Fernandes calls for tactical bravery
'It's not the first time, we started on the wrong foot, and they scored very early,' Fernandes told TNT Sports as he reflected on yet another sluggish start to a continental fixture. 'Not much pressure on the ball, not many good movements with the ball, not many things going our way. Conceding early makes us go into game with a mood of defeat, it's difficult to get out of that, trying to be brave, to have the ball and make something happen. If we are not able to do that, it is going to be very difficult to get out of this situation.'
The captain's comments highlight a growing rift regarding the team's defensive philosophy under Carrick's leadership. Fernandes specifically pointed to the decision to drop off the opposition rather than engaging in the high-pressing style that many top European sides now favour. He explained: 'It's a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, wait for them, but sometimes when you give space to these teams they get confidence.' This lack of aggression proved fatal against a technical Como side that thrived with the extra room provided to them.
Carrick under fire after historic collapse
The scale of the defeat has placed Carrick under immense scrutiny, with the result marking one of the darkest chapters in Manchester United's long and storied European history. The Red Devils found themselves behind after just 118 seconds, as Nico Paz opened the scoring to trigger a night of misery for the home supporters. Paz would go on to score twice and set up Tasos Douvikas in between, before Jacobo Ramon powered home a header to seal the fourth.
That early collapse laid bare United's deep-rooted defensive vulnerabilities, ensuring they became the first English side ever to concede within the first two minutes of consecutive major European games, following a similar lapse against Atletico Madrid just eight days prior. Such a recurring lack of concentration has quickly become the defining hallmark of a side losing its way under the current regime.
Getty ImagesQuestioning the manager's game plan
During his post-match interview, Fernandes was asked directly whether he felt Carrick had got his tactics wrong on the night. While he attempted to deflect the responsibility back onto the coaching staff, his desire for a more proactive approach was clear. 'That's on the manager and staff to see, not me,' Fernandes stated. 'Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.'
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Elaborating on where United fell short, the captain highlighted Como's aggression as the benchmark his own side failed to reach. 'As you saw with them, the centre-back was coming to mark me in my own half,' Fernandes added. 'We need to do that as a team but we were unable to. A team that plays through the middle with small connections, if you give them too much time and space then they can hurt you out wide.'
Echoes of Solskjaer's final days
At one stage, United appeared perilously close to matching their heaviest ever European defeat - a five-nil loss to Portuguese outfit Sporting back in 1964. In a desperate attempt to stem the tide, Carrick withdrew £110m worth of Ineos signings, Matheus Cunha and Andrey Santos, at half-time before hooking captain Fernandes for Joshua Zirkzee midway through the second period. Zirkzee did beat the offside trap to calmly slot home a stoppage-time consolation from fellow substitute Amad Diallo's cross, but the late strike did nothing to lift the grim atmosphere.
After the final whistle, Carrick appeared to bypass his players on the pitch to approach the traveling United support, repeatedly holding his hands up in apology. The scene bore an eerie resemblance to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's desperate gesture following a four-one drubbing at Watford in November 2021 - a defeat that resulted in his dismissal just 24 hours later.