗣️ Reporter: “Kobbie, what has Michael Carrick done to improve your relationship with Bruno?”
🗣️ Kobbie Mainoo: “At the beginning of the season, after Casemiro left, Carrick called me and Bruno into his office. He sat us down and said, ‘I need you both to look at each other and ask yourselves what you really want to achieve together.’
He gave us a couple of minutes. Bruno said he wanted to win the Premier League and the Champions League with Manchester United, and I told him I wanted exactly the same.
Then Carrick said, ‘Casemiro is gone now. It’s on the two of you to control the midfield. This team is going to depend on you in difficult moments, and I need to know I can count on both of you.’
I told him I was ready to give everything, and Bruno said the same.
When we left the office, Bruno called me. He told me he knew I didn’t get many opportunities under Amorim and that Carrick had changed that. He said, ‘Now you have to prove people wrong. Set a new standard for yourself and take your game to another level.’
He also told me to forget what happened at the World Cup and said, ‘Let’s work together and see what we can achieve.’
We’re happy to have Youri Tielemans with us because he’ll help the team, but I feel like Bruno and I understand each other much better now.
He wants me playing behind him, finding passes between the lines. I want him creating the chances that win us games.
We know what we expect from each other now.
And honestly, I think we can have a really good season together.”
