Bruno Fernandes directly calls out Man Utd tactics in brutally honest interview after Como defeat

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes called out his side's pressing tactics following their 4-1 thrashing at the hands of Como in the Champions League.

United suffered a humiliating evening in Lombardy thanks to a brace from Nico Paz and goals from Anastasios Douvikas and Jacobo Ramon. Joshua Zirkzee scored a consolation for Michael Carrick's side in second half stoppage time.

Carrick walked over to the away support in the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium and apologised to the supporters after what could potentially have been his last game in charge. And post-match comments made by Fernandes - who was taken off in the second half and replaced by goalscorer Zirkzee - could cause a fresh issue.

'It's a decision from the staff...' - Bruno Fernandes on Man Utd tactics

Speaking to TNT Sports reporter Liam McDevitt after full-time against Como, Fernandes responded to a question asking whether he had 'confidence' that United could 'work as a team and solve the problems you need to' while out on the pitch.

"Of course we can, but it's a decision from the staff to not press man-to-man and sometimes leave a little bit of space and try to get the ball in the first moment, to wait for them, to give them the ball," he said.

"But sometimes when you give too much of the ball to these teams, they get confidence. They have so many bodies behind the ball that makes you run a lot, make people get frustrated and then obviously when you recover the ball, the legs and the brain are much more difficult to make it work."

When asked if United got their pressing tactics 'wrong' in Como, he replied: "It's on the manager and on the staff to see it, it's not on me. I just said that sometimes we have to more brave under pressure, try to take a risk of getting that press very high and making them uncomfortable. As they did to us - as you saw they were going, the centre-back was coming to mark me all the way in my own half.

"I think sometimes we had to do that as a team and we were not really able to do it. A team that wants to play through the middle, and likes these small connections, if you give them too much time on the ball to think and to rotate in the middle of the pitch, they create big space on the outside. That's what they did, and the first goal comes from that."

Michael Carrick reacts to Como defeat

United's 4-1 defeat in Lombardy means they have now lost two of their opening three Champions League matches of the 2026/27 season. They suffered a 2-0 loss to Atletico Madrid at Wanda Metropolitano last Tuesday, having won 4-0 against Sabah at Old Trafford in their opening league stage match of the campaign.

"It was more than disappointing," Carrick told TNT Sports after the defeat. "I think everybody has got to take responsibility for that. I 100 per cent take responsibility for the overall team and performance. That's where it stops. It stops with me, and I'm absolutely fine with that. I accept that totally.

"But as a supporter of this football club for so long, to see a performance like that is unacceptable, I have to say.

"I care an unbelievable amount about the supporters. They are the heartbeat of this football club and they always will be. For them to travel, I had to apologise for the performance. To have to watch a performance like that, I totally feel for them. There are no excuses at all. It is not acceptable."