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As if things couldn't get any worse for Michael Carrick, Manchester United were humiliated 4–1 by Como in the Champions League on Wednesday.
The Red Devils entered the match desperate to end their six-game winless streak, but were thoroughly outplayed from the very first whistle. Nico Paz needed just two minutes to put Cesc Fàbregas's side ahead, setting the tone for what would be a miserable evening for United.
Como added three more unanswered goals in the second half, with Paz's brilliance involved in nearly every one. United looked utterly hollow, devoid of any fight or intensity across every area of the pitch.
Joshua Zirkzee grabbed a late goal for the visitors in stoppage time, but the consolation strike did little to ease the bitter feeling surrounding the once-storied club.
Another Game, Another Failed Clean Sheet
It seems only appropriate to begin where the match did—with Paz beating Senne Lammens to deny the Belgian goalkeeper yet another clean sheet. It was hardly his fault; Paz's stunning curling effort was simply unstoppable.
Nevertheless, the reality is clear: Carrick's backline appears completely incapable of keeping opponents off the scoresheet. United have now conceded in 10 of their 11 matches in the 2026–27 campaign. The only side that failed to score against them were Champions League newcomers Sabah.
There had been considerable discussion about Matthijs de Ligt returning to the starting lineup for the first time since November 2025, but the centre-back was far from the only issue on the night—even if his lack of pace was deeply alarming, particularly when a single ball split him and Harry Maguire in the build-up to Anastasios Douvikas's goal.
Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui were also repeatedly caught out. Dalot was embarrassingly beaten by Álex Valle, while on the opposite flank, Mazraoui was repeatedly tormented by Paz, with Lucas Da Cunha and Kaiki also getting in on the act.
Perhaps the situation would have looked different had Luke Shaw been available, but he remains on the sidelines, as has been the case so often throughout his United career. It is truly baffling that the club failed to bring in an additional fullback before the summer transfer window closed.
United Lethargic, Out-Classed in Midfield
From the very first whistle, it was evident that United were several steps behind Como. The visitors played without any urgency, passively watching Fàbregas's men circulate the ball as though they were spectators at a training session.
There were numerous moments when United players were literally standing motionless, showing no desire whatsoever to win the ball back or disrupt the hosts in possession. Occasionally, a United player would make a half-hearted attempt to challenge, come away with nothing, and promptly give up.
United's midfield double pivot of Andrey Santos and Mason Mount struggled desperately to establish any kind of control in the first half. Paz was dictating proceedings so thoroughly that Santos was forced into a reckless, lunging challenge on the youngster to prevent him from breaking free down the right, earning himself a booking in the process.
The former Chelsea midfielder was withdrawn at the interval and replaced by fellow summer arrival Carlos Baleba. Just four minutes later, Como had their second goal of the evening, slicing through United's reshuffled midfield and depleted defence with ease. By the 51st minute, Baleba had already been booked, and before the hour mark, he was dispossessed by Paz, who then made it 3–0.
Would Carrick's midfield have looked more competitive with Kobbie Mainoo? Almost certainly. But even with the England international available and on the pitch, what difference would that have made to the other nine outfield players who barely covered any ground on Como's rain-soaked surface?
Red Devils Hardly Even Tested Como
A scoreline can be misleading in football; a heavy defeat does not always reflect the full picture of what happened on the pitch. That was certainly not the case in Italy on Wednesday.
United did not suffer a run of bad luck in the attacking third. They did not squander chances or come up against an inspired goalkeeping display. The truth is, they never looked capable of troubling Como, let alone finding the net, until Zirkzee's consolation in the 91st minute.
When the halftime whistle blew, United had not registered a single shot on target and had managed just six touches inside the opposition's box. Matheus Cunha may as well have been invisible. Bryan Mbeumo was almost equally anonymous, and Bruno Fernandes looked completely off the pace.
Things improved only marginally in the second half following the introductions of Amad Diallo and Zirkzee, yet there were still precious few moments from the visitors that genuinely threatened the Como goal. In fact, Zirkzee only had the space to score because Como had stopped playing, certain he was in an offside position.
By the final whistle, the visitors had managed a paltry four shots on target and created just a single big chance.
Time Might Be Up for Carrick
On the eve of United's Champions League encounter with Como, Carrick maintained that he had the full support of the club's hierarchy, while acknowledging: "I know we've got to win football games for everything to flow and everything to fall into place."
Twenty-four hours later, the Red Devils stretched their winless run to seven matches across all competitions. Any defeat would have reflected badly on Carrick, but the manner in which his side capitulated on Wednesday represents a truly damning verdict on the English manager.
United were utterly humiliated by a club making their Champions League debut this season. They could barely get a touch against a side sitting fifth in the Serie A table. They managed only a consolation goal against a team that had conceded four goals across their previous two fixtures.
What made the display even more troubling was the sheer indifference shown by so many players in white. If Carrick cannot even motivate his squad to show up for a pivotal Champions League match, then the issues gripping this club may already be beyond his ability to fix.