Bruno Fernandes has questioned Manchester United's coaching staff's decision not to adopt a man-to-man pressing approach during their humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como. Michael Carrick's side endured a nightmare start, conceding inside the opening two minutes before finding themselves 3-0 down before the hour mark.
Nico Paz struck twice, while Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon also got on the scoresheet to pile further pressure on the Red Devils. Joshua Zirkzee scored a consolation goal in the 90th minute, but the damage had already been done.
United's travelling supporters had seen enough by the 76th minute, with some spotted leaving the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium shortly after their side conceded a fourth goal.
Fernandes questions tactical approach
Speaking after the match, the Portuguese captain was asked about the lack of cohesion as a group.
"It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave a bit of space in behind and then try to get the ball in the first moment to wait for them, to give them the ball," Fernandes told TNT Sports. "But sometimes when you give too much the ball [away] to these teams, they get confident, they have so many bodies behind the ball that make you run a lot which makes people get frustrated."
"And then, when we recover the ball, the legs and the brain are much more difficult to make it work."
On the match, Fernandes added: "Obviously it's not the first time, and I think again. we started with the wrong foot - they scored very early. Not much pressure on the ball, not really many good moments without the ball. It's many things not going our way."
"Conceding the goal very early, makes us feel going into the game already in a mood for defeat and it's very difficult to get out of that at the moment, without being ourselves and trying to push and be brave, trying to have the ball."
Carrick insists on backing amid pressure
Ahead of the match, Carrick faced questions about his future but insisted he had the full backing of the club's hierarchy.
"I don't need any reassurance," Carrick told a news conference on Tuesday. "It's pretty clear. I know the role, I know my responsibilities."
"I don't need anyone else to tell me that or tell me when it's going well or when it needs to be better. I know that myself. I know the realities and I've got no problem with that."
"I know we've got to win football games for everything to flow and everything to fall into place. That's the great thing about it, you know? We can do something about it."
Pressure is mounting with Carrick's future hanging in the balance after United managed just two wins across the Champions League and Premier League so far this season. Sunday's home clash against Bournemouth now looms as a potentially defining moment for the under-fire manager.
