According to a Manchester Evening News report from Wednesday, October 21, 2026, Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick criticised his players after their humiliating 4-1 Champions League defeat to Como, while also responding to captain Bruno Fernandes's criticism of the team's tactical approach.

United endured another disappointing result on Wednesday night, and their performance raised fresh questions about the team's mentality, commitment and ability to compete at the highest level.

The defeat left Carrick visibly frustrated, and the United boss made no attempt to hide his disappointment when he spoke to the media after the match. He also offered an apology to the travelling supporters who had witnessed the team's poor display.

Carrick conceded that the nature of the performance was especially hard to accept, maintaining that losing games is part of football but falling short of the club's standards is not.

"We might win, we might lose, but the way we went about it tonight, I wouldn't say everyone, but the way we went about it in some ways tonight wasn't acceptable. And I just wanted to let the fans know that I feel for them, for sure," Carrick said.

He added that his frustration stemmed not only from the goals United conceded but also from the overall performance and the attitude his players showed.

"It wasn't just the goals, if I'm totally honest. It was the manner and the way we played at times, in the way we went about it, that was the difficult thing to watch for me," he explained.

Carrick's remarks followed Fernandes's questioning of the tactical approach taken by the manager and his coaching staff during the defeat.

The United captain voiced his concerns about the team's setup in a post-match television interview, which led Carrick to defend his decisions and suggest that the players' lack of effort had played a major part in the result.

United went in at half-time trailing 1-0, and Carrick made two substitutions in an effort to turn the game around. His changes, however, did not bring the response he wanted, as Como tightened their grip after the break before Joshua Zirkzee scored a late consolation.

Responding to the criticism of his tactics, Carrick explained that United had tried to press their opponents differently in the second half but still conceded a goal.

"We actually half-pressed man-to-man the second half and then conceded a goal from that," he said.

The United boss then stressed that tactical instructions would mean little if the players did not show the required work rate.

"And there's a small element to it whatever system you use, whatever tactics you employ, if you don't run, and you don't run forward, and you don't run back, you won't win," Carrick added.

His answer implied that he feels the team's issues go beyond tactical choices, and that the players must also take responsibility for how they perform on the pitch.

Carrick was then asked whether his players were still giving their all for him, in light of the disappointing result and the criticism voiced by the captain.

Yet the 45-year-old maintained that the matter was not one of personal loyalty but of the responsibility that comes with representing Manchester United. "It's not about playing for me, it's about playing for this football club," he said.