Carrick and Fernandes clash after Como defeat

Heavy defeat in Italy

Manchester United fell to their fifth defeat in 11 games this season after a miserable performance at Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium on Wednesday night. They suffered a humiliating 4-1 defeat to Como, which leaves coach Michael Carrick under mounting pressure.

After the final whistle, Carrick apologised to the travelling supporters and admitted the performance was unacceptable. He stated that he was really angry about the way the team went about the match.

War of words

Things worsened when captain Bruno Fernandes, who was substituted after 67 minutes, appeared to question the tactics used by the staff. He pointed out that the team was told not to press man-to-man and sometimes leave space behind.

Those comments were put to Carrick in his post-match news conference. The coach responded by pointing out that the team conceded a goal after trying to half-press man-to-man in the second half. He added that no system or tactic works if players do not run forward and back.

Mounting pressure

This messy disagreement between Carrick and his captain adds to doubts over the coach's future. He signed a two-year contract in May after leading United to a third-place finish in the Premier League, but he is now enduring a run of seven games without a win. When asked if he feared being sacked, Carrick stated he had not given his own position any thought.