Ronaldo v Fernandes: Manchester United may need to choose either their best or their most famous player

As Michael Carrick walked into the dressing room at Stamford Bridge to deliver his half-time team talk, he expected to see Cristiano Ronaldo among those in the audience. Instead, the player brought back to Manchester United to bring back their glory days was on the pitch warming up.

Being sat on the bench is no place to be for the five-time Ballon D’Or winner. After kicking his heels for 45 minutes he made it clear he was ready to make an impact on the game, which Carrick saw as a best way to being among the substitutes.

“The way he responded was perfection really,” said Carrick. “Around the dressing room he was incredible, he supported the players. I went in to do my half-time team talk and he was warming up 10 minutes in advance, ready to come on in the second half.”

It has now been two matches, both unbeaten, for Carrick as caretaker manager and both have seen him make big calls with team selection and his two most creative players. For the victory against Villarreal, it was Bruno Fernandes on the bench. At Chelsea it was Ronaldo.

Carrick says they can adapt to play in the same team but so far he has chosen between United’s best player in the last two years, or their most famous one, who supporters come to see.

So far the team selection has worked. With either Ronaldo or Bruno on the bench in the first, United have gone into the interval goalless after keeping it tighter than the last days of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s reign. In the second halves they have unleashed their two Portuguese attackers and snatched goals, and results.

Next for Carrick to ponder is Arsenal on Thursday, against Mikel Arteta’s young attackers who have the ability to pounce on errors and attack with pace, just as much as they are susceptible to being overrun by an attack with Ronaldo and Bruno combining.

Carrick describes his two results as showing “another side” to United’s game, implying a solidity that comes with an eye on defensive duties. Bruno’s best work has been as a No10, while Ronaldo is economising his movement as United’s No9.

With Ralf Rangnick ready to take charge until the end of the season, the German godfather of coaching may have to change how Ronaldo and Bruno play to get them in the same starting line-up.

When asked whether it is impossible for Ronaldo to play in a pressing team, Carrick said: “You just said it is myth, maybe it is a myth. Maybe that is how it is, he’s played in enough teams over the years being successful to play in a variety of ways and kept scoring goals for every team.

“With any player, whoever you play with, you adapt. I certainly did that as a player and you play to the strengths of each other and try and almost complement each other whichever player is playing in the team, as a unit or a pair in front or behind each other.”

Carrick has suggested that leaving United’s biggest star on the bench was not a huge decision, regardless of the arguments it sparked in the Sky Sports television studios alone. As Sir Alex Ferguson was caught on camera saying earlier in the season, you pick your best players.

“There are a lot of things you have to take into consideration when you make a decision on picking a team,” said Carrick. “Some players bring things to the table, other players bring other things to the table. You have fitness, tiredness, freshness, there’s tactics, there’s personality and character within that. It seems like it is a big decision but really, between us and me personally, it wasn’t. You can ask Cristiano

“I think a lot can be made of it and spinning it in a negative way but behind the scenes and the reality is very different.

“I think those type of decisions get blown up more than they are when you're inside the team and the club,” said Carrick. “Decisions are made for lots of different reasons, certain ones get bigger than others, I didn't see it as a major decision. We all got on really well, the game went well to an extent and it wasn't a drama at all.”

The good news for Rangnick is that Edinson Cavani has returned from South America after working on his fitness away from Carrington, while Raphael Varane is also running on the grass. They will not return for the Arsenal game, but more big decisions lie ahead for the caretaker before the interim takes charge.