The Man Utd Como result was a 4-1 defeat at the Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia on Wednesday night. It was a Champions League loss that leaves Michael Carrick’s side seven games without a win. As a result, the head coach is now under pressure from inside the dressing room.
Nico Paz scored after 118 seconds, according to the BBC. He added a second in the 57th minute. Meanwhile, Anastasios Douvikas made it 2-0 on 49 minutes, and Jacobo Ramon headed in a fourth on 76. Finally, Joshua Zirkzee’s goal in the 90th minute was United’s only reply, as listed in Como’s official match report.
Man Utd Como highlights
United’s official channel has posted the goals and highlights from the Champions League Matchday 3 game.
Man Utd Como: how the goals came
Como’s club report says Paz opened the scoring with a curling left-footed strike past Senne Lammens. After that, the second came from a move through Da Cunha, Baturina and Paz. Douvikas then finished one-on-one.
Next, Paz dispossessed his marker on the wing and finished inside the far post to make it 3-0. Then Ramon rose to meet a cross from Kaiki for the fourth.
Man Utd Como: Fernandes questions the approach
Captain Bruno Fernandes spoke to TNT Sports afterwards, BBC Sport reported. He said the decision not to press man to man came from the coaching staff. “It’s a decision from the staff to not press man to man and sometimes leave space behind and try to get the ball, but sometimes when you give too much the ball to these teams they get confidence,” he said.
Asked whether Carrick had got his tactics wrong, he replied: “That’s on the manager and staff to see it, not me. Sometimes you have to be more brave under pressure, take the risk of pressing high and making them uncomfortable.”
Carrick was told of the comments in his press conference. He said: “There’s a little bit of whatever system you play, whatever tactics you play, if you don’t run, and you don’t run forward, and you don’t run back, you aren’t going to win.” In addition, he apologised to the supporters, saying the way United played “is not acceptable”. He declined to discuss his own future.
Man Utd Como: what it means for Carrick
The BBC says United are 13th in the Premier League. They are three points above bottom club Sunderland. They have not won in the league since a victory over Ipswich. Therefore, seven games without a win is their longest such run since the eight under Louis van Gaal in late 2015.
Next up is Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Sunday. For more on the squad, see our Como team news round-up and the latest on United’s defensive plans.
BBC Sport on Carrick and the travelling fans
Update, 22 October: BBC Sport’s Simon Stone writes that Carrick apologised to the 700 travelling Manchester United fans after the 4-1 defeat at Como. Stone says Carrick walked across the pitch at the final whistle and repeatedly held his hands up, which he compares to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a 4-1 loss at Watford in November 2021. Solskjaer was sacked the next day. That comparison is BBC’s own framing, not a claim from the club.
Source: BBC Sport (Simon Stone).
Sources: Manchester United, Como 1907, BBC Sport (Simon Stone).
