MANCHESTER: Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes questioned his team’s tactical approach after being thrashed 1-4 by Como in the Champions League early this morning, describing the players as having lost their spirit after conceding early.
Como opened the scoring as early as the second minute before United continued to struggle throughout the match, with Joshua Zirkzee’s consolation goal in injury time only reducing the margin of defeat.
Fernandes said that United failed to put enough pressure on the opponent and lacked movement without the ball, thus allowing Como to dominate the game.
“We started with the wrong foot and they scored too early. The pressure on the players with the ball was not enough and the movement without the ball was not very good either.
“The decision not to apply one-on-one pressure was the coaching staff’s choice.
“There are times when we leave space behind and wait for them to bring the ball, but when you give space to a team like this, they will become more confident,” he told TNT Sports.
When asked whether his statement was a criticism of manager Michael Carrick’s tactics, Fernandes said the matter needed to be assessed by the manager and coaching staff.
“Sometimes we need to be braver when under pressure, take the risk of putting on high pressure and making the opponent uncomfortable,” he said.
The defeat has added pressure on Carrick as United have now failed to record a win in seven consecutive matches.
Carrick admitted his team’s performance was unacceptable and insisted that everyone must take responsibility, including himself.
“As a supporter of this club, seeing a performance like that is unacceptable.
“I am responsible for the team and the overall performance. I also have to apologise for the performance,” he said.
The 45-year-old manager also admitted that United failed to show the intensity, motivation and purpose of the game that they should have.
United now have three points after three Champions League matches and will face AS Roma in their next match.