Manchester United endured a tough night in Europe after losing 1:4 away to Como in the Champions League. The crushing defeat increased the tension around manager Michael Carrick and caused disagreements in the "Red Devils" camp about the chosen tactics.
After the final whistle, Carrick headed to the sector with the supporters of the English club to apologize to the nearly 700 fans who had traveled the distance to Italy. It is noteworthy that the coach did not seek direct contact with his own players before heading to the away crowd.
His behavior was reminiscent of what happened to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the loss to Watford in November 2021. Then the Norwegian also turned to the supporters after a disappointing result, and just a day later he was dismissed from his post. The parallel further intensified speculation about Carrick's future, although such a development has not been confirmed.
Additional tension was added by the words of captain Bruno Fernandes to TNT Sports. The Portuguese midfielder commented on the team's approach without the ball and explained that the decision not to use a personal press allowed the opponent to have more space.
„The decision of the staff was not to press man for man, which sometimes left space behind us. "When you give teams like that so much possession, they gain confidence," Fernandes said.
The captain was asked directly if he thought Carrick had made a mistake with his tactics. He refused to make any personal accusations, but stressed that decisions were the responsibility of the manager and his staff.
“That's the manager and the staff's job to see it, not mine. Sometimes you have to be braver when you're under pressure, to take the risk of high-pressing and making them feel uncomfortable on the pitch,“ the Portuguese added.
His comments drew attention to the way Manchester United have tried to limit the Italian team's play. According to the captain, more aggressive pressing could have made it more difficult for the opponent to build up attacks.
At the post-match press conference, Michael Carrick also commented on his players' performance. Rather than going into details about the differences in tactical assessments, the manager focused on the work and effort on the pitch.
“It doesn't matter what system or what tactics you play - if you don't run, if you don't run back and forth, you can't win a game”, Carrick said.
The coach's words underlined his belief that the execution of the game plan and physical commitment are just as important as the choice of the formation itself.
However, the heavy defeat by Como puts Manchester United under serious pressure. The statements of the captain and the coach showed different emphases in the assessment of what happened, and now the English club is faced with the task of finding a quick response both on the pitch and in the locker room.