Nico Paz scored at 2 minutes and again at 57 minutes, Tasos Douvikas added Como's second at 49 minutes, and Joshua Zirkzee scored a consolation in added time.
Captain Bruno Fernandes told TNT Sports the staff decided not to press man-to-man, and he was substituted at 67 minutes by Joshua Zirkzee.
Manager Michael Carrick, 45, went to apologise to supporters, of whom around 700 travelled to Italy and only about 200 remained at the final whistle.
United have two wins from 11 games this season and sit 13th in the Premier League, according to the Guardian, with AS Roma the next Champions League opponent.
Como took the lead in the second minute, when Nico Paz opened the scoring at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Wednesday, 21 October. Tasos Douvikas doubled the advantage at 49 minutes, and Paz scored again at 57 minutes, leaving Manchester United 3-0 down before the hour. Jacobo Ramón completed the scoring at 76 minutes. Joshua Zirkzee pulled one back for United in added time, but the 4-1 final score left Como with six points from three Champions League matches, against three for United.
Bruno Fernandes, the United captain, was replaced by Joshua Zirkzee at 67 minutes. Speaking to TNT Sports, he said the coaching staff had chosen not to press man-to-man, a call that sometimes left space behind the defence and gave opponents confidence. Asked whether his remarks amounted to criticism of Carrick's tactics, he said that judgement belonged to the manager and his staff. He also argued that conceding early pushed his side into a negative frame of mind from the outset. Fernandes added that the team needed more bravery under pressure, taking the risk of pressing high to make the opposition uncomfortable.
“Conceding early makes us go into the game with a mood of defeat.”
Manager Michael Carrick, 45, said he had not given his own position any thought and was focused on the supporters. The Guardian described him as angry after the match. He called the performance more than disappointing and said he accepted responsibility for the team's overall display. Carrick defended the approach, saying United had attempted a partial man-to-man press in the second half and conceded shortly afterwards. Around 700 United fans travelled to Italy, and only about 200 were still there at the final whistle, when Carrick went to apologise to them. He added that his side had not brought the motivation, purpose and intensity the game demands.
“I'll take responsibility for the overall team and performance; it stops with me, and I'm fine with that.”
“I've got to apologise for the performance.”
United have won two of their 11 matches this season and are winless in seven, sitting 13th in the Premier League, according to the Guardian. They were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup in September. Ahead of the home match against Bournemouth on Sunday, 25 October, the club's director of football Jason Wilcox, chief executive Omar Berrada and co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe could discuss Carrick's future, the Guardian reported. Defender Lisandro Martinez also spoke openly about the club's shortcomings, LBC reported. The next Champions League fixture is a home match against AS Roma.
Pollar is free and carries no ads in the text. Its members keep it going.
Support PollarFootball · Como
Como beat Manchester United 4-1 in Italy on Wednesday, 21 October, leaving United winless in seven matches and putting manager Michael Carrick under scrutiny over tactics criticised by captain Bruno Fernandes.
AI text based on reports by SAPO, Al Jazeera Online, The Guardian and other publishers. Changed .