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The final whistle had barely echoed around the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia before Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes lashed out at tactical "decisions from the staff" following the Red Devils' embarrassing loss to Como.
United traveled to Italy hoping to finally claim their first victory since Sept. 10, but they failed to deliver under the Europa League lights, crumbling 4–1 to Cesc Fàbregas's side. It was as one-sided a contest as you'll see, with the visitors appearing completely disengaged and woefully underprepared for the occasion.
"It's not the first time," Fernandes told TNT Sports regarding such a flat showing from United. "I think we started on the wrong foot; they scored very early. [There was] not much pressure on the ball, not really many good moments without the ball, many things not going our way."
Indeed, Nico Paz found the net within the opening two minutes and the Red Devils had no response for the bulk of the match. They stood motionless as Como circulated the ball with remarkable ease, dismantling Michael Carrick's side without even needing to shift into a higher gear.
Fernandes offered his perspective on why Como found it so straightforward to take control. "It's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little bit of space in behind and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball.
"But sometimes when you give the ball too much to these teams, they get confident. They have so many bodies behind that ball that make you run a lot, that makes people get frustrated. Then once you recover the ball, the legs and the brain are much more difficult to make it work."
When pushed on whether he felt Carrick's tactical choices cost the team against Como, Fernandes responded: "That's on the manager and the staff to say it, that's not on me. I just said I think sometimes we have to be more brave under pressure and trying to take a risk of getting that press very high and making them uncomfortable."
Carrick Shoulders the Blame—But Also Dishes It Out
Carrick's post-match remarks were not as explosive as those from Fernandes ... at first. He opened by accepting responsibility for the defeat.
"It was more than disappointing," Carrick told TNT Sports. "Everybody's got to take responsibility for that. I'll 100% take responsibility for the overall team and the performance. That's where it stops, it stops with me. I'm absolutely fine with that. I accept that totally."
But the English manager swiftly called out his players' sluggish display, a recurring theme throughout United's seven-game winless stretch across all competitions.
"To see a performance like that is unacceptable, I have to say. It's the motivation, the intention, the purpose, the intensity of a game of football that you have to bring. We didn't bring that.
"You can't turn it on and off. You can't choose when you want to perform and when you don't want to perform, or when you give absolutely everything or when you maybe don't so, until you do that, you're not going to win football matches.
"There's no excuses at all. I think it's just not acceptable."
Will Carrick Pay the Ultimate Price?
Carrick concluded his remarks by dodging a question about whether he retains the club's full support following such a mortifying result. Pundits, however, were quick to weigh in on his behalf.
"It's such a bad result and such a bad performance that it could have serious repercussions for the manager, unfortunately for him," Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher said on CBS Sports. "It looks like another Manchester United manager is going to bite the dust."
When co-host Kate Scott pressed Carragher on whether the fault lies with the manager or the players, the former defender gave a sweeping assessment.
"It's everything about Manchester United," Carragher said. "Where do you start? It never ends. It's a never-ending cycle. Is it the owners? Is it the manager? Is it the recruitment, the players? Nobody seems to be able to get this right."
Carrick secured the permanent managerial role at United after guiding the club to a third-place finish when he stepped in for Ruben Amorim last season. Yet results have been dire in 2026–27; the club has won just two of 11 matches across all competitions—and a humiliating defeat like the one the Red Devils endured on Wednesday could prove to be the catalyst that makes Carrick the first manager sacked in the Premier League this season.