Manchester United were outrun by Como in their 4-1 Champions League defeat, with UEFA statistics showing the team covered less ground than their opponents, supporting Michael Carrick's criticism of his players' effort.
After Bruno Fernandes publicly questioned Carrick's tactics following the loss in Italy, the manager responded by challenging the players' willingness to run. Carrick said: "We actually half-pressed man-to-man in the second half and then conceded a goal from that. And there's a little bit on whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don't run, and you don’t run forward, and you don't run back, you aren’t going to win."
UEFA stats show United outrun
UEFA data from the match shows United covered 114.5km (71.1 miles) as a team, compared to Como's 118.7km (73.75 miles). Como achieved this despite manager Cesc Fabregas instructing his team to conserve energy in the closing stages with the match already won.
United's running figures also trail major European sides. Bayern Munich and Arsenal covered 123.1km (76.5 miles) and 121.5km (75.5 miles) respectively in their 2-2 draw. Paris Saint-Germain covered 120.5km (74.9 miles) in their 4-2 win over Barcelona, who totalled 122.1km (75.9 miles).
Individual numbers raise concerns
Individual statistics from United's Champions League campaign also cause concern. Per FOTMOB, Youri Tielemans has averaged 6.9km per 90 minutes in the competition, while Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot are averaging 5.3km. All three started against Como.
These figures fall short of Como's players, with Nico Paz averaging 7.8km, Alex Valle 7.5km, and Luis Milla 7.5km. Fernandes, despite his disagreement with Carrick, has covered 21.4km in total at an average of 8.1km per 90 minutes in United's Champions League games.
Carrick apologised to the away supporters at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia after the defeat, saying: "First of all, I have to apologise to the supporters. I went over to the [away] end, and I care about this football club as much as anyone, if not more with the position that I’m in and what I value this football club. For us to play in that way is not acceptable. It wasn't a good performance at all. We wanted to build on what we brought to Leeds and the performance that we had at Leeds. That bit of intensity, that spirit, that aggression, that real willingness to give everything, and tonight was the total opposite of a performance, I have to say. It was tough to watch."
The overall team stats suggest that, whether Carrick is retained or not, the manager will face a significant challenge to extract more from a dysfunctional squad.
