"It is the coaching staff's decision not to press man-to-man and, in trying to win the ball, sometimes leave space in behind. But if you give teams like that (such as Como, ed.) space, they gain more and more confidence," Fernandes said after the thrashing on Wednesday evening.
The midfielder added that it was "up to the coach and his staff" to analyse the defeat now, but he hinted that he wanted a more proactive approach: "Sometimes you have to be braver when you are under pressure. You have to take the risk of pressing high and make it difficult for the opposition," Fernandes said.
Playmaker Nico Paz scored twice for the Serie A opponents, who showed United the approach Fernandes wanted: "Their centre-back marked me in our half. We should have done that as a team too, but we didn't manage it. If you give a team like that, who play lots of short passes through the middle, too much space and time, they hurt you down the flanks," Fernandes explained.
Como went ahead through Paz in the 2nd minute, before Tassos Douvikas added another shortly after half-time (49'). Paz struck again in the 57th minute, and Jacobo Ramon made it 4-0 (76'). United managed only a consolation goal from Joshua Zirkzee in stoppage time.
Bruno Fernandes unusually substituted in Como defeat
Fernandes complained: "This isn't the first time we've been caught off guard and the opposition have scored early," before criticising his own performance and that of his team-mates: "Hardly any pressure on the ball, hardly any good movement with the ball, hardly anything went right for us." United then took the unusual step of substituting the Portuguese midfielder in the 67th minute, bringing on eventual goalscorer Zirkzee in his place.
Getty ImagesAfter the poor start to the current campaign, pressure is mounting on coach Carrick. He initially took over on an interim basis from the sacked Ruben Amorim in January and stayed on as a reward for last season's strong finish. United have taken just seven points from their first seven Premier League games and risk losing touch with the top four early on. The Como thrashing was already their second Champions League defeat in three games, after a 0-2 loss at Atletico Madrid. Their only win came in the opener against Champions League newcomers Sabah FK (4-0).
English media reports now suggest Carrick's job is in serious danger. On Wednesday evening, the 45-year-old said: "It is more than disappointing. I take 100 per cent responsibility for the entire team and the performance." Asked whether he still felt he had the backing of the club's hierarchy, Carrick replied: "It's not about me, but about processing the game and looking at how it went. I think that's the most important thing at the moment," the coach, whose contract runs until summer 2028, told TNT.