Fernandes questions United tactics after 4-1 defeat at Como

Bruno Fernandes questioned Manchester United's tactics after their 4-1 Champions League defeat at Como on Wednesday, with head coach Michael Carrick apologising to supporters. BBC Sport reported the captain's criticism following a match in which United conceded four goals before scoring in stoppage time.

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Speaking to TNT Sports, Fernandes said the coaching staff had chosen not to press opponents individually and suggested that giving Como space had helped their confidence. He argued that United needed more courage in pressing higher up the pitch, while leaving the assessment of the tactics to the coaches.

Carrick responded by stressing the importance of players running both forward and back, regardless of the system used. He described the performance as unacceptable and acknowledged the frustration of the travelling fans. He declined to discuss his future.

BBC Sport's match report and scorecard recorded Nico Paz's opening goal in the second minute at Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia. Como took that 1-0 advantage into the interval before extending it through Tasos Douvikas in the 49th minute, with Paz supplying the assist. The Argentina playmaker scored again in the 57th minute to leave United three goals behind. Jacobo Ramon then headed in Como's fourth in the 76th minute, completing the home side's scoring before United managed their only reply in the first minute of stoppage time.

Carrick had replaced Matheus Cunha and Andrey Santos at half-time, introducing Amad Diallo and Carlos Baleba. Fernandes subsequently made way for Joshua Zirkzee in the 67th minute. Zirkzee scored from Diallo's delivery in added time, but the substitutions had not prevented Como from extending their lead after the break. The BBC's match statistics showed that Como finished with eight shots on target to United's four, despite the visitors having more attempts overall, 13 against 11.

After the final whistle, Carrick went across to acknowledge United's supporters. His apology and Fernandes' comments left both the team's execution and its tactical approach under scrutiny following the defeat.